Tomato-Onion Chutney

As a kid, this was my ultimate, darling chutney. This is part of my dear nostalgic package of comfort food and reassuring moments. And my mom makes the best tomato-onion chutney. She makes it with minimal seasonings and spice, reinforcing the simple and basic tastes of tomatoes and onions.

So here is the recipe. (Warning: there will be a lot of tomato-based dishes to follow for a while since the garden is alive with them!)

Ingredients:

1. Five to Six ripe tomatoes, chopped
2. 2 medium sized onions or 1 big onion, chopped (red onions are best)
3. 1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds (my mom doesn’t add this)
4. 1 teaspoon of urad dhal
5. 1 teaspoon of channa dhal
6. 1 teaspoon of Thoor dhal
7. ½ teaspoon of Hing
8. 1 teaspoon of turmeric
9. 2-3 dried red chillies (or more)
10. 1 teaspoon of salt (or a little more)
11. 1 tablespoon of vegetable/olive oil

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter
2. Once they do, add channa dhal, urad dhal, thoor dhal, Hing, red chillies, and turmerics and saute a bit on medium heat until they begin to slightly brown.
3. Add the onions and saute till they become translucent and tender.
4. Add the tomatoes and saute till they become soft and wilt a bit. Switch off the heat. Let this cool.
5. Once cooled, add everything to a blender along with some salt and grind away. I sometimes prefer the chutney to be a bit coarsely ground so that the dhals/pulses add some texture. This is again different from how my mom blends - and I do like those finely pureed versions the best, for it makes me feel all baby-ish and warm and fuzzy.
6. Check for seasonings and serve alongside idlis, dosais, adais, etc. They even make awesome dips for tortilla chips!

Variations

This chutney turns out uniquely tasty if a bunch of coriander leaves are added while blending. One of my aunts and my in-laws follow this variation, and as I said, there is no question that it come out good! But if you like to concentrate on the flavors of onions and tomatoes, this recipe should do it just fine.