Garlic Chutney is a sidedish made with red chillies and garlic as main ingredients. It is a flavourful sidedish that can go along with idli dosa. Garlic Chutney Recipe with step by step pictures and video. I have given here 3 versions of garlic chutney for you to try – the first recipe below is our family favourite.

This garlic chutney is super quick to make and has become one of our favourites. It goes well with Idli, dosa, oothapam etc.
About Garlic Chutney
This Garlic Chutney is one of my lockdown experiments ever since I am making it quite often as my family demands it. The first time I tried and wanted my kids to taste it so I named it schezwan chutney(the fancy name makes them atleast taste it) and as I guessed they loved it. Even now when they want this chutney they demand it as “amma I want schezwan chutney” haha. See motherhood teaches you many tricks that you never believed that you had it in you.
I make this chutney to go along with hot idlis or oothapam. The best is you can make this chutney as a spread for dosa, sandwiches, rolls, wraps etc. I spread dosa, add a heaped spoonful of this chutney in the middle of the dosa along with butter spread it all over the dosa, cook it and serve crisp, do try this and I am sure you will love it just the way my family enjoys it.
If you can smell Garlic, everything is alright
Garlic is antiviral – we are 2/3rd less to catch cold if we take garlic! Also it is a cure to cough & cold. Garlic Milk made by simmering garlic in milk is good for heart & prevents heart attack. Garlic is divine for its health benefits – It is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal , lowers blood pressure, prevents cancer, fights impotence, lowers cholesterol, improves immunity and much more.
Garlic Chutney Ingredients
- Garlic : Choose fresh garlic for best flavour. You can either use big sized garlic or the smaller ones, Adjust the measure accordingly.
- Red Chillies : I always use kashmiri red chillies as they are low in spice level and gives a bright red color. So this chutney is not spicy at all inspite of adding 10 chillies.
- Takda : A simple tadka is made using gingelly oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves.
- Gingelly oil : Gingelly oil or Nalennai as we call in tamil is preferred for this recipe as it gives a nice flavour and balances the spice level.

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📖 Recipe
Garlic Chutney Recipe
Ingredients
- 20 nos big garlic cloves
- 10 nos kashmiri red chillies
- 1 tsp tamarind
- 1/2 tsp jaggery
- 1 tbsp gingelly oil
- salt to taste
To temper
- 1 tbsp gingelly oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- few curry leaves
Instructions
- Boil 1 cup water first.
- Add red chillies to it. Let it soak for 10-15 mins.
- Cool down completely then drain the red chillies alone.
- Reserve this soaked water. Set aside.
- To a mixer jar : add red chillies, garlic and tamarind.
- Add little of the reserved soaked water.
- Grind it to a slightly fine paste.
- To a small kadai heat 1/2 tbsp gingelly oil add chilli garlic paste.
- Rinse the mixer jar with 1/4 cup water.
- Add it. Mix it well.
- When it starts to boil cook partially covered as it might splutter a lot.
- Open give a quick mix then cook covered partially. Repeat this for until raw smell of garlic leaves. It may take 10-12 mins. The chutney starts to thicken too.
- Add required salt and jaggery.
- Give a quick mix add 1/2 tbsp gingelly oil.
- Give a quick mix and cook for 2 more mins.
Tadka Preparation
- Heat gingelly oil in tadka pan add mustard seeds and curry leaves let it splutter.
Garlic Chutney
- Add tadka to chutney.
- Give a quick mix. Switch off.
- Garlic Chutney ready!
Video
Notes
- This chutney is not spicy as it looks the bright red color is because of kashmiri red chillies. You can trust as my 6 year old who runs miles away to spicy food loves this chutney as a spread for dosa.
- Using kashmiri red chillies not only gives bright red color also reduces spice level.
- You can use smaller variety of garlic too called as malai poondu in that case use 15 nos garlic. Mine was quite big so I used 10.
- Instead of tamarind you can add tamarind paste also in that case add it a while boiling.
- Though adding jaggery is optional it gives a nice tangy taste do don’t miss it.
How to make Garlic Chutney
Preparing red chillies
1.Boil 1 cup water first.

2.Add red chillies to it.

3.Let it soak for 10-15 mins.

4.Cool down completely then drain the red chillies alone.

5.Reserve this soaked water. Set aside.

Grinding chilli garlic paste
6.To a mixer jar : add red chillies, garlic and tamarind.

7.Add little of the reserved soaked water.

8.Grind it to a slightly fine paste.

Cooking chilli garlic paste
9.To a small kadai heat 1/2 tbsp gingelly oil add chilli garlic paste.

10.Rinse the mixer jar with 1/4 cup water.

11.Add it.

12.Mix it well.

13.When it starts to boil cook partially covered as it might splutter a lot.

14.Open give a quick mix then cook covered partially. Repeat this for until raw smell of garlic leaves. It may take 10 mins. The chutney starts to thicken too.

15.Add required salt and jaggery.

17.Give a quick mix add 1/2 tbsp gingelly oil.

