How to Make Peanut Chutney (South Indian Recipe)

This peanut chutney recipe is a delicious fusion of flavours to heighten your overall tasting experience. This delicious chutney can be enjoyed with a snack or sides including pakoras, idli, sambar or dosa. 

Best peanut chutney (South Indian style)

This chutney recipe is one of my favourites and resembles restaurant-style peanut chutney!

The spicy and aromatic blend of flavours perfectly complements most dishes…

Whether you fancy a snack or a full course meal – this peanut chutney will be perfectly suited to enhance the tasting experience and add indulgence to your day! 

What is Peanut Chutney?

• Peanut chutney (also known as ground nut chutney, palli chutney or palli pachadi) is a popular, flavoursome condiment in South Indian meals. This can served as a dip or delicious side dish alongside many dishes including crispy dosa, idli, vada and rice. 
• You can make peanut chutney by roasting peanuts with other ingredients and then blending into a smooth paste, topped with a flavorful tempering.
• In the Maharashtrian cuisine, peanut chutney is also known as shengdana chutney. This is similar to the classic South Indian cuisine with some variations in ingredients. 

Ingredients for this chutney 

The ingredients used in this peanut chutney recipe provide a delicate balance of savoury, spicy, sweet and tangy flavours. 

• Oil: to roast the peanuts and other ingredients
• Peanuts: use ¾ cup of pink unsalted raw peanuts, the key ingredient in this dish. These are roasted in oil along with the garlic cloves, onion and red chillies. These have peanut skin which is dark pink in colour. 
• Garlic: you can use fresh garlic cloves for flavour and roast in oil until golden.
• Pink onion: use pink onions for sharpness and subtly sweet taste, you can substitute with red onions if preferred.
• Dry red chillies/dried red chili pepper (or fresh green chillies): for spice.
• Roasted chana dal: this adds to the flavour of this chutney to give a nutty and earthy flavour. You can use pre-roasted chana dal (daria dal) in this recipe - simply add to the blender when mixing the ingredients together. If you use unroasted chana dal, add this to the pan to roast whilst roasting the peanuts before adding to the blender.  
• Seasoning: salt and vinegar are used to season and enhance the flavour of this chutney. I recommend apple cider vinegar to add a subtly sweet and tangy taste in this dish. 
• Water: you need a little water to help blend the ingredients into a smooth chutney.

Tempering

This peanut chutney/ground nut chutney recipe includes a tempering to add great flavor, texture and incredible taste. I highly recommend making the tempering and adding this on top of the prepared chutney to take it to a new level! 

To make the tempering you will need:

• Oil – you can use olive oil, coconut oil or ghee if preferred
• Dried red chillies (also known as dried red chili pepper)
• Mustard seeds
• Fresh curry leaves
• Asafoetida (Hing)

How to make the peanut chutney​

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic cloves, red chillies and chopped pink onions. Roast for 1-2 minutes on low-medium flame/medium heat.
2. Add the peanuts and roast for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Once golden brown and roasted, switch off heat and allow to cool.
4. You can transfer into a plate to allow to cool completely (approximately 10 minutes). Once cooled, transfer the roasted ingredients into a stick blender. Add chana dal, salt and vinegar and blend into a smooth paste. Transfer into a bowl and serve with or without tempering.

How to make the tempering

1. Heat oil in a small pan, add dry red chillies and mustard seeds and cook for 30 seconds or until crackles on low flame/heat.
2. Add curry leaves and stir for a few seconds.
3. Add asafoetida (hing) and stir again for a few seconds.
4. Cook for another 15-20 seconds. Pour this tempering over the chutney and give the chutney a final mix.  

Tips for the perfect peanut chutney 

• Peanuts: use good quality peanuts which are fresh, with or without the skin. 
• Use roasted chana dal: you can either use pre-roasted chana dal or regular chana dal (which is unroasted) – if you choose the latter, add the chana dal to the pan at the same time as roasting the peanuts, before adding to the blender. 
• Roast before adding to the blender: roasting the garlic, onions and peanuts and dry chillies helps remove the raw taste of these ingredients and will enhance the flavour of this chutney. If any ingredients are pre-roasted, including peanuts and chana dal, then simply add these to the blender when making the chutney and do not add in the roasting phase. 
• Tempering: Make the tempering just before serving the chutney for maximum freshness.  
• Add water intermittently: water can be adjusted to get to the perfect desired consistency. 

