Ingredients
- Tomatoes – 3 medium (ripe, chopped) 🍅
- Onion – 1 large (sliced) 🧅
- Fresh Pudina (mint leaves) – ½ cup 🌿
- Dry red chillies – 4 to 5 (adjust spice) 🌶️
- Green chilli – 1 (optional for extra kick)
- Garlic – 4 cloves 🧄
- Tamarind – small piece (or ½ tsp paste)
- Salt – as needed
- Gingelly oil (nallennai) – 2 tbsp (gives authentic kadai flavour)
For Tempering (optional but authentic):
- Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
- Curry leaves – few
- Gingelly oil – 1 tsp
Preparation Method
- Heat gingelly oil in a kadai. Add red chillies and garlic, sauté till aromatic.
- Add onions, sauté till soft and slightly golden.
- Add tomatoes and salt. Cook until tomatoes turn mushy and oil starts separating.
- Add pudina leaves, sauté for 1–2 minutes (don’t overcook to keep the freshness).
- Cool slightly, grind with tamarind into a smooth or slightly coarse chutney.
- Temper mustard seeds and curry leaves in gingelly oil, pour over chutney, and mix well.
Tea Kadai Touch:
- Usually spicy, tangy, and a bit coarse, not too smooth.
- Best served with steaming hot idlis, crispy dosa, or even bajji/bonda.
- If you like extra punch, add a pinch of raw onion while grinding.
