What is Chutney? 12 Authentic Chutney Recipes

In this round up I’ve included a wide variety of chutneys, including staple chutneys we always have on hand.

All recipes are vegetarian. Most are gluten-free and vegan as well!

Chutneys originated in India and have since spread globally and been adopted by various countries. Chutney is derived from the Hindi word chatni which means to lick or eat with appetite.

Chutneys can take every day dishes to a whole new level by adding depth of flavor and variety. Authentic Indian chutneys are easy and quick to make with simple ingredients.

 In Indian cuisine, chutneys are a staple part of many dishes. 

So, what is a chutney? A chutney is a popular Indian condiment which is made in many different flavors.  It is essentially blend of various ingredients such as spices, herbs, fruits, dry fruits, coconut and vegetables into a paste. Some chutneys are however chunkier in consistency.

Chutneys are served with many Indian dishes. For example, cilantro chutney is often seen served with samosas, dhoklas or even sandwiches. Coconut chutney tastes amazing with dosas. 

Growing up, my Mom made dozens and dozens of types.  I’m sharing some in this post and will update as I document more.

The flavors, texture and thickness of chutneys are varied. Dependent on the dish you are making, you may want a thicker or saucier chutney. The good thing is, it is very easy to change up the consistency.

Read through to learn more about different types of chutneys and the dishes they pair with!

Types of Chutneys

There are many types of chutneys, and they are essentially a blend of main ingredients, such as cilantro and mint, mixed with spices and then mixed with water to make it a perfect consistency. 

Often, Indian chutneys vary regionally across India according to local tastes and fresh ingredients.

Indian chutneys do NOT use vinegar.  They are made with fresh ingredients and used fairly quickly or stored by refrigeration or stored.

They can be a sweet, spicy or savory condiment. There are even yogurt based chutneys like Mint Yogurt Chutney and Jalapeno Chutney. There are many types!

Chutneys are made with a main ingredient and just a few Indian spices that give authentic flavor. You can vary the main ingredient to make different types.

The sauce eaten with samosas is called chutney. Samosa sauces are chutneys that are served alongside samosa and used as a complementary “dipping sauce” for added depth of flavor.

Flavors and ingredients: Many types of chutney. Fruit chutneys, coconut chutneys, tomato chutney and even peanut chutney.

Texture: Smooth chutneys or chunky ones

What are the top three sauces at Indian restaurants?

The three sauces at Indian restaurants most commonly served are a green sauce, brown sauce and a red sauce.  In order these are, mint cilantro chutney, tamarind chutney and garlic chutney. They cover the notes of a savory chutney, a sweet/sour chutney and a spicy chutney.  Samosa dipping sauces:

• Green sauce: Mint cilantro chutney or Cilantro chutney or hari chutney
• Brown sauce: Tamarind chutney or imli ki chutney (sweet chutney with notes of sour)
• Red sauce: Garlic chutney or lasan ki chutney

What do you eat chutney with?

Chutneys are eaten with many Indian dishes and Indian snacks. Served at room temperature as a side or accompaniment to meals.

They are used in chaats such as Samosa Chaat or Tater Tot Chaat, sandwiches, with khaman/dhokla, pudla/chillas, and a large variety of Indian food.

Samosa

The dipping sauce eaten with samosas is called chutney. Samosa sauces are chutneys that are served alongside samosa and used as a complementary “dipping sauce” for added depth of flavor.

Dosas and idlis

Southern Indian style chutneys that are paired with dosas and idlis typically have the below characteristics but don’t HAVE to have these:

1. Use coconut (fresh coconut traditionally used, but since it’s not easily accessible to all in the US desiccated can also be used)
2. Have ground dal (lentils)
3. Include a tempering of oil (may include mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chilies, chana dal, and urad dal)

Equipment for chutney

To make chutney the equipment will vary dependent on the type of chutney.  But, the basic things needed are:

1. A blender
2. Small sauce pan
3. Mixing bowl

Chutney Recipes

Scroll through below to see many classic, popular chutneys as well as a few you may not have come across before!

If you’d like to use a little less sugar, date chutney can be a great pick. It uses the natural sugar of dates to reduce the amount of sugar needed.

You can even use a combination of dry fruits to include raisins ans apricots to make your own version.

Mint chutney is very versatile. It’s great to make a big batch during the summer mint growing months!

Garlic chutney is a hot chutney that packs a big punch! It is key to popular chaat recipes such as Aloo Chana Chaat.

Coconut chutney can be made using fresh coconut or desiccated. It is delicious to dig into with some fresh dosa!

If you are looking for a unique chutney, try this vegetable chutney below!

How do you store chutney?

The best way to store chutney is to refrigerate and use within 4-5 days. Use an airtight container or a glass jar.  They also freeze very well.

Most chutneys can be frozen and stored for long periods.

Try it? Leave a review, love to hear feedback! Or tag me on Instagram @some_indian_girl