Spicy Andhra Tomato Pachadi (Chutney)

This is a quick post and a contribution from my dear friend Neeraja. Pachadis or chutneys in Telugu are a favorite in our home especially the spicy kind. Well spicy is synonymous to Andhra food so I’m always looking for traditional pachadi recipes as mentioned here and here.

This recipe goes very well with rice (white or brown) and with hot dosas (savory crepes) and uthappams (Savory pancakes with spicy topping). Here is the recipe in Neeraja’s words. Her recipes are typically authentic Srikakulam (North eastern Andhra Pradesh) recipes which is where her family is from. There are several ways to make this popular pachadi and this one gives it a very traditional tart and spicy slightly smoky taste. Delish!

Thanks Neeraja for this keeper recipe.

Ingredients:

5 round tomatoes
5 green chillies
5 red chillies
5 garlic cloves
1/2 ” ginger
1 1/2 tsp urad dal (split black lentils)
1 1/2 tsp chana dal (split pigeon peas)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1/2 tsp methi powder (fenugreek)
1 tsp salt and more as per taste
1 1/2 tsp cooking oil
7-10 curry leaves
1/4th tsp hing (asafetida)
1 tsp dhaniya powder (coriander powder)
tamarind small lemon sized if using the sweeter variety of tomatoes OR 1/2 lemon sized tamarind if round tomatoes

 Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Wait till they crackle. Add cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, garlic cloves, ginger, red chillies, slit green chillies, curry leaves and asafetida. Saute till the dals and red chilies turn reddish brown, then transfer to a bowl and keep aside.

2. Add chopped tomatoes to the remaining oil in the pan. Fry the tomatoes along with the tamarind.

Cover with a lid and let cook until you see the tomatoes become mushy and oil begins to leave the sides of the pan.

3. Now take the dal and other seasoning ingredients you have set aside and add salt and coriander powder and fenugreek powder to the mixture. Grind the ingredients in a blender to a coarse powder. Ensure the dals are still grainy and that it doesn’t become a fine powder

4. Add the fried tomato mixture to it and pulse a few times till the mixture combines well. You can add red chilly powder if needed, if you like the chutney to be fiery hot.

Once you’ve transferred the chutney to a bowl, you can garnish again by heating mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafetida in hot oil and pouring over the chutney (optional).

Enjoy with hot rice and ghee or with hot dosas.