Tomato Kara Chutney

Kara chutney is a fingerlicking spicy tangy chettinad  and restaurant styled chutney that goes very well with idli, dosa and particularly kuzhi paniyaram. This chutney can be done with just tomatoes or just onions or a combination of onion and tomato. Each turns out best in their own way. This chutney doesn't need much ingredients and can be prepared very quickly.

Ingredients

1 tbs chana dal (optional)

3 large tomatoes

1 marble sized tamarind piece

3 garlic cloves

4 red chillies

Tempering

1 tbs sesame oil

1 ts mustard seed, 1/2 ts urad dal

1 red chilli

Few curry leaves

Preparation

- Heat little oil in a kadai. Add chana dal and allow them to fry and change color a bit. Add garlic cloves and red chillies. Fry them for a minute. Next add the roughly chopped tomatoes with sufficient salt. Also add the tamarind piece. Keep frying in medium flame until the tomatoes turn mushy.

- Allow the tomato mixture to cool down. Then put  them in a blender and grind to a smooth paste adding sufficient water.

- Take the chutney out in a serving bowl. Add the hot tempering of mustard seed, urad dal, red chilli and curry leaves.

Be ready to dig in!!