Peanut Chutney (Palli Chutney)

Peanut chutney recipe with step by step photos. This is a fantastic groundnut chutney that goes perfect for breakfast with idli and dosa, vada, uttapam and even with rice.

It's creamy, tasty and made without coconut! Super flavourful and delicious!

If you see my earlier blog posts of various chutneys, I am sure you will know how much I love to dig into them.

With any meal, you give me any kind of tangy spicy chutneys, am in! They make a great way to add different flavors to an Indian meal. You will agree to this, no doubt about it!

Though, I love coconut chutney very much. But, there are days when I am really a sloth to get fresh coconut from store and then whip it up.

And raw peanuts is something that has to be present in my pantry all the time. So, this delicious groundnut chutney becomes the hero side dish on our table quite a lot of times.

There are various ways to make it. And whichever way you follow, this will be in your favorite list.

Traditionally, it is known as palli chutney in Andhra Pradesh. And, usually they make it by dry roasting the raw peanuts.

After the roasted peanuts is cooled completely, they remove the skin and then use it to make it's pachadi.

However, I like it to be with the skin on. Whole peanuts adds extra taste, nutrients and gives really nice texture.

I also like the dry peanut chutney just like how I am fan of this creamy one! Though, both of them tastes equally good.

If you are really fond of Indian chutneys and want to make your breakfast or meal extra special, then you have to try this at home. Or you will miss the bursts of nutty flavors that completes the soft idli and crispy dosa meals.

Trust me, we love eating it with crispy dosas much more than the other ones.

Oh, I have to tell you guys, how stunning this peanut chutney tastes with simple dal rice, rotis or with just a steaming hot plain rice.

Have you ever tasted it with ghee fried rotis? If not, then do it guys, this combo will bowl you over.

Ingredients and Tips

Raw Peanuts : This is the main element of this recipe. Always roast the peanuts for the enhanced flavour.

You can do the roasting with or without oil. And you can use peanuts with or without the skin. There's no hard and fast rule.

The only point to go for is the roasting part. For the best flavors, do not skip on the roasting.

Onions : They give lovely sweet taste to chutney. But, you can avoid using it, if you want to. Still, I would recommend you to give it a try once with onions. 🙂

Green Chilli and Garlic: I like to add green chilies as it adds fresh spicy kick to this side dish.

Some people like to use dry red chillies instead. And that's absolutely fine to go for.

Just that, add the chillies as per your liking. If you like an extra heat, then increase it and if not then decrease it.

Garlic enhances the taste and aroma of peanut chutney. But, you are free to skip it if you wish to.

Many people add a small piece of ginger as well. I have not added it here. If you like it's taste, then you can surely add it.

Tomatoes : I love to add tomatoes here. As it gives nice balance of zing. You are free to skip it totally.

Tamarind : It adds lovely tang and sourness. I like to add pulp of tamarind here.

Some folks add small ball of tamarind straight to the jar while grinding the chutney.

For me, I feel pulp gives the better taste. Though, it's a personal choice! So, do it as per your liking.

If you do not have tamarind with you, then consider adding lemon juice here. However, taste might differ a bit. But, it tastes equally good as that with the tamarind.

Other components that goes in the chutney:

The rest of the things that goes in are urad dal (husked black lentils) and salt. We need oil for roasting the peanuts as well as for the tempering.

Apart from these, we need mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chilies and hing (asafoetida). All of these goes into the tadka.

Some people like to add cumin seeds, chana dal and urad dal to the tadka. I have not added it here.

But if you want an extra flavor and texture into this peanut tomato chutney, then you can definitely use all of these in the tempering.

Step by step instructions

To begin with, heat oil in a pan. Photo 1.

Add peanuts and roast until slightly brown. Do not burn. Photo 2 and 3.

Remove the roasted peanut onto a plate. Photo 4.

In the same pan, add urad dal, green chilies, garlic cloves and sliced onion. Fry for 2-3 minutes until raw smell goes off. Photo 5 and 6.

Add cubed tomato and fry for 2-3 minutes until tomato softens. Photo 7 and 8.

Remove them on the plate and cool completely. Photo 9.

Then, add the roasted ingredients into mixer / grinder along with tamarind pulp, salt and water. Photo 10.

Grind it to a smooth chutney. Photo 11.

Transfer it into a bowl. Photo 12.

Heat oil in small pan. Add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Photo 13.

Then, add curry leaves and fry for few seconds. Now, add dry red chilies and hing (asafoetida), fry for another few seconds. Take it off the heat. Photo 14.

Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix. Photo 15 and 16.

Serve this South Indian peanut chutney with dosa, idli, paniyaram, vada, uttapam, rice or rotis and enjoy.

Serving Suggestion

Serve this delicious creamy chutney with idli dosa, vada, Upma, uttapam, paniyaram or sambar rice.

You can also serve this with plain rice and even with rotis as well. I also love to pair this chutney with Vermicelli Upma as well as Moong Dal Chilla.

Storage and Freezing

As this peanut chutney is without coconut, this stays very well in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

I have even tried freezing it, and it stayed well in freezer upto month. Having said that, it's all your choice to whether make it in bulk and freeze it or make it in batches every week.

Further, do you prefer making it fresh the morning for tiffin or breakfast or so? Then, roast all the ingredients a night earlier and grind it fresh in the morning and temper it. This process will save your time.

The recipe has been updated from the archives, it was first published in September 2013.

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