Cauliflower chutney is made with cauliflower, urad dal, chickpeas, and tempered with mustard seeds and other ingredients. The steps to make cauliflower chutney at home are simple as you will find reading my recipe.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Cauliflower chutney is a unique condiment.
- Store the chutney in a sealed container in your fridge.
- Pair the chutney with steamed rice, idli, dosa, or sandwich.
- Cauliflower chutney tastes nutty, sweet, tangy and a bit spicy.
- Chutneys made from broccoli, cabbage and a combination of cauliflower and mint or tomato will render a similar taste.
I had a childhood friend whose mother first taught me this recipe. During a sleepover, she cooked it for us as a midnight snack. The smell alone had me asking for seconds. Years later, when I moved out, I messaged my friend for the recipe. Recreating it was like reliving those carefree school days. It turned out just as I remembered—flavourful and comforting. Every time I make it, it feels like going back in time, sharing laughter and secrets over hot food in pyjamas.
How to Make Cauliflower Chutney? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take about 1 cup of small pieces of cauliflower in a bowl, pour some water, add ½ tsp of turmeric powder, and heat it on your gas stove.
Step 2: Let it cook for about 3 to 4 minutes to bring it to a boil so that it is about 60% cooked. Check it. Strain the water and keep the parboiled cauliflowers aside on a separate plate.
Step 3: Now, take a frying pan, heat it on a medium flame, and put ½ tsp of white oil in it when it is hot enough. Now, put 2 tbsp of split chickpeas, 2 tbsp of split black lentil (urad dal), and a piece of tamarind of the size of a gooseberry torn into small pieces. Stir them continuously for about a minute or two to fry them nicely on a medium flame.
(Pro tip: You can add any type of white oil you have at home to make this chutney).
Step 4: When you notice a slight change in the color of the ingredients, add 5 pieces of dry red chilies and 10 to 15 pieces of fresh curry leaves. Stir them and let them cook for about a minute or two. When they are done, transfer the ingredients to a separate plate and keep them aside so that the ingredients cool down completely at room temperature.
(Pro tip: You can increase or decrease the number of dry red chilies according to your preference and considering the amount of cauliflower you are using).
Step 5: Now, while the spices are cooling, in the meantime put ½ tsp of white oil in the pan and add 4 deskinned garlic cloves to it. Let them fry a bit for about 5 to 10 seconds.
Step 6: Then, put the parboiled cauliflower in it. Stir them to fry them nicely for about a minute. Now, add salt to taste and stir them again so that the salt mixes nicely with the cauliflowers. Let it cook for a minute.
Step 7: By this time, the spices will have cooled down completely. If they have, transfer them to a clean and dry grinder.
Step 8: Grind the spices to a fine powder.
(Pro tip: Cooling of the spices is important. If they do not, you will not get a fine powder because there will be clumps in it due to the heat of the spices as well as that generated by the rotating motor of the grinder. That is why you must always grind spices to a powder in short intervals for a couple of times).
Step 9: Now, transfer the cooked cauliflower to the ground spices in the mixer grinder.
Step 10: Grind it to a fine paste. Check the consistency. If it is to your liking, transfer it to a bowl. If it is not, add some water, and blend it again till you get the desired consistency.
(Pro tip: Do not add any water initially while grinding. This might result in the clumping of the ground spices. Also, do not add too much water in one go since you will not be able to take it back if you do not want it. It is best to add water gradually and blend it every time after adding water to the paste).
Step 11: Now, to prepare the tempering ingredients for the chutney, take a tadka pan, heat it on a medium flame, and put 2 tsp of white oil in it. When the oil is hot, add 1 tsp of mustard seeds, 1 tsp of split black lentil (urad dal), and ¼ tsp of asafetida one after the other in it. Let them cook for about 10 seconds and then add 6 to 8 pieces of fresh curry leaves to it. When done, transfer the content immediately to the chutney paste in the bowl.
Step 12: Finally, your tasty, homemade cauliflower chutney is ready to be served alongside steamed rice and other dishes.
Recipe Card
Cauliflower Chutney
Ingredients
- For making the paste for the chutney:
- 1 cup cauliflower florets cut into small pieces
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp white oil
- 2 tbsp split black lentil urad dal
- 2 tbsp split chickpeas
- 1 piece tamarind gooseberry size
- 5 pieces dry red chilies
- 15 pieces curry leaves
- 4 cloves garlic deskinned
- 1 tsp salt
- For tempering the chutney:
- 2 tsp white oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp split black lentil urad dal
- ¼ tsp asafetida
- 8 pieces curry leaves
Instructions
- Take about 1 cup of small pieces of cauliflower in a bowl, pour some water, add ½ tsp of turmeric powder, and heat it on your gas stove.
- Let it cook for about 3 to 4 minutes to bring it to a boil so that it is about 60% cooked. Check it. Strain the water and keep the parboiled cauliflowers aside on a separate plate.
- Now, take a frying pan, heat it on a medium flame, and put ½ tsp of white oil in it when it is hot enough. Now, put 2 tbsp of split chickpeas, 2 tbsp of split black lentil (urad dal), and a piece of tamarind of the size of a gooseberry torn into small pieces. Stir them continuously for about a minute or two to fry them nicely on a medium flame. (Pro tip: You can add any type of white oil you have at home to make this chutney).
- When you notice a slight change in the color of the ingredients, add 5 pieces of dry red chilies and 10 to 15 pieces of fresh curry leaves. Stir them and let them cook for about a minute or two. When they are done, transfer the ingredients to a separate plate and keep them aside so that the ingredients cool down completely at room temperature. (Pro tip: You can increase or decrease the number of dry red chilies according to your preference and considering the amount of cauliflower you are using).
- Now, while the spices are cooling, in the meantime put ½ tsp of white oil in the pan and add 4 deskinned garlic cloves to it. Let them fry a bit for about 5 to 10 seconds.
- Then, put the parboiled cauliflower in it. Stir them to fry them nicely for about a minute. Now, add salt to taste and stir them again so that the salt mixes nicely with the cauliflowers. Let it cook for a minute.
- By this time, the spices will have cooled down completely. If they have, transfer them to a clean and dry grinder.
- Grind the spices to a fine powder. (Pro tip: Cooling of the spices is important. If they do not, you will not get a fine powder because there will be clumps in it due to the heat of the spices as well as that generated by the rotating motor of the grinder. That is why you must always grind spices to a powder in short intervals for a couple of times).
- Now, transfer the cooked cauliflower to the ground spices in the mixer grinder.
- Grind it to a fine paste. Check the consistency. If it is to your liking, transfer it to a bowl. If it is not, add some water, and blend it again till you get the desired consistency. (Pro tip: Do not add any water initially while grinding. This might result in the clumping of the ground spices. Also, do not add too much water in one go since you will not be able to take it back if you do not want it. It is best to add water gradually and blend it every time after adding water to the paste).
- Now, to prepare the tempering ingredients for the chutney, take a tadka pan, heat it on a medium flame, and put 2 tsp of white oil in it. When the oil is hot, add 1 tsp of mustard seeds, 1 tsp of split black lentil (urad dal), and ¼ tsp of asafetida one after the other in it. Let them cook for about 10 seconds and then add 6 to 8 pieces of fresh curry leaves to it. When done, transfer the content immediately to the chutney paste in the bowl.
- Finally, your tasty, homemade cauliflower chutney is ready to be served alongside steamed rice and other dishes.
