Chinna Vengaya Chutney

Chinna Vengayam – also called as Sambar Vengayam / Small Onions / Shallots are indispensable in South Indian cooking and enhances the taste of any dish in which it is added.



Chinna Vengaya Chutney and Idlis are “Made for each other” and try this simple finger licking chutney recipe, you’ll never go wrong! This is best made with gingelly oil and can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.. (If it lasts..)

My grand-mom used to whip up this delicious chutney as an accompaniment with packed idlis / chappatis for train travel.. I remember how I used to gobble this up and fight with my sister till the last serving!

The only pain is to peel the small onions with eyes watering and with the advent of departmental stores offering ready made - peeled onions, its sure a blessing for lazy people like me!

Ingredients

Small Onions – ½ kg
Dry Red Chillies (long variety) – 10 -15
Lemon sized ball – Tamarind
Tomato (small) - 2
Garlic – 3 pods
Salt – to taste
Sugar – 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Gingelly oil – 4 tablespoons


1.Cut the onions in to half / small size so that while grinding, it comes out even.
2.Add all the ingredients (except gingelly oil) in a mixie and grind it. This mixture need not be too fine, but a little coarse. You may add half cup of water to grind this. (Not too much of water, this mixture should be semi-solid)
3.In a Kadai, add 2 tablespoons of gingelly oil, add mustard and a little asafetida, turmeric powder for tempering.
4.Add the ground onion mixture. Lower the flame and cook for about 10 minutes.
5.Add the rest of the oil after 10 minutes(after the onion is cooked) and now you can see the chutney like consistency (The chutney comes out in one whole lump without sticking to the sides of the Kadai).
6.Check for salt and sugar, and if needed, add the same. Allow to cool.


Try out this recipe which would go well with any tiffin – be it Idli, Dosa, Upma or chapatti and enjoy the compliments! As a variation, you could also make this with the regular onions, but you cannot beat the taste of Sambar vengayam..