Peanut Chutney Recipe | Groundnut Chutney

Rich and delicious peanut chutney is a popular accompaniment for many South Indian dishes. 

Quick and easy to make with an adaptable ingredients list, peanut chutney can bring new life to your breakfast or brighten up your snacks.

Healthy, vegan, and gluten-free adaptable, discover how to make peanut chutney (plus an excellent tadka) with this guide.

Why You Should Make This Peanut Chutney

Cook this peanut chutney once, and we’re sure you’ll fall in love with it. You should make this peanut chutney because:

• The recipe is super simple and easy, requiring limited ingredients and basic equipment. Within just 15 minutes, you can be tucking into a bowl of peanut chutney.
• Peanut chutney is traditionally eaten with breakfast foods such as idli and dosa. It’s a fresh new way to liven up the mornings.
• Perfect for dipping, peanut chutney can be enjoyed with pakora, uttapam, or your choice of bread.
• It’s completely vegan!
• Peanut chutney is best eaten within 2 to 3 days but won’t go rancid if kept out of the fridge for a few hours. This makes it ideal for picnics, tiffin boxes, or long trips.

Ingredients For Peanut Chutney

The recipe for peanut chutney is adaptable, and many people have their own variations! For an incredible peanut chutney, you need these ingredients:

• ½ Cup Peanuts. Otherwise known as groundnuts, peanuts are the base for this delicious chutney. Raw, unsalted peanuts are perfect, as you can dry roast them to your own tastes. You can leave the skins on for a bolder texture and a lingering mouthfeel. Or you can rub the skin off once you’ve dry-roasted the peanuts.
• ¼ Cup Onion. Red onions add a sweetness that goes well with the earthy taste of the peanuts. Shallots and pearl onions also work. Cube or dice the onions.
• 3 Cloves Garlic. In this recipe, we mince fresh garlic and fry it with the onions. However, you can add raw garlic straight to the blender. This will have a more pungent taste, which some prefer.
• 2-3 Green Chilies. Green chilies add lingering heat to the chutney. Dried red chilies can work as a substitution, or you can use a pinch of red chili powder. Adjust the amount of chili to suit your own preferred spice levels. If you’re using fresh chilies, prick them before adding them to the pan.
• 1 Teaspoon Split Urad Dal. The urad dal adds depth of flavor and improves the texture of your peanut chutney. This is an optional ingredient but one that we don’t recommend skipping. Split chana dal makes a good substitution, as do sesame seeds.
• ½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds. Otherwise known as jeera, cumin seeds build the fragrant aroma of the chutney.
• Tamarind. A small piece of tamarind can bring a sharp tang to the chutney that complements the rounded flavor of the peanuts. If you can find fresh tamarind, use it. Otherwise, use tamarind paste.
• 2 Teaspoons Coconut Oil. Or substitute for a neutral oil.
• Salt. You only need a small pinch of salt to finish off the flavor balance.
• ½ Cup Water. Add water slowly to your chutney to ensure you get the perfect texture.

These ingredients make the base of the chutney. To boost the flavors and finish the chutney, you’ll also need ingredients for tempering. These are:

• ½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds. 
• ½ Teaspoon Split Urad Dal.
• 1 Stalk Of Fresh Curry Leaves. Tempering is an optional step but a delicious one. If you choose not to, we recommend adding some curry leaves to the chutney. Saute them with the cumin seeds. 
• 1 Dried Red Chili.
• A Pinch Of Asafetida (Hing). Asafetida, also known as Hing, is a powerful spice with a pungent smell and a taste similar to garlic and onion. You can find it in specialist stores and online.
• 1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil.

How To Make Peanut Chutney

To make peanut chutney, you will need:

• 1 medium pan
• A blender
• A serving bowl

Follow these steps for a fragrant spiced South Indian chutney that’s the perfect pairing for dosas, parathas, pakoras, and more!

1. Begin by dry roasting the peanuts. Heat a pan over a medium flame. When it’s hot, add the peanuts. Stir constantly until the peanuts are golden brown all over. Remove them from the pan and set aside. You can also dry roast peanuts in the oven or air fryer.
2. Using the same pan, heat the coconut oil. Add the cumin seeds and split urad dal to the hot oil and saute for a few minutes until the dal starts to brown.
3. Add the onion and garlic to the pan along with the green chilies. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onions have softened. Remove the pan from the heat and leave it to cool.
4. When all the ingredients have cooled, add the peanuts, urad dal, onions, garlic, and chili to a blender with a small piece of tamarind, salt, and a splash of water. Blend to a paste, adding extra water as needed. Peanut chutney can be smooth or chunky, depending on your preference.
5. Next, it’s time for tempering. In a small pan, heat the coconut oil. Add the mustard seeds, dried red chili, curry leaves, urad dal, and a pinch of asafetida. Saute until the dal has turned a light brown, which should only take a few seconds.
6. Transfer the peanut chutney to a serving bowl and top with the prepared tempering. Serve as a chutney with your favorite Indian foods!