Variations

• Milder chutney: For a milder taste, use 5 cloves of garlic and omit the tempering. If you prefer to use roasted and salted peanuts, remember to omit or reduce the salt in the chutney when blending.
• Other spices for tempering: include urad dal, cumin seeds and sesame seeds. These bring a unique flavor to this chutney.  
• Tamarind or lemon juice: tamarind paste or lemon juice can be added for a hint of tanginess.  ​

How to serve peanut chutney

This tasty chutney is bursting with flavour and can be enjoyed as a dip served with crackers or vegetables (carrots, celery and cucumber). 

This creamy peanut chutney is a great accompaniment with many breakfast dishes and mains including dosa, sambar and lemon rice or other South Indian chutneys including coconut chutney. 

You can also serve with appetizers including paneer fingers and besan dhokla!

Chutney recipes

Check out our mint chutney recipe (with fresh mint leaves), Indian mint sauce recipe and coconut chutney recipe with fresh coconut!

Related

Looking for other Indian recipes like this? Try these:

Fresh drinks

Enjoy a glass of fresh juice or smoothie:

How to Make Peanut Chutney (South Indian Recipe)

Sonia

This peanut chutney recipe is a delicious fusion of flavours to heighten your overall tasting experience. This delicious chutney can be enjoyed with a snack or sides including pakoras, idli, sambar or dosa. 

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Chutneys, Dips

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Servings 6 servings

Calories 214 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Peanut chutney:

• ▢ 2 tablespoon Oil
• ▢ ¾ cup Pink unsalted peanuts raw
• ▢ 8 Garlic cloves you can use 3-5 garlic cloves for a milder flavour
• ▢ 2 Pink onion chopped roughly into quarters
• ▢ 5-6 Dry red chillies
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Roasted chana dal daria dal
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 2-3 tbsp Water (start with 2 tablespoon and optional 3rd tablespoon based on preference)
• ▢ ¼ tsp Salt or to taste

Tempering:

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Oil
• ▢ 3 Dry red chillies whole
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
• ▢ 15 Curry leaves
• ▢ ⅛ Asafoetida/hing

Instructions

 

To make the peanut chutney:

• Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic cloves, red chillies and chopped pink onions. Roast for a few minutes. Add the peanuts and roast together until golden brown.
• Once golden brown and roasted, transfer into a plate and allow to cool (10 minutes).
• Once cooled, transfer the roasted ingredients into a stick blender. Add roasted chana dal, salt and vinegar and water and blend into a smooth mixture. Transfer into a bowl and serve with or without tempering.

To make the tempering:

• In a pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and add dry red chillies and mustard seeds and cook for 30 seconds or until it crackles.
• Add curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida (hing) and cook for another 15-30 seconds.
• Pour this tempering over the chutney and stir into the chutney. Serve immediately or transfer into an air-tight container and refrigerate once cooled.

Notes

1. Make the tempering before serving: Make the tempering just before serving the chutney for maximum freshness. 
2. Roast before adding to the blender: roasting the garlic, onions and peanuts and dry chillies helps remove the raw taste of these ingredients and will enhance the flavour of this chutney. If any ingredients are pre-roasted, including peanuts and chana dal, then simply add these to the blender when making the chutney and do not add in the roasting phase. 
3. Variations: For a milder flavour, you can use 3-5 garlic cloves for a milder flavour and omit the tempering. If you prefer to use roasted and salted peanuts, remember to omit or reduce the salt in the chutney when blending.
4. Storage: This chutney is best served immediately for freshness however can also be kept in the refrigerator and stored for up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 6gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.03gSodium: 101mgPotassium: 203mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 272IUVitamin C: 54mgCalcium: 48mgFolate: 320µgIron: 1mgZinc: 1mg

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