Ginger chutney or Allam chutney for Idli, dosa, vada, pesarattu & snacks. Allam chutney is a popular condiment from Andhra cuisine usually eaten with breakfasts. Allam translates to ginger in telugu & chutney is a condiment. This recipe will give you a very delicious & flavorful ginger chutney that tastes slightly sweet, tangy, spicy & hot. It is made with fresh ginger and other pantry staples.
Pesarattu and Allam pachadi are a popular breakfast combo made in most telugu speaking homes.
Allam pachadi is a traditional ginger pickle made with ginger, tamarind, jaggery & red chili powder.
Making allam pachadi is a slightly tedious work so this instant ginger chutney or allam chutney is favored by many.
This ginger chutney is good to consume during the monsoon and winters as it keeps the body warm.
Step-by-step photos
Preparation for ginger chutney
1. Optional – I prefer to rinse tamarind and soak in ¼ cup water. You can also add it directly to the blender jar later. Set this aside.
2. Heat 1 tsp oil and fry chana dal & urad dal until light golden. I did not have 2 tbps chana dal so I substituted with 1 tbsp of peanuts. You can try and check which one suits your taste. Do not add too many peanuts, then it will taste like peanut chutney.
3. Add red chilies when the dal is golden. Fry until the chilies turn crisp and the dal turns deep golden. Do not over fry the chilies as the allam chutney may taste bitter.
4. Remove them to a plate to cool.
5. Pour little more oil and add onions and ginger. I separate the layers of cubed onions as this yields a great aromatic chutney. Also you will need to slice the ginger and not chop small as this results in bitter tasting ginger.
6. Keep frying & stirring often until the onions turn pinkish to golden. Do not brown the ginger. Turn off the stove and cool these.
How to make ginger chutney
7. Add them to a blender jar.
8. Add in salt and jaggery. I used 1 tbsp powdered jaggery.
9. Add tamarind. I mash the tamarind and pass it through a filter.
10. Blend ginger chutney to slightly coarse or smooth texture to suit your taste. Pour more water if needed to bring to consistency. Also adjust salt, jaggery & tamarind by adding more if needed.
11. I never season ginger chutney as this doesn’t need. But if you prefer you can do the seasoning by heating 1 tsp oil. Splutter some mustard, then fry urad dal, curry leaves & red chili until crisp. Then sprinkle some hing and pour this to the allam chutney.
Serve ginger chutney with any breakfasts or snacks.
Tips to make ginger chutney
- Ginger is naturally pungent & cannot be consumed in large quantity. So to neutralize the pungent taste, onions are used. They are lightly roasted to brings out the sweet aroma.
- Chana dal & urad dal are used to enhance the aroma and texture of the allam chutney. If you do not have the dals replace with peanuts but the taste will be different.
- Use as much jaggery & tamarind as you prefer to balance the pungent taste of ginger.
- Tempering this ginger chutney is optional if you desire, you can do it. But it tastes good as it is.
More Chutney recipes
Apple chutney
Pudina chutney
Tomato chutney
Coconut chutney
Peanut chutney
Tamarind chutney
Recipe
Allam chutney or ginger chutney recipe
Ginger chutney
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
Ingredients to make ginger chutney
- 2 tbsp chana dal or bengal gram (or substitute with peanuts)
- 1 tbsp urad dal or skinned black gram (optional)
- 1 ½ inch ginger or allam (sliced) (1 ½ by 1 ½ inch)
- 1/3 tsp Salt or as needed
- 2 to 4 red chilies (adjust to suit your taste)
- 1 tbsp Tamarind or tamarind paste or lemon juice(adjust to suit your taste)
- 1 tbsp jaggery
- ½ tsp cumin or jeera
- 1 large onion cubed & layers separated
- 1 tbsp Oil or as needed
Tempering ingredients (optional)
- 1 tsp oil or as needed
- 1 pinch mustard
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 red chilli
- 1 pinch hing
Instructions
Preparation for allam chutney
- Wash ginger well, peel the skin and cut them to thick slices.
- Heat oil in a pan. Fry chana dal & urad dal until light golden. Add red chilies and saute until they turn crisp. Dal should become deep golden. Transfer these to a plate.
- Add onions and ginger. Saute until they turn pink or light golden. Do not brown the ginger. Add cumin and turn off the stove. You can also skip frying ginger to retain the medicinal benefits.
- Cool all the roasted ingredients. Soak tamarind in water for a while. You can also use tamarind directly if you prefer. Set this aside.
How to make ginger chutney
- Add all the cooled ingredients to a blender jar along with jaggery, little tamarind, salt and little water. Blend all these till smooth or coarse chutney to suit your taste.
- Add more water if needed to bring to consistency. Adjust salt, jaggery & tamarind as needed. Allam chutney should taste spicy, hot, sweet & tangy.
Tempering (optional)
- Heat a tbsp oil in a small pan. Add mustard, urad dal & red chilli. When the mustard splutters, add curry leaves. When they turn crisp, sprinkle hing. Turn off the stove and pour this over the allam chutney.
