Groundnut Chutney

My oldest memory of a chutney is a spicy green chutney mom had with her kanji. Dad and mom loved spicy food and though we were kids and people avoid giving spicy stuff to their kids, my mom let me lick some chutney of her fingers once in a while when I was nearly 6 months. She says I used to ogle at her when she had her kanji with chamandi (gruel with chutney). So I was initiated into the world of pickles and chutneys when I was very young.

As we grew up chutneys became a part of our daily diet, dad being a die-hard fan of idlis ( the only breakfast he ever had) we had chutneys 24x7 at home. Traditionally we Keralites have two chutneys for our breakfast the red and the white. But otherwise for lunch we make chutneys that are a bit different. So mango, dry prawns, cashew, roasted coconut, shallots, and dry fish graced our table in the form of chutneys. 

There’s something about a chutney that makes me nostalgic.So my quest for new chutneys continued as I grew up and started living away from home. I am never ethnocentric about my food, so I picked up some exciting recipes wherever I went. And so now when mom visits me, I surprise her with my new found recipes of chutneys, (garlic, ridge gourd, tomato, capsicum, mint, green tomato, beetroot, ivy gourd). I guess I took it to a level higher with my obsession to chutneys.

I decided to dedicate a section to chutneys on this blog, but I have still not completed my mission. I never find the time and patience to have exclusive shots for the food I cook, and I often undermine the chutneys. 

This chutney was inspired my dear Moni aunty whose convent often makes Andhra dishes because of their brief stints in Andhra (one of their convent is in Palmaner). I remember having this for a breakfast at their place so when she gave me some ground nuts cultivated by them, I decided to try this chutney though I am no fan of groundnut. But sometimes it's good to experiment something different it works as a palate cleanser, trust me :)

 Few of my favourite chutneys that I have blogged here are

 http://ooonuready.blogspot.in/2014/03/ivy-gourd-chutney-kovakkai-chammandi.html,
http://ooonuready.blogspot.in/2013/04/onakkachemeen-chmandi-dry-prawns-chutney.html
http://ooonuready.blogspot.in/2011/06/mint-chutney.html
http://ooonuready.blogspot.in/2011/06/beet-root-chutney.html
http://ooonuready.blogspot.in/2011/05/onakkameen-chamandi-dry-fish-chutney.html

Try them out they are worth the effort.

Ingredients for Groundnut Chutney

Groundnuts- 1/4 cup
Onion- 1 ( or 5-6 shallots)
Bedgi chilies- 4
Grated coconut- 1/4 cup
Salt- to taste
Tamarind extract- 3 tbsp

Directions

Roast the groundnuts till they brown and set them aside. Dry roast the bedgi chilies for few minutes before you take the groundnuts off the flame.



In a grinder, grind the groundnuts when cooled along with all the ingredients mentioned above into a fine paste and your chutney is ready. Adding ginger, garlic and cumin is optional, some prefer it to overcome the strong flavour of groundnuts. Adding a tbsp of groundnut oil makes this chutney more authentic.However, I don't do any of this, I like it simple.

 If you happen to love chutneys like me, try this and the other chutneys I have blogged here and get back for more. Till then pray for me, I am submitting my thesis soon, and I could do with your prayers and wishes.