Bombay Chutney (Besan Chutney)
Bombay Chutney (Besan Chutney) is a curry-like dish made using chickpea flour and spices. It is a great side dish for poori, dosa, idli, chapati, or roti. Here is how to make it (vegan, can be easily made gluten-free).
Here are some more South Indian chutney recipes that can be served with your breakfast – White Coconut Chutney, South Indian Tomato Onion Chutney, Coconut Cilantro Chutney, Red Chilli Coconut Chutney, and Andhra Style Peanut Chutney.
About Bombay Chutney
Bombay Chutney (Besan Chutney) is a delicious Indian side dish made using chickpea flour and Indian spices. While the dish has Bombay in the name, it has nothing to do with Bombay. In fact, not many Mumbai people know about this dish.
Bombay Chutney is popular in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Some Karnataka households also make it.
This gram flour chutney is a delicious side dish to make when you have sudden guests at home and you are out of fresh vegetables. It comes together in under 30 minutes using a few basic ingredients that are mostly available at home.
Also called Kadalai Maavu Chutney, I had this incredible dish in Andhra Pradesh during a family trip at a roadside tiffin center. Later, an Andhra friend of mine made it for lunch. I couldn’t resist and asked her for the recipe, and she happily wrote it down for me. Since then, this simple besan chutney has been made frequently in my home.
This dish is very similar to the Maharashtrian Pitla. Try it using my easy recipe.
Ingredients
Tomato – Use red and ripe tomatoes to make this chutney for the best taste.
Besan Flour (Chickpea Flour, Gram Flour) makes the base of this besan chutney recipe. Make sure the besan is fresh and not stale.
Spices – This recipe uses essential spice powders like turmeric powder, garam masala powder, and salt.
Other Ingredients – You will also need brown mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida (hing), onions, curry leaves, green chillies, and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).
Skip adding asafetida to make this dish gluten-free.
To make it wholesome, add some cooked veggies, like potatoes, bell peppers, green beans, carrots, cauliflower, etc., to it.
Some people add white urad dal and chana dal in the tempering. It gives a nice crunch to the chutney.
How To Make Bombay Chutney
Mix ½ cup gram flour with ½ cup water and whisk to make a lump-free batter.
Add the remaining 2 cups of water and mix well.
Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add brown mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida, and curry leaves, and let them crackle for 5-6 seconds.
Add onions and green chilies and cook until the onions turns translucent.
Add chopped tomatoes and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Now add turmeric powder, garam masala powder, and salt, and cook for another minute.
Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Add the gram flour slurry and mix well. Cook for 12-15 minutes until the besan thickens and the raw smell is gone. Stir frequently while cooking.
Add chopped cilantro and mix well. Bombay Besan Chutney is ready to serve.
Pro Tips By Neha
It is important to follow exact measurements while making this recipe, as the quantity of besan and water is the key to making this quick side dish.
Reduce the heat to low or medium-low when adding the besan slurry to the pan; otherwise, there could be some bubble formation.
Serving Suggestions
This runny side dish is served with South Indian breakfast dishes like dosa, idli, and poori. You can also serve it with steamed rice or chapati.
I like to drizzle some lemon juice over it just before serving.
Storage Suggestions
Bombay Chutney tastes the best when served fresh, right off the pan. It tends to thicken and become lumpy once cooled.
However, if you have some leftovers, then add some hot water to it before reheating. Reheat in a pan until nicely hot before serving.
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Bombay Chutney Recipe (Besan Chutney)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon Gram Flour
- 4 cups Water
- 3 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Hing (skip for gluten free)
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 15-20 Curry Leaves
- 2-3 Green Chillies (Slit into half)
- 1 Tomato (Chopped)
- 1 Onion (thinly sliced)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Coriander (Chopped)
Instructions
- Mix gram flour with ½ cup water and whisk to make a lump-free batter.
- Add the remaining water and mix well.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add brown mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida, and curry leaves, and let them crackle for 5-6 seconds.
- Add onions and green chilies and cook until the onions turn translucent.
- Add chopped tomatoes and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add turmeric powder, garam masala powder, and salt, and cook for another minute.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the gram flour slurry and mix well. Cook for 12-15 minutes until the besan thickens and the raw smell is gone. Stir frequently while cooking.
- Add chopped cilantro and mix well. Bombay Besan Chutney is ready to serve.