Peanut Chutney Serving Suggestions

Once you’ve scooped your peanut chutney into a bowl and poured the tempering on top, you’ll want to get stuck straight in. There are many ways to enjoy peanut chutney, but some of the most popular serving suggestions are:

• With a South Indian breakfast. Peanut chutney goes well with a typical breakfast consisting of idli and dosa. Either dip your dosas into the chutney or spoon it on top! Other Indian breakfast dishes such as medu vada, uttapam, and paniyaram are also delicious when served with peanut chutney.
• With steamed rice. Made yourself a bowl of steamed rice? Peanut chutney is an excellent way to liven up the dish. It’s also a super tasty addition to ven pongal.
• As a dipping sauce. What could be more delicious than a bowl of peanut chutney and some fresh onion pakodas? Almost any type of pakora can be paired with peanut chutney, or try some other Indian snack foods.
• With bread. Bring some spice to your lunchtimes with peanut chutney! It can be added to sandwiches and wraps or act as a dipping sauce for fresh bread. 

How To Store Peanut Chutney

Peanut chutney can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. The flavor will stay strong and bold, so this is a good recipe to make in advance. If you want to prep some fresh breakfast flavors for meal prep, consider peanut chutney!

Thicker chutneys tend to last better than thinner chutneys. If you plan on keeping your chutney for several days, avoid adding too much water. The excess moisture can cause the chutney to spoil faster.

If you prefer a thinner texture, add water just before serving. Simply stir the mixture to incorporate the water into the chutney.

You might find that the texture of the chutney thickens during refrigeration. Add a splash of water and stir before serving, to loosen things up. 

Peanut chutney can be frozen, but the taste and texture will suffer. If you have a lot of leftovers, you might want to consider freezing. However, it’s better to make smaller portions and eat it all fresh. 

Tips And Tricks For Making Peanut Chutney

Want to make the best peanut chutney? Follow these tips and tricks.

• Roast the peanuts until they are golden brown all over. Raw peanuts won’t have the same depth of flavor, which means the overall taste may be lacking. Use a medium to medium-low flame so the peanuts roast evenly without burning.
• You can dry roast peanuts in the oven. Simply place the peanuts in a shallow baking dish and roast for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring occasionally. When the peanuts are starting to look golden brown, remove them from the oven and leave them to cool.
• Before roasting the peanuts, pick through them to make sure none have gone rancid.
• The lentils help improve the texture of the chutney, add a delicious aroma, and build the nutty flavor. If you can’t get split urad dal or chana dal, white sesame seeds make a decent substitute.
• We’ve chosen to saute the garlic in this recipe, but traditional variations leave it raw. Raw garlic will have a more pungent taste and aroma, which can be overwhelming, but some people love it. Either way can work, so pick an option that suits your tastes.
• The consistency of peanut chutney is up to you! Some people like it chunky; others prefer it silky and smooth. Adding water can help loosen the consistency.
• Add water when blending in small increments, and taste as you go. You want to get a feel for both the texture and the flavor. It’s easier to add water than remove it, so go slowly.

Variations And Substitutions For This Recipe

Peanut chutney is a recipe with many variations. The base recipe is perfect for experimentation, so once you’ve got to grips with the flavor, feel free to try your own thing. Some common variations are:

• You can leave the skin on your peanuts or take it off. The skin contains tannins, which contribute to a heavier and lingering mouth feel. If you want to take the skin off, it’s easier to do so once the peanuts have been roasted. 
• Peanuts can be substituted for almonds. Soak the almonds in boiling water for 5 minutes before quickly transferring them to cold water. Peel the skin and then follow the recipe as written.
• Green chilies are traditional, but red chilies create a bolder color. Both can work in this recipe, or you can use red chili powder. The mixture of fragrant flavors and deep nutty tastes help calm the flavor of the chilies, but adjust the spice levels for your own tastes.
• Curry leaves are an optional ingredient. They can be substituted for mint leaves, although this will create a different flavor balance.
• Tamarind gives the chutney tang. Fresh is best, but tamarind paste is a good substitute. If you don’t have much experience with tamarind, add it slowly and taste as you go. You can replicate the tang with lime juice or amchur powder.
• Asafetida, aka Hing, is an optional ingredient. It has a strong and pungent aroma, but don’t be put off by the first impression!
• Tempering builds the flavors of the chutney, but it’s not necessary. The basic chutney recipe has a soft and nutty flavor that tastes delicious with fresh bread. 

Final Thoughts

Peanut chutney is a delicious side dish that delivers big flavors with minimal effort.

Traditionally eaten at breakfast, the combination of nutty depth, fragrant flavors, and gentle spicing makes peanut chutney an excellent accompaniment to many meals and snacks.

We hope you love this peanut chutney recipe as much as we do! How do you like to serve peanut chutney?

Frequently Asked Questions