In our home this garlic chutney is not optional. It’s a staple. 🧄🤍
Amma makes it and it disappears. With dosa, with idli, with ragi dosa, with chapathi, with paniyaram — and yes, with rice too. Because I am a rice crazy girl and I will put chutney on anything! 😄
My Amma is an expert when it comes to chutneys, thogayals and pachadis. She makes this garlic chutney, a small onion version and a pure garlic version — all different, all incredible. Each one will be on this blog eventually! 🤍
But this one — this spicy, bold, flavourful garlic chutney with 25-30 garlic cloves, small onions, urad dal and a touch of jaggery — this is the one we reach for every single day.
The jaggery is the secret. Just 1 tsp. It rounds off the heat from the chillies and the sharpness of the garlic into something perfectly balanced and absolutely addictive. 😍
This garlic chutney can make any dosa disappear in minutes. Trust me on that. 🔥🤍
Why You’ll Love This Garlic Chutney
🧄 25-30 garlic cloves — bold, punchy and incredibly flavourful!
🌶️ 8 dried red chillies — gives that beautiful deep red colour and spice!
🧅 20 small onions — shallots give the chutney its authentic South Indian character.
🌿 Handful of curry leaves — adds that beautiful aroma! 😍
🍋 Small piece of tamarind — gives the perfect tangy balance.
🍯 1 tsp jaggery — the secret ingredient that balances everything beautifully!
🥞 Goes with everything — dosa, idli, ragi dosa, chapathi, paniyaram and rice! 😄
🤍 Amma’s recipe — the chutney queen herself! 👑
How to Make Amma’s Garlic Chutney
This chutney is so simple — just fry, grind and serve!
Heat oil in a pan. Add urad dal and dried red chillies. Fry until the urad dal turns golden and the chillies are crispy and fragrant.
Now add the garlic cloves, small onions, curry leaves and salt. Sauté everything together until the onions and garlic turn beautifully golden. Don’t rush this step — properly golden garlic and onions give the chutney its incredible deep flavour! 😍
Transfer everything to a mixer jar.
Add tamarind, jaggery and a little water.
Grind to a smooth chutney. 🧄🔥
That’s it! Spicy, bold, flavourful and absolutely addictive.
Serve with dosa, idli, ragi dosa, chapathi, paniyaram — or just mix with hot rice and ghee! 😄🤍
Amma’s staple garlic chutney. Now yours too. 🙏🤍
Garlic Chutney | Amma’s Spicy South Indian Poondu Chutney
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat oil in pan. Add urad dal and dried red chillies. Fry till urad dal is golden and chillies are crispy.
- Add garlic cloves, small onions, curry leaves and salt.
- Sauté until onions and garlic turn golden.
- Transfer to mixer jar.
- Add tamarind, jaggery and little water.
- Grind to smooth chutney.
- Serve with dosa, idli, chapathi or rice!
Video
Notes
25-30 garlic cloves is correct — that’s what makes it a garlic chutney!
Fry urad dal and chillies well before adding garlic and onions.
Sauté till garlic and onions are properly golden — don’t rush!
Jaggery is the secret — balances heat and sharpness perfectly!
Cool slightly before grinding for best colour.
Grind smooth with little water.
Stores in fridge for up to 3 days.
Goes with everything — dosa, idli, chapathi, rice! 😄
Pro Tips for the Best Garlic Chutney
- Use small onions (shallots) — don’t substitute with big onions! Small onions give this chutney its authentic flavour and sweetness. 🧅
- Don’t skimp on garlic — 25-30 cloves sounds like a lot but that’s what gives this chutney its bold punchy flavour! Trust Amma on this one. 😄🧄
- Fry urad dal and red chillies first — fry until urad dal is golden and chillies are crispy. This is the flavour base!
- Sauté garlic and onions until golden — properly golden garlic and onions give deep flavour. Don’t rush!
- Jaggery is the secret — just 1 tsp balances the heat from the chillies and sharpness of the garlic beautifully. Don’t skip! 🍯
- Grind smooth — unlike some thogayals this chutney works best smooth. Grind well with a little water for the best consistency.
- Adjust chillies to taste — 8 red chillies gives a good spice level. Reduce to 5-6 for less spice. 😊
- Cool before grinding — let the fried ingredients cool slightly before grinding for better colour and texture.
What to Serve With Garlic Chutney
In our home this goes with EVERYTHING! 😄
🥞 Crispy dosa — the most perfect combination! 😍
🥞 Soft idli
🥞 Ragi dosa
🥙 Chapathi
🥞 Paniyaram
🍚 Hot rice with ghee — because I am a rice crazy girl! 😄
Honestly — this garlic chutney makes everything taste better. Spread it on dosa, dip your idli in it, mix it with rice — there is no wrong way to eat this chutney! 🤍
Amma’s other versions — small onion chutney and pure garlic chutney — are coming to this blog soon! Stay tuned! 😊
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use big onions instead of small onions?
Small onions (shallots) give this chutney its authentic sweet punchy flavour. Big onions will change the taste significantly. Use small onions if possible! 🧅
Why so much garlic?
25-30 cloves sounds like a lot — but this is a GARLIC chutney! 😄 The garlic is the star. Once fried and ground with tamarind and jaggery the sharpness mellows beautifully and the flavour is incredible. Trust the recipe!
Why add jaggery to a chutney?
Jaggery balances the heat from the red chillies and the sharpness of the garlic — giving the chutney a perfect sweet-spicy-tangy balance. Just 1 tsp makes a huge difference! 🍯
How long does this chutney last?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Since it contains no coconut it can be stored slightly longer.
Can I make this without urad dal?
Urad dal adds body and a nutty flavour to the chutney. You can skip but it changes the texture. Use urad dal for the most authentic result!
Is this chutney very spicy?
8 red chillies gives a good medium-spicy level. The jaggery balances the heat beautifully. Reduce to 5 chillies for a milder version. 😊
A Note From My Kitchen 🤍
Amma is the chutney queen of our home. 👑
She makes chutneys, thogayals and pachadis with such ease and confidence — each one different, each one incredible. This garlic chutney, her small onion version, her pure garlic version — all different, all outstanding.
I am slowly learning each one. Slowly getting them onto this blog. Slowly preserving them for always. 🤍
This garlic chutney has been on our table for as long as I can remember. With every dosa, every idli, every paniyaram. And with rice — always with rice, because that’s just who I am. 😄
Make it once. Keep it in your fridge. And reach for it with everything.
You’ll understand why it’s a staple in our home. 🧄🔥🤍
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a comment below — what did you have it with? Dosa or rice? 😄🧄🤍
For more everyday recipes visit us at homebites365.in
Follow us on Instagram @homebites.365 — new recipe every single day!
Have a question? Write to us at homebites365@gmail.com 🙏
Love chutneys? Check out my Tomato Coriander Chutney — Amma’s next level chutney with roasted dhaniya and sesame seeds https://homebites365.in/tomato-coriander-chutney-chutney-for-idli-dosa/
