Tomato Kara chutney is a spicy spread made with ground tomatoes and onions and red chillies and cooked off until the flavours blend together.
This tomato kara chutney or train chutney brings nostalgia for me. I remember this in almost all tiffin box which was packed in a hurry to school. This is a very simple chutney recipe which is very addictive and also because of how simple it is to make it.
This is one chutney I don’t mind eating everyday for breakfast, if you are like me to add some spice for your breakfast am sure you will love it.
We call it reverse tomato kara chutney at home mainly because the only difference because of the other version of kara chutney I make is the opposite of how this version is made.
Recipe is fairly simple, all the ingredients except the ones for tempering are blended together raw and then cooked off in flavored tempering and finished off with flour of fennel seed powder.
Adding fennel seed powder adds an element to this kara chutney which makes it stand out.
How to eat tomato kara chutney
This chutney tastes delicious with Idli and Dosa. Get my perfect Idli dosa Batter recipe here.
I Love this for travels where I can take the hot idles soaking in this spicy chutney in a tiffin box.
check out other chutney recipes on the blog,
- Spicy Peanut Mint Chutney
- Raw Onion Chutney
- Carrot Chutney
- Green Chutney, How to make green Chutney
- Coconut chutney / Raw coconut dip
Ingredients required
- 3 Large Tomatoes
- 1/2 medium sized Onion
- 4-5 Dry red chillies Adjust to spice level
- Salt As required
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric
- 3 tbsp Peanut oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
- Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
- 1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Fennel seed powder
Prep work before you begin
Roughly chop tomatoes and onions.
Alternative Version
You can replace the dry red chillies with green chillies. The color may be lighter and the heat may be rounder though.
Pictorial recipe (step by step)
- To a blender, add the tomatoes, roughly chopped onions, salt, dry red chillies and blend to almost smooth blend.
- Heat a deep pot with a lid or a kadai, and add oil to it and once hot, add the mustard seeds and allow it to crackle fully, add the cumin and fennel seeds and allow it to sizzle for a couple of seconds.
- Quickly add the blended onion and tomato mixture, turmeric powder, fennel seed powder. Once you add it will bubble so keep it covered and cook for 5 – 10 mins on medium flame.
- Open the lid and give it a stir and cook for 5 more minutes. The chutney will be brighter in red and not very thin not too thick.
- Serve it hot over idles or dosa and enjoy !!!
Storage and shelf life
You can make this ahead and stores well unto 4 days n refridgrator.
Tomato Kara Chutney
Equipment
- high speed blender
Ingredients
- 3 Large Tomatoes
- 1/2 medium sized Onion
- 4-5 Dry red chillies Adjust to spice level
- Salt As required
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric
- 3 tbsp Peanut oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Fennel seed powder
Instructions
- To a blender, add the tomatoes, roughly chopped onions, salt, dry red chillies and blend to almost smooth blend.
- Heat a deep pot with a lid or a kadai, and add oil to it and once hot, add the mustard seeds and allow it to crackle fully, add the cumin and fennel seeds and allow it to sizzle for a couple of seconds.
- Quickly add the blended onion and tomato mixture, turmeric powder, fennel seed powder. Once you add it will bubble so keep it covered and cook for 5 – 10 mins on medium flame.
- Open the lid and give it a stir and cook for 5 more minutes. The chutney will be brighter in red and not very thin not too thick.
- Serve it hot over idles or dosa and enjoy !!!
Also check out other similar recipes