Chow chow chutney is made from chow chow, urad dal, chana dal, and a variety of other spices. It is also tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves and more for flavor and taste enhancement. Follow my step-by-step guide to make chow chow chutney at home and elevate your dining experience.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Chow chow chutney is a popular South Indian condiment.
- Refrigerate the chutney in an airtight container for preserving its freshness.
- Serve it with South Indian dishes, pakoras, sandwiches, and cheese platters.
- Chow chow chutney is spicy, tangy, and savory to taste.
- Coconut and chow chow chutney or ridge gourd chutney will offer a somewhat similar taste.
The Ingredients
For making the paste for the chutney:
- 1 piece chow chow (250 gm)
- 2 tsp white oil
- 1 tsp split black lentils (urad dal)
- 1 tsp split chickpeas (chana dal)
- 5 pieces dry red chilies (whole, without their stalks)
- 1 piece tamarind (gooseberry size)
- 5 cloves garlic (deskinned)
- 1 piece ginger (1-inch size cut in small pieces, deskinned)
- 2 tbsp coconut (cut roughly into small pieces)
- 15 pieces curry leaves
- 1 piece onion (large, chopped roughly)
- 1 piece tomato (medium size, cut roughly into small pieces)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup coriander leaves(without stem)
For tempering the chutney:
- 1 tsp white oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 8 pieces curry leaves
- 3 pieces dry red chilies
I came across this recipe while watching a documentary on traditional cooking. The scene showed a quiet kitchen, old wooden counters, and hands that moved with decades of memory. I was mesmerized. I tried making it just to feel that sense of connection.
It didn’t come out perfect—too dry maybe—but it had a soul. Over time, I tweaked it to my liking while still holding on to that original essence. Now, it’s my “thinking dish”—something I make when I need silence and something real.
How to Make Chow Chow Chutney? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take 1 fresh chow chow, wash it, peel it, and cut it into small pieces.
Step 2: Now, take a wok, heat it, and put 2 tsp of white oil in it. When the oil heats up, put 1 tsp of split black lentils (urad dal), 1 tsp of split chickpeas (chana dal), and 5 whole pieces of dry red chilies without their stalks in it. Stir it for about a minute until they start changing their color.
Step 3: Now, add 1 piece of tamarind of the size of gooseberry in the wok along with 4 to 5 deskinned garlic cloves and a fresh and deskinned piece of ginger of about an inch in size. Also, add 2 tbsp of fresh coconut (cut roughly into small pieces), and about 10 to 15 pieces of fresh curry leaves to it and stir them all nicely for about a couple of minutes on a low flame.
Step 4: Now add roughly chopped pieces of one large onion to the ingredients in the wok. Stir it and let it cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until it turns soft and translucent.
Step 5: Add roughly chopped pieces of 1 medium-sized tomato to the ingredients. Stir them until everything turns soft, supple, and juicy.
(Pro tip: Do not add too many tomatoes because you have already added tamarind to it. Excess tomatoes will make the chutney unnecessarily tangier).
Step 6: Now, add the chow chow pieces to it. Mix them nicely with the other ingredients and let them cook for another couple of minutes.
Step 7: Now, add 1 tsp of regular table salt to the ingredients and mix it nicely. Cover it with a lid to expedite the cooking process.
Step 8: After about 5 minutes, remove the cover and check whether the chow chow pieces are cooked nicely or not.
Step 9: If they have, add ½ a cup of fresh coriander leaves (without their stem) to the ingredients and mix them nicely. Turn the flame of your gas stove off and let the ingredients sit for a while to cool down.
Step 10: Now, take a mixer grinder and transfer the cooked ingredients to it from the wok.
Step 11: Grind it to a fine paste and transfer it to a bowl.
Step 12: Now, for tempering the chutney, take a tadka pan, heat it, and put 1 tsp of white oil in it. When it heats up, put 1 tsp of mustard seeds and let it crackle. Then add 3 pieces of dry red chilies and 6 to 8 pieces of fresh curry leaves to it. When cooked nicely, pour most of it into the chutney paste in the bowl.
(Pro tip: I have used button red chilies. You can use regular dry red chilies if you do not have them).
Step 13: Mix it gently, garnish it with the remaining tempering ingredients on top, and your spicy, tasty, homemade chow chow chutney is ready to be served with a variety of dishes.
Recipe Card
Chow Chow Chutney
Ingredients
For making the paste for the chutney:
- 1 piece chow chow 250 gm
- 2 tsp white oil
- 1 tsp split black lentils urad dal
- 1 tsp split chickpeas chana dal
- 5 pieces dry red chilies whole, without their stalks
- 1 piece tamarind gooseberry size
- 5 cloves garlic deskinned
- 1 piece ginger 1-inch size cut in small pieces, deskinned
- 2 tbsp coconut cut roughly into small pieces
- 15 pieces curry leaves
- 1 piece onion large, chopped roughly
- 1 piece tomato medium size, cut roughly into small pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup coriander leaves without stem
For tempering the chutney:
- 1 tsp white oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 8 pieces curry leaves
- 3 pieces dry red chilies
Instructions
- Take 1 fresh chow chow, wash it, peel it, and cut it into small pieces.
- Now, take a wok, heat it, and put 2 tsp of white oil in it. When the oil heats up, put 1 tsp of split black lentils (urad dal), 1 tsp of split chickpeas (chana dal), and 5 whole pieces of dry red chilies without their stalks in it. Stir it for about a minute until they start changing their color.
- Now, add 1 piece of tamarind of the size of gooseberry in the wok along with 4 to 5 deskinned garlic cloves and a fresh and deskinned piece of ginger of about an inch in size. Also, add 2 tbsp of fresh coconut (cut roughly into small pieces), and about 10 to 15 pieces of fresh curry leaves to it and stir them all nicely for about a couple of minutes on a low flame.
- Now add roughly chopped pieces of one large onion to the ingredients in the wok. Stir it and let it cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until it turns soft and translucent.
- Add roughly chopped pieces of 1 medium-sized tomato to the ingredients. Stir them until everything turns soft, supple, and juicy. (Pro tip: Do not add too many tomatoes because you have already added tamarind to it. Excess tomatoes will make the chutney unnecessarily tangier).
- Now, add the chow chow pieces to it. Mix them nicely with the other ingredients and let them cook for another couple of minutes.
- Now, add 1 tsp of regular table salt to the ingredients and mix it nicely. Cover it with a lid to expedite the cooking process.
- After about 5 minutes, remove the cover and check whether the chow chow pieces are cooked nicely or not.
- If they have, add ½ a cup of fresh coriander leaves (without their stem) to the ingredients and mix them nicely. Turn the flame of your gas stove off and let the ingredients sit for a while to cool down.
- Now, take a mixer grinder and transfer the cooked ingredients to it from the wok.
- Grind it to a fine paste and transfer it to a bowl.
- Now, for tempering the chutney, take a tadka pan, heat it, and put 1 tsp of white oil in it. When it heats up, put 1 tsp of mustard seeds and let it crackle. Then add 3 pieces of dry red chilies and 6 to 8 pieces of fresh curry leaves to it. When cooked nicely, pour most of it into the chutney paste in the bowl. (Pro tip: I have used button red chilies. You can use regular dry red chilies if you do not have them).
- Mix it gently, garnish it with the remaining tempering ingredients on top, and your spicy, tasty, homemade chow chow chutney is ready to be served with a variety of dishes.
