The spicy, bold, and feisty garlic chutney is the perfect dip with tandoori chicken or achari paneer! And you don't need us to tell you that! But of course, you must be wondering how to make it at home, won't you? That's why you are here and we are going to help you out with that for sure. Why purchase those expensive garlic chutneys from the stores when you can simply make them at home? It is free from artificial preservatives, bursting with flavor and aroma, and a great dip to serve with both vegetarian and non-veg appetizers.
What is garlic chutney?
A common Indian condiment, you must know as garlic chutney is quite versatile and goes with almost all dishes. Making a platter of chaat, sev puri, and papdi chaat? You can not miss out on garlic chutney! Garlic is the main ingredient in this chutney but of course, you can use other ingredients like chilis to make it red and hot. Such delicious and spicy chutney can be served with freshly fried pakodas, dhokla, parathas, sandwiches, and many more. Even while making dosa, you can spread a little garlic chutney or if your lentil and rice seems too boring, add a dash of this chutney and enjoy your meal.
Making red garlic chutney is the easiest thing you will ever do! All you need are some roasted red chilis soaked in lukewarm water to soften along with garlic, cumin seeds, sweetener, salt, lemon juice, and so on.
A garlic chutney does not even need any sort of cooking and guess what, it remains fresh for at least seven to ten days. But you should store it in the refrigerator. You can add some oil to increase the shelf-life of the chutney. This way your chutney will last even for a month.
Some handy tips to make garlic chutney at home
Preparing garlic chutney is no big deal! However, if you are doing it for the first time and not sure how to go about with the process then we have got you covered with that!
- First of all, we would ask you to use red chilis which are not that spicy and the heat is moderate. For this, you can opt for Kashmiri Mirch or Byadgi Mirch. Very hot red chilis are not great for your chutney and it will mask the flavor of garlic.
- Use fresh garlic cloves and not the ones that have begun to sprout as this can affect the flavor of the chutney making it turn bitter.
- Never skip lemon juice or vinegar, whatever gives your chutney the zesty essence and also a longer shelf life. The pungent taste of garlic is also tamed down in the chutney with the aid of lemon juice.
- To enhance the shelf life of the chutney, use boiled water or cleaned water for the dip while making the mixture.
Can there be any substitutes for this chutney?
In every recipe, there are some substitutes that one can use in case the other is unavailable! For example, too-hot red chilis should be substituted with Kashmiri Mirch.
In case you are avoiding sugar then you can use jaggery instead. If you forgot to buy lemons but there is vinegar in the house, go for it. Plus, the essence of vinegar is hardly perceivable in the chutney so it is always a better option.
Learn to make the garlic chutney
Now it is time we tell you about the methods that you should use to make garlic chutney at home! It is pretty easy to go step-by-step or you might miss out on an ingredient or two.
If you are using normal red chilis for the chutney then before soaking them in the water, you should slit them from the middle and remove the stalk along with all the seeds. Allow them to remain soaked in water until tender and then take the chilis leaving behind any seed that has settled down.
Now, you would be requiring a blender! Here you can add the garlic cloves whose skin has been nicely removed. To that you can either add lemon juice or vinegar. Add the red chilis next followed by sugar, salt, and cumin seeds. Now make a nice blend! If the chutney seems too dry, add more water and keep grinding until it is thick, creamy, and smooth.
And with that, your garlic chutney is ready! You can serve it with anything that you want. Store in a clean glass container and refrigerate the extra. Mustard seeds and curry leaves can be added to enhance the taste of this chutney. Oil is generally added to increase the longevity and freshness of the chutney! Dip your favorite snack and enjoy your homemade garlic chutney!