- Serve ginger chutney with pesarttu, dosa or idli.
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Notes
Avoid chopping ginger too small as it may make the chutney bitter.
Using even little more ginger than mentioned in the recipe may result in bitter or pungent ginger chutney.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Pankaj says
I tried it, that was delicious. Can we add coconut?
swasthi says
Hi,
Thank you. Yes 1/4 cup should be fine.
Rahul Gannerlla says
Hi Swasthi
I bow down for your skills in cooking and efforts in keeping up with this website. You are truly a savior for authentic Indian cuisine.
Can we prepare this recipe with out onion?
swasthi says
Hello Rahul,
Thank you so much! Onions are used here to balance the pungent taste from ginger. It works without onion but the taste will not be the same.
Anand.k says
Swasthi srikanth writings are valuable for home makers.kee it up.make PDF file, send it by whatsapp,this will help easily available info.
Thanks for cooking class.
swasthi says
You are welcome
Vini Mehta says
Hi
Looking forward to trying this recipe today. In the ingredients section of the recipe card, jaggery powder is missing. Kindly update.
swasthi says
Hi Vini,
Thanks for the mention. I will update. You can use 1 tbsp.
Neel says
Tried this unique recipe. Turned out really tasty. Thanks for posting Andhra recipes.
swasthi says
Welcome Neel
Ahuti says
Hi Swasthi
I tried your tomato chutney and egg less chocolate cake.
Both came out extremely well.
Thank you for sharing so many recipes.
swasthi says
You are welcome Ahuti,
Glad the recipes came out well. Thank you so much for trying.
B B Murty says
Ms. Swasthi,
I have not yet tried the recipe. So, no comments, per-se, on the recipe now.
My appreciation to you for
1. Very good, step-by-step, explanation
2. Simple and effective English
3. Beautiful pictures
Since you mentioned that you are food photographer, i believe these pictures are taken by you. Compliments.
Best wishes
swasthi says
Hi Sir,
Yes all the work on the blog including pictures is my own. Thank you so much for the wishes. You must try this recipe as it turns out fantastic.
Gowri says
I made this chutney as side dish for pesarattu.Came out very well.Thanks a lot.
swasthi says
Welcome Gowri
Glad your ginger chutney came out well.
Ashwini says
Very tasty chutney. Quite flavourful. Made it today on the occasion of World Idli day to accompany the idlis.Lip smacking good👌🏼
swasthi says
Hi Ashwini
Thanks for reminding me of the Idli day.
🙂
I had totally forgotten.
Mamatha says
Thank you so much Swasthi… excellent pics…I made it and loved tthe mix of all flavors… very addictive… and you presented the recipe to make it feel simple and fun to make… thank you!!
Hemavathi Hema says
Swasthi your giving amazing tasty foods thanks for giving good tasty introduction
Hemavathi Hema says
I made biryani and also chutney both are giving good taste I am really happy for you
swasthi says
Thanks Hemavathi
I am happy to know they tasted good.
🙂
Lakshmi says
Tried this for the first time . Tasted so good . For variation added a piece of jaggery too . Thanks for sharing .
swasthi says
Welcome Lakshmi
Yes many add very little jaggery to remove the pungent flavor of ginger. Thanks a lot
Sudheera Badvel says
Hi Swasthi
I made this chutney today as side dish for pesarattu. Came out very well. Thanks for sharing
swasthi says
Hi Sudheera
You are welcome. So glad to know it came out well. Thanks for trying
Sangeeta Kapoor says
Followed ur recipe
Turned out to b great tasty
Reminded me of my childhood in Hyd
swasthi says
Thanks Sangeeta
Happy to know you liked it
Ana says
Allan chutney I made,following the above recipe,turned out to great tasty chutney
Reminded me of my childhood days in Hyd
swasthi says
Thanks for the feedback sangeeta
Rekha Pravin says
I am a biginner and ur site is very useful to me especially kids recipe. I tried some recipes for my daughter and she enjoyed. Thank you so much for all the recipes mam
swasthi says
Welcome Rekha,
Glad to know the recipes r useful. Thanks for the feedback
Ramayadav says
I want to learn how to and pls let me know few tips for quick and easy cooking
Rakesh says
Thanks for sharing this friend it too good and one doubt do we need to fry ginger also ? I’m beginner so I don’t know it properly
swasthi says
Hi Rakesh, yes we need to lightly roast ginger to bring our the aroma.
Madhavi says
Hi swasthi! Tried this for idlis and came out well. And felt so easy. Shared this recipe with my cousin in korea. She also said it was so easy and tasty too. Thanks again 🙂
swasthi says
Welcome Madhavi,
This is one of our family favorites too. I am so glad you all too liked it. Thanks for the feedback
santhi says
super ga vundi mee site ….no words to say…. i am a begineer , i learned a lot from your site….thank you so much
swasthi says
Welcome Santhi garu.
I am happy to know you could learn from my blog.
Thank you
themadscientistskitchen says
Delicious chutney.