Bombay Chutney Recipe (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.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- ½ cup besan. (gram flour, chickpea flour)
- 2 and ½ cups water divided
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing) skip for gluten free
- 15-20 curry leaves
- 1 cup thinly sliced onions
- 2-3 green chillies slit into half
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)
- lime to squeeze on top
Instructions
- Make a lump-free slurry. Whisk besan with ½ cup of water first, until completely smooth. Only then add the remaining 2 cups of water. Adding all the water at once is the number one reason people end up with lumpy chutney.
- Temper the spices. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, and curry leaves. Let them crackle for 5-6 seconds until fragrant.
- Cook the onion and chili. Add onions and green chilies. Cook until the onion turns soft and translucent, not brown.
- Add tomato and ginger. Stir in tomatoes and ginger. Cook for two to three minutes until the tomato softens.
- Season the base. Add turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Cook for about a minute so the spices toast slightly rather than taste raw.
- Pour in the slurry and simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low before adding the besan slurry. This step matters, since pouring flour batter into a very hot pan makes it bubble and spit. Stir often and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly and the raw, flour-like smell disappears completely.
- Finish and serve. Check for salt and add more if needed. Stir in cilantro. Squeeze some lime juice on top and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 770mg | Potassium: 334mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 375IU | Vitamin C: 87mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2mg