18.Give a quick mix and cook for 2 more mins.

Preparing tadka
18.Meanwhile prepare the tadka : Heat gingelly oil in tadka pan add mustard seeds and curry leaves let it splutter.

19.Add tadka to chutney.

20.Give a quick mix. Switch off.

Garlic Chutney ready!

Expert Tips
- This chutney is not spicy as it looks the bright red color is because of kashmiri red chillies. You can trust as my 6 year old who runs miles away to spicy food loves this chutney as a spread for dosa.
- Using kashmiri red chillies not only gives bright red color also reduces spice level.
- You can use smaller variety of garlic too called as malai poondu in that case use 15 nos garlic. Mine was quite big so I used 10.
- Instead of tamarind you can add tamarind paste also in that case add it a while boiling.
- Though adding jaggery is optional it gives a nice tangy taste do don’t miss it.
Variations
- You can replace it with 5 regular chillies and 5 kashmiri chillies too.
- Add big or small garlic whichever you have.
- Instead of jaggery you can add cane sugar too.
Serving & Storage
This goes well with idli, dosa, oothapam, chapathi etc. It also serves as a great spread for sandwiches, dosas, wraps and rolls.
This chutney keeps well in room temperature for 2 days and for about a week in fridge.
FAQs
1.Is Garlic Chutney good for health?
Raw garlic has a number of health benefits so this chutney is good for health too. It is good to lower sugar level so best for diabetics patients too.
2.Which garlic chutney is best?
I love the first version the best as it is the one I make quite often as my kids and hubby demands it. But for variation you can try the other versions too.3.

Garlic Chutney Quick Version
This chutney is a simplifies version of the previous recipe. But this chutney is only for those who can stand garlic in its raw form.

Ingredients
5 nos garlic
5 nos dry red chillies
1/2 tsp tamarind
1 tbsp gingelly oil
Salt to taste
Method
- Get all your ingredients ready.Soak red chillies in little hot water and set aside for 15mins.Then take garlic,red chillies, tamarind and required salt in a mixer and grind it.First it will look coarse, add water little by little and proceed grinding.
- Grind it to a fine paste.Heat oil and pour it to the chutney.
Serve with gingelly oil hot idlis / crispy dosas.

Tips
- You can even add a pinch of sugar / jaggery while grinding if you prefer it that way.
- This chutney keeps well for a week when refrigerated.
- Do not reduce gingelly oil.
- If you want you can even temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
- You can even add the chutney to hot oil and saute for few mins and then switch off, this extends the shelf life more.
Poondu Chutney

Ingredients
10 cloves garlic
4 nos red chillies
5 nos small onion
1 tsp tamarind
salt to taste
To temper
1/2 tbsp gingelly oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
a small sprig curry leaves
Method
- Grind together garlic,small onion,red chillies and tamarind together to a semi coarse mixture in a blender.Set aside. Heat 1 tsp oil in a kadai/pan – add the ingredients listed under ‘to temper’ let it splutter.
- Then add the garlic onion paste along with salt and give a quick mix along with the tempering and saute till raw smell leaves.Add 1-2 tbsp of water and allow it to boil.When it starts sticking add oil little by little.Switch off and add remaining oil and mix.
Serve hot with crispy dosas or with soft idlis!
Tips
- Break the red chillies roughly before grinding so that it grinds well and evenly
- Be generous in adding gingelly oil else the chutney will start sticking.
- The chutney is super spicy to our taste buds so adjust red chillies according to your preference.This goes well with idli dosa and even rotis.
- This will surely keep well for 2 days(in room temperature) which is ideal for packing. When refrigerated it will keep well even for a week.
- We are grinding the ingredients raw so make sure to saute well along with tempering until raw smell totally leaves.
Divya Kudua
I love your cast iron pan!
AparnaRajeshkumar
gingelly oil on the top OMG awesome one !
Feng Shui
Can you tell me about gingelly oil and is there any replacement for this type of oil
SHARMILEE J
You can use normal cooking oil for tempering…
Sunanda
Chutney looks yummy.. awesome combo with dosa or idli..
Sunandas Kitchen
Prathima Rao
Lip smacking chutney..Want to try & taste it soon!!
Prathima Rao
Prathi Ruchi
Hamaree Rasoi
Chutney looks simply delicious and mouthwatering.
Deepa
CHITRA
I make this adding more onions. must try ur method
🙂
Arthy Suman
love the color n flavor
Akila
Lovely chutney
Priya Suresh
My fav chutney, love it very much.
Veena Theagarajan
my fav.. looks too good
indianspicemagic
I will prepare it.love the colour.
xxxxxxxxx
awsmmmm yumy it is
Swapna
what is gingelly oil??
SHARMILEE J
It is nalennai
Sundara Moorthy
should the garlic be peeled off or should be added as such??
SHARMILEE J
The skin should be peeled….
Thejas
I tried it and chutney became a little bitter . What could be the mistake can u help me ?
Sharmilee J
oh is it?! not really sure fif u grind for more time?!