Garlic Chutney | Poondu Chutney

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

This garlic chutney is super quick to make and has become one of our favorites. It goes well with Idli, dosa, oothapam etc. I also use it as a spread for dosa along with butter and it tastes so good.

Jump to:

• What is Garlic Chutney?
• Garlic Chutney Video
• Garlic Chutney Ingredients
• How to make Garlic Chutney Step by Step
• Expert Tips
• Serving & Storage
• FAQS
• 📖 Recipe Card

What is Garlic Chutney?

Garlic Chutney is made by first soaking red chilies in hot water and blending it along with garlic and tamarind to make a paste. Sauteing the paste until oil separates and finally a tempering is made to it. Garlic Chutney is also popularly known as Lehsun ka chutney in hindi and Poondu chutney in tamil.

This Garlic Chutney is one of my lock down 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 at least taste it) and as I guessed they loved it. See motherhood teaches you many capabilities that you never believed that you had it in you.

I make this chutney to go along with hot idli 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.

Garlic is antiviral – we are 2/3^rd less to catch cold if we take garlic! Also it is a cure to cough & cold. Garlic Milk is made by simmering garlic in milk is good for heart. 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 Video

Similar Recipes

• Kara chutney
• Onion chutney
• More chutney recipes

Garlic Chutney Ingredients

• Garlic – Choose fresh garlic for best flavor. You can either use big sized garlic or the smaller ones, Adjust the measure accordingly.
• Red Chilies – I always use kashmiri red chilies as they are low in spice level and gives a bright red color. So this chutney is not spicy at all in spite of adding 10 chilies.
• Tempering- A simple tempering 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 flavor and balances the spice level.
• Jaggery – powder – Jaggery powder balances the spice level also gives the chutney a tangy taste.

How to make Garlic Chutney Step by Step

Preparing red chillies

1.Boil 1 cup water first.

2.Add 10 kashmiri red chilies to it.

3.Let it soak for 10-15 minutes.

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

5.Reserve this soaked water. Set aside.

Grinding chili garlic paste

6.To a mixer jar : add drained red chilies,20 pieces garlic and 1 teaspoon 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 tablespoon 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 minutes. The chutney starts to thicken too.

15.Add required salt and jaggery.

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

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

Preparing tempering

18.Meanwhile prepare the tadka : Heat gingelly oil in tadka pan add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and few curry leaves let it splutter.

19.Add tempering to chutney.

20.Give a quick mix. Switch off.

Garlic Chutney is ready!

Expert Tips

• This chutney is not spicy as it looks. The bright red color is because of kashmiri red chilies. 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 chilies 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.
• You can replace kashmiri chilies with 5 regular chilies and 5 kashmiri chilies too.
• Instead of jaggery you can add cane sugar too.
• 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 so don’t miss it.

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.Apart from side dish can this chutney be used for other purposes?

Yes you can use this chutney as a spread for bread, dosa, wraps or even for chat items.

3.What is Lahsun ka chutney? Is it the same?

Lahsun in hindi means garlic so Lahsun ka chutney is garlic chutney. In each household the garlic chutney recipe has a variation Lahsun ka chutney is North Indan version of garlic chutney.

If you have any more questions about this Garlic Chutney  do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .

Tried this Garlic Chutney Recipe ? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.

📖 Recipe Card