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Brinjal chutney comprises fresh and firm brinjals, tomatoes, cumin and fenugreek seeds along with other ingredients. It is quite simple to make brinjal chutney or baingan chutney at home following my simple guide.

Table of Contents

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Brinjal chutney needs a few common ingredients to make it at home.

Add a layer of oil and store the chutney in an airtight container to prevent moisture from spoiling it.
The chutney can be served with dosa, idli, roti, steamed rice, pakoras, sandwiches, and more.
Brinjal chutney tastes spicy and tangy with earthy undertone.

Try other alternatives like ridge gourd chutney, bottle gourd chutney, capsicum chutney for somewhat similar taste experience.

I first tried this recipe when visiting a homestay in Kerala. The host served it for breakfast, and I couldn’t stop eating. Before I left, I asked for the recipe and she happily wrote it down and gave it to me. I tried to recreate it at home. The smell took me straight back to that breezy, spice-filled kitchen. It tasted almost identical, and I felt like I’d captured a piece of the journey in my plate. It’s become my personal souvenir from that trip—a taste of travel on a plate.

How to Make Brinjal Chutney? (Step by Step Guide with Images)

Step 1: Take a wok or a frying pan and heat it on a low to medium flame on your gas stove. When it is hot enough put 3 tbsp of cooking oil in it. When the oil heats up, put 5 large pieces of fresh green chilies in it. You may break a couple of them in half. Stir them for about half a minute.

(Pro tip: You can use any type of cooking oil you have and use at home to make this chutney. You can also add more green chilies if you want your chutney to be hot and spicy. If you prefer less spicy, reduce the number of green chilies. It is your kitchen and your rule).

Step 2: When the chilies are cooked slightly, put 1 tsp of cumin seeds and ¼ tsp of fenugreek seeds in it. Stir them and mix them nicely with the oil and let them cook for about another minute or so.

Step 3: Now, put 4 fresh brinjals, slices longitudinally, into the pan.

Step 4: Stir them for about 3 to 4 minutes to cook them well until they start to change their color and the green chilies are fried nicely.

Step 5: Now, add 8 to 10 fresh curry leaves to the ingredients in the wok. Stir them to fry them as well.

Step 6: Then, take 2 pieces of fresh and ripe tomatoes of medium size. Slice them and add them to the ingredients. Stir them for about a minute.

Step 7: Now add 10 gm of tamarind and 10 to 12 garlic cloves to the content. Deskin the garlic cloves before you put them in the wok. Stir for about 2 to 3 minutes more to mix the tamarind nicely with all the ingredients in the wok.

(Pro tip: Do not add too much tamarind and tomatoes. It will eventually make the chutney unnecessarily tangier, which you may not like).

Step 8: When the ingredients are cooked nicely and have changed their color, add ¼ tsp of turmeric powder to it. Mix it nicely.

Step 9: Now, add about ¼ cup of fresh coriander leaves to the wok.

Step 10: Stir it to mix everything nicely and cook for another minute or two until the ingredients are cooked nicely and get reduced. Set the pan aside for a while to let the ingredients cool down completely.

(Pro tip: Cooling is very important. This is because even the slightest warmth might affect the eventual color of the chutney. You are advised to transfer the ingredients to a separate plate rather than let it sit in the frying pan itself. This will terminate the cooking process and let the ingredients cool much faster).

Step 11: When the ingredients have cooled down completely, transfer them to a clean mixer grinder. Then add 1 tsp of regular table salt to it.

Step 12: Now, grind the ingredients to a fine paste. Do not add any water at this point.

(Pro tip: Always grind the ingredients intermittently. This will not let the rotating motor of the grinder overwork and get heated up. Remember, this heat will be transferred to the paste which might affect the eventual color of the chutney).

Step 13: When you are done grinding, check the consistency of the chutney paste.

(Pro tip: If you feel that the paste is too dense and will make the chutney too thick, feel free to add a little bit of water to it. Grind it again. Make sure that you do not add a lot of water in one go because you will not be able to take it back if you do not need it. Add water to the paste gradually and blend it every time after every addition until you get the consistency you want).

Step 14: When you are happy with the texture, taste the salt and add more if required. Now, transfer the paste to a separate bowl. Your tasty and spicy homemade brinjal chutney is eventually ready. You can have it with idli, dosa, and several other types of snack items and main dishes.