Hot n Sweet Chutney

Chutneys have always had a very special place in my cookery mainly coz chutneys are supposed to be the basic lessons in cooking. And so was the case with me… Brings back those nostalgic recollections of learning, experimenting and failing…then giving it another try and finally succeeding (so to say). Secondly, I just crave for those yummy chutneys so much so that I’m always tempted to go out to restaurants only to have those mouthwatering chutneys served as a side dish with Ghee roast or Idlis… Forget it… who goes to restaurants these days to have those steamed idlis which u can make so easily at home?? So, coming back to Ghee roast and the Coconut chutney and not to forget the flavorsome Coriander chutney….it is indeed more than what you cud ask for. And so I guess I don’t have to tell you what usually goes with my occasional breakfast of Dosas or Idlis…;-) It is either Coconut chutney or Onion chutney prepared the conventional way… But then I came across this recipe which truly changed my conception of chutneys…It wasn’t something that I had experimented and invented but was passed on to me by my sis-in-law. And as a word of final credit, I would like to express my thankfulness to her for giving me this wonderful and yet simple recipe. And I hereby take this opportunity to pass on this recipe to all you guys who love chutneys or chammandhis. So, all Chutney lovers…do try out this recipe and make your life not only spicy but also sweet…

And here’s the recipe for a very hot and yet sweet chutney…

You would require :-
2 large Onions (thinly sliced)
15 – 20 Dry red chillies popularly known as Vattalmulaku in Malayalam
Salt – As required
Coconut oil – As required

You can also substitute Onion with Shallots or Kunjulli/Cheriya ulli/Sambhar onions/Button onions. But if you getting late for work and don’t have enough time to do the extra work of peeling those shallots, then u can unquestionably go for large onions. Well….honestly…I don’t… so I usually make with larger ones…easy to make…and tasty too…:) And now for those who r wondering why there is no mention of any sweet ingredient and yet the name relates to that, well…let me tell you that this chutney is hot coz of dry chilies and sweet coz of the onions. So make sure you do not add too much chilies to suppress the sweetness. If you do so, it would taste as the usual Onion chutney…

Method :-
1) Heat around 1 tbsp of oil in a pan.
2) Add the thinly sliced onions and dry red chilies and sauté, till the onions turn golden brown in colour.
:- The more you sauté, the more tastier it is.
3) Finally, when done, switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
4) Grind it along with salt in a mixer grinder.
:- Do not add water at all.
5) Transfer the contents onto a serving bowl and top it with coconut oil.

This might require a lot of oil as the mixture tends to absorb it as it is poured in. So, if you are too health conscious, this might not be the chutney for you…..or u cud also compromise by adding a little amount of oil. As they say, we live to eat and not eat to live... isn’t so?

Happy cooking !!!!