Tamarind Chutney | Best Side Dish For Ven Pongal

Tangy sweet and spicy tamarind chutney with tongue tickling taste.

This tamarind chutney  is an interesting combination with ven pongal. This is a regular
side dish often served with pongal rather than kathirikai gothjju. This tastes tangy with the spiciness of the secret masala. The masala is not so unique but when combined with tamarind sauce gives excellent flavour. Originally we call this chutney as "Pachi Pulusu" in Telugu. This goes well with dosa / Idli.

 If you like the tangy sour taste of tamarind, you would definitely love it. Most probably all asian countries include tamarind in their everyday cooking. Apart from the sour and tart taste, it tastes sweet. We even use the edible leaves of tamarind tree to make spice powder called "Chinthaak Podi". Soon will be posting the recipe of the podi.

Preparartion & Cooking Time:15 Minutes

YIELD : 2 -3 serves

Ingredients:

Tamarind - 1 big lemon Size
Tomato - 1Small finely chopped(approx. 2 tbsp)
Curry Leaves few
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 1tsp Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tbsp

For Seasoning:
Mustard Seeds -1tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1tsp
Red Chilli Broken-4-5no
Asafoetida-1tsp

Secret Masala To Grind:
Grated Coconut - 2tbsp
Green chilli - 3-4no(adjust as per spice level)
Roasted Dhal / Pootukadalai -1tbsp

Method:

1. Soak tamarind pulp in one cup of water and extract the juice. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds and wait till it crackle. Add Cumin seeds, asafoetida, broken chillies, curry leaves one by one. Pour in the tamarind juice, turmeric powder, remaining 1/2 a cup of water, jaggery and salt. Wait until it starts to boil.
3. In the meantime, coarsely grind the ingredients given under the secret masala  without water.
4. Now add in the ground masala to the boiling tamarind sauce. Add finely chopped tomatoes at this stage. Stir well and let it cook on low flame for few minutes or until the chutney is thicken.
5. Dish out and serve this tangy spicy chutney with hot ghee oozing ven pongal.

Note:

• Adjust water accordingly, the thickness of the chutney you wish.
• This serve best for Dosa / Idli.

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Red Chilli Chutney
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