Carrot Chutney, How To Make Carrot Chutney for Idlis/Dosas

          In a South Indian home, idlis and dosas are made at least a couple of times in a week, and to serve as a side to them, we make sambar or some kind of chutney. Though the coconut chutney and tomato chutney are the most common, we make a variety of other chutneys too, Carrot Chutney being one of them. Grated carrot is sauteed and ground with roasted dal/lentils, chillies and coconut. The carrot gives a beautiful color to the chutney and it's a nice way to sneak in the vegetable, kids will not be able to find it. Usually when making a chutney with roasted dal, we add a lot of coconut to make it, but by adding carrots we can reduce the quantity of coconut and still the chutney would taste great. It goes very well with both idlis and dosas, you can blend it to a thick and coarse mixture and have it with plain white rice too..

Need To Have

• Grated Carrots - 1 cup
• Dried Red Chillies - 6
• Urad Dal/Husked Black Gram - 1 tablespoon
• Chan Dal/Bengal Gram - 1 tablespoon
• Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoons
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Tamarind - small cherry sized ball
• Salt to taste

Method

          Heat a little oil, add the chana dal, urad dal and red chillies and roast till the dals turn golden, remove and keep. To the same pan, add some more oil and add the grated carrot.

          Saute it well for about 7 to 10 minutes till the raw smell of carrots go away and the carrots lose some of its moisture. Switch off, add the coconut, mix and let the mixture to cool.

           Grind the carrot and coconut mixture along with the roasted dals, chillies, salt, tamarind, asafoetida and a little water into a chutney, remove and serve.

Check out the other vegetable chutneys in the blog..
Chayote Chutney, Chow Chow Chutney
Zucchini Chutney
Ridge Gourd Peel Chuney
For a complete list, click here.

Note
Add chillies according to your spice level and also certain variety of chillies are more spicier than the other.
Don't grind the chutney to a very smooth mixture, it should have some texture.
This chutney doesn't need any seasoning, but if you want, then heat some oil, add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 2 teaspoons urad dal, when the mustard seeds sputter, add 10 curry leaves, mix, remove and add to the chutney.