The delightful carrot chutney includes a combination of fresh carrots, tomatoes, onions, and aromatic spices, with a tadka of urad dal, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Read my simple recipe to learn the steps to make carrot chutney or gajar chutney at home.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Carrot chutney is a flavorful condiment to enhance the taste of several dishes.
- Use a clean and moisture-free glass jar to store the chutney. You may keep it in the fridge to extend its shelf life.
- You can serve this chutney with South Indian dishes to snacks, sandwiches, plain steamed rice or Indian bread, pakoras or chaat items, grilled vegetables or a cheese platter.
- Carrot chutney usually offers a sweet and savory taste with a hint of spiciness.
- Try mango chutney, coconut chutney, beetroot chutney, onion and tomato chutney for a different taste experience.
This recipe came into my life via a cooking app recommendation. I was scrolling mindlessly one evening and saw a photo that made me pause. I had all the ingredients at home, so I tried it then and there. The kitchen smelled heavenly, and the taste was even better. It became my Friday night comfort dish. I’ve since personalised it, adding my own twists. But it all started with that one random app suggestion—and now it’s one of my most loved meals.
How to Make Carrot Chutney? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take a frying pan and heat it on a low to medium flame on your gas stove. When the pan heats up, add ¼ cup of gingelly oil to the pan. When the oil heats up, add 6 whole pieces of dry red chilies, 3 pieces of onions (finely chopped), and about 8 to 10 deskinned cloves of garlic to the frying pan. Stir them nicely to mix all the ingredients in the pan and the oil nicely. Sauté it for about a minute.
(Pro tip: I have used gingelly oil to make this chutney. If you do not have it, you can use any type of white oil that you use at home. If you do not want to use it, you can also substitute the dry red chilies with fresh green chilies if you prefer. Adjust the number of chilies according to your taste preference).
Step 2: Now, add 3 cups of fresh grated carrots to the frying pan. Mix it nicely.
(Pro tip: It is better to grate the carrots instead of slicing them into small pieces. This will expedite the cooking process and also ensure that the carrot is cooked nicely and evenly).
Step 3: Then, add 2 pieces of fresh ripe tomatoes (diced roughly) and also add 1.5 tsp of regular table salt to it. Sauté it for 10 minutes on a high flame until everything is cooked nicely and becomes soft and supple. At this stage, it is better to remove the pan from the flame, keep it aside, and let the ingredients cool down completely at room temperature.
(Pro tip: It is even better to transfer the content to a separate plate. This will terminate the cooking process and expedite the cooling process).
Step 4: Once the ingredients cool down completely, transfer them to a mixer grinder and add ½ cup of water to it.
(Pro tip: Do not transfer or grind the ingredients when it is hot, or even slightly warm. The heat will affect the color of the chutney).
Step 5: Now, grind it to a coarse paste.
(Pro tip: At this point, if you find that the texture of the paste is not to your liking and it is too thick, put a little bit of water in the grinder, wash it, and add it to the paste. Blend it again. However, add water gradually and blend the paste in short intervals. This will prevent heat generation by the rotating motor of the grinder which might eventually affect the color of the chutney).
Step 6: When you are happy with the texture of the ground chutney, transfer it to a bowl and keep it aside.
Step 7: Now, take a separate pan, heat it on a medium flame, and when it is hot, add 2 tbsp of gingelly oil in it. When the oil heats up, add 1 tsp of mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add 2 tsp of split black lentil (urad dal) in it. Let it cook for about 15 to 20 seconds. Now, when the urad dal turns golden brown, add 8 to 10 pieces of curry leaves to it.
Step 8: When the curry leaves are cooked nicely, add this tempering to the ground paste in the bowl immediately.
Step 9: Mix it nicely and your tasty and spicy homemade carrot chutney is ready to be consumed with a variety of snack items and dishes.
Recipe Card
Carrot Chutney | Gajar Chutney
Ingredients
For making the chutney paste:
- 3 cups carrot grated
- 3 pieces onion finely chopped
- 2 pieces ripe tomatoes diced roughly
- 6 pieces dry red chilies
- 8 pieces garlic deskinned
- ¼ cup gingelly oil
- ½ cup water - ½ cup
- 1.5 tsp salt
For tempering the chutney:
- 2 tbsp gingelly oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tsp split black lentil urad dal
- 10 pieces curry leaves
Instructions
- Take a frying pan and heat it on a low to medium flame on your gas stove. When the pan heats up, add ¼ cup of gingelly oil to the pan. When the oil heats up, add 6 whole pieces of dry red chilies, 3 pieces of onions (finely chopped), and about 8 to 10 deskinned cloves of garlic to the frying pan. Stir them nicely to mix all the ingredients in the pan and the oil nicely. Sauté it for about a minute. (Pro tip: I have used gingelly oil to make this chutney. If you do not have it, you can use any type of white oil that you use at home. If you do not want to use it, you can also substitute the dry red chilies with fresh green chilies if you prefer. Adjust the number of chilies according to your taste preference).
- Now, add 3 cups of fresh grated carrots to the frying pan. Mix it nicely. (Pro tip: It is better to grate the carrots instead of slicing them into small pieces. This will expedite the cooking process and also ensure that the carrot is cooked nicely and evenly).
- Then, add 2 pieces of fresh ripe tomatoes (diced roughly) and also add 1.5 tsp of regular table salt to it. Sauté it for 10 minutes on a high flame until everything is cooked nicely and becomes soft and supple. At this stage, it is better to remove the pan from the flame, keep it aside, and let the ingredients cool down completely at room temperature. (Pro tip: It is even better to transfer the content to a separate plate. This will terminate the cooking process and expedite the cooling process).
- Once the ingredients cool down completely, transfer them to a mixer grinder and add ½ cup of water to it. (Pro tip: Do not transfer or grind the ingredients when it is hot, or even slightly warm. The heat will affect the color of the chutney).
- Now, grind it to a coarse paste. (Pro tip: At this point, if you find that the texture of the paste is not to your liking and it is too thick, put a little bit of water in the grinder, wash it, and add it to the paste. Blend it again. However, add water gradually and blend the paste in short intervals. This will prevent heat generation by the rotating motor of the grinder which might eventually affect the color of the chutney).
- When you are happy with the texture of the ground chutney, transfer it to a bowl and keep it aside.
- Now, take a separate pan, heat it on a medium flame, and when it is hot, add 2 tbsp of gingelly oil in it. When the oil heats up, add 1 tsp of mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add 2 tsp of split black lentil (urad dal) in it. Let it cook for about 15 to 20 seconds. Now, when the urad dal turns golden brown, add 8 to 10 pieces of curry leaves to it.
- When the curry leaves are cooked nicely, add this tempering to the ground paste in the bowl immediately.
- Mix it nicely and your tasty and spicy homemade carrot chutney is ready to be consumed with a variety of snack items and dishes.
