How long does Kaara Chutney take?

20 minutes from start to finish. That is 10 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking.

How many people does Kaara Chutney serve?

2. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.

Is Kaara Chutney vegetarian?

Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.

Is Kaara Chutney spicy?

It is hot: 3 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.

What do I need to make Kaara Chutney?

4 Dry Red Chilli, ½ cup Onion, ½ cup Tomato, 1 tsp Tamarind, 6 Curry leaves, 2 tbsp Gingelly Oil, and a few more listed on this page.

Do I need a pressure cooker for Kaara Chutney?

No, it is cooked in an open pot.

How many calories are in Kaara Chutney?

About 257 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.

Kaara ChutneyCook

Kaara Chutney

Name: Kaara Chutney
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian, Tamil Nadu
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Gingelly Oil; 2 tsp Urad Dal (whole); 2 tsp Chana Dal; 4 Dry Red Chilli; 4 cloves Garlic; ½ cup Onion, Thinly Sliced; ½ cup Tomato, Roughly Chopped; ¼ tsp Salt; 1 tsp Tamarind; 1 tsp Oil; ¼ tsp Mustard Seeds; ¼ tsp Urad Dal (split); 6 Curry leaves

20 min
hot
Serves 2
100% liked
36 people cooked this

Prep 10 min · Cook 10 min

Start cooking

6 steps, each one filmed. A short video for every step, so your hands never have to leave the pan.

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Also known as Spicy Chutney, Red Chutney, Kara Chutney · Veg · Chutneys, Podis & Pickles

Chutneys, Podis & Pickles Vegan Gluten-free Dairy-free

Kaara chutney: onion, tomato, garlic and dry red chillies fried with dals and tamarind, ground and tempered. Spicy, serves 2, 20 minutes, step-by-step video.

Ingredients

13 items

2 people

Gingelly Oil2 tbsp
Urad Dal (whole)2 tsp
Chana Dal2 tsp
Dry Red Chilli4
Garlic4 cloves
Onion, Thinly Sliced½ cup
Tomato, Roughly Chopped½ cup
Salt¼ tsp
Tamarind1 tsp
Oil1 tsp
Mustard Seeds¼ tsp
Urad Dal (split)¼ tsp
Curry leaves6

Contains: sesame.

Nutrition

Per 1 person, and for all 2 people. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.

Nutrient	Per 1 person	All 2 people
Energy	257kcal	514kcal
Protein	4.4g	8.8g
Carbohydrate	18g	35g
Fat	20g	40g
Fibre	5.5g	11g
Sugar	4g	8g

Cookd masalas for dry red chilli

Method

1
Heat the oil in a pan and add the urad dal, chana dal and dry red chillies. When the dals start to change their colour, add the garlic and onion.
Gingelly OilUrad Dal (whole)Chana DalDry Red ChilliGarlicOnion
2
When the onion turns translucent, add the tomatoes and salt. Cook until the tomatoes have softened. Add the tamarind and turn off the stove.
TomatoSalt
3
Allow it to cool.
Tamarind
4
After it cools, blend into a paste. Transfer it into a bowl.
5
In a small pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds and split urad dal. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add the curry leaves. Remove from the heat after 10 seconds.
OilMustard SeedsUrad Dal (split)Curry leaves
6
Add the tempering to the chutney and serve with dosa, idli or any other breakfast dish of your choice.

Before you start

How long does Kaara Chutney take?: 20 minutes from start to finish. That is 10 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking.
How many people does Kaara Chutney serve?: 2. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
Is Kaara Chutney vegetarian?: Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.
Is Kaara Chutney spicy?: It is hot: 3 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.
What do I need to make Kaara Chutney?: 4 Dry Red Chilli, ½ cup Onion, ½ cup Tomato, 1 tsp Tamarind, 6 Curry leaves, 2 tbsp Gingelly Oil, and a few more listed on this page.
Do I need a pressure cooker for Kaara Chutney?: No, it is cooked in an open pot.
How many calories are in Kaara Chutney?: About 257 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.

Tips from other cooks

Read every tip →

C
A Cookd cookJuly 2023
Thank you so much... it came out well... kindly add some alternate for tomato if not available... Thanks
S
surendranJanuary 2024
excellent 👌🏻
V
vishali virtuousMay 2023
came out in the same texture, thank you ❤
S
stellagokulramDecember 2022
came out tastey
H
Haritha AMAugust 2022
You can add shallots for extra taste Perfect with idly and dosa.
V
Vijay KrishnaOctober 2026
This Kaara Chutney recipe turned out absolutely delicious! The balance of heat and spice is spot-on, and the texture came out perfectly rich and creamy with a great tadka. It pairs amazingly well with hot idlis and crispy dosas—definitely a keeper!
F
FarzouNovember 2024
tasty😋
D
Divya PAugust 2024
good one
C
A Cookd cookMarch 2023
😋
P
PriyaMay 2022
Today I made this and came out very well