Tomato Chutney (Restaurant Style)

This South Indian Tomato Chutney is the perfect side dish to all your Indian breakfasts & snacks. It’s a staple in the homes & restaurants and is often served with Idli, dosa, uttappam & many more. If you are looking for ways to liven up your Indian meals, include this as an accompaniment.

About Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney is a traditional Indian side made with fresh tomatoes, spices and herbs. It is made in numerous ways and recipes vary across India. In this post I share 2 recipes to make a spicy, tangy, nutty and delicious Tomato Chutney that has got tons of flavors.

The first recipe uses onions and is mostly known as Onion Tomato Chutney. It is one of the most super popular sides served in the South Indian restaurants & households. Anyone who gets to taste it with Idlis & dosas in the restaurants & South Indian homes often go back and try to replicate it.

---

I have upgraded my 12 year old recipe to produce a more aromatic Tomato Chutney, similar to the side served in popular South Indian restaurants. This stores well for 2 days in the refrigerator.

The second recipe does not use onions & lentils like the other. So it can be stored for 3 weeks. This homestyle chutney comes very handy when you don’t have much time to make a fresh chutney every morning. This goes well with everything, not just with idli, dosa, parathas, but it can also be mixed with hot steamed rice and ghee. Or serve it as a side with plain dal & rice or curd rice.

Ingredients & Substitutes

• Tomatoes – Fresh tomatoes are the star ingredient. Though fully ripe is the best to use, you may also use slightly unripe or yet to ripe tomatoes in the first recipe, if that’s what you have. Avoid using immature tomatoes as they can sometimes taste bitter. While using unripe tomatoes, use a bit of tamarind or lemon juice & jaggery, if required to balance the flavors.
• Aromatics – red onions, ginger, garlic and curry leaves are the aromatic used in a restaurant tomato chutney. You don’t need onions in the second recipe.
• Chilies – Dried red chilies are used to impart heat and color to the chutney. You may substitute with red chili flakes, chili powder or paprika while cooking the tomatoes. The kind of red chilies determine the color of your chutney. So use bright, low heat chilies like Byadgi or Kashmiri.
• Dal – lentils like chana dal (gram dal) and skinned urad dal (split or whole) are used to impart a nutty flavor in the restaurant version. Urad dal in particular makes your chutney more aromatic. If you don’t like chana dal, use only urad dal. Red lentils and roasted peanuts are other substitutes but they produce a different flavor.
• Whole Spices – cumin seeds and mustard seeds take your chutney to the next level.

More Chutney recipes
Peanut chutney
Coconut chutney
Onion chutney

Photo Guide

Stepwise photos – Restaurant Tomato Chutney

Preparation

1.Prep up the following ingredients

• Chop 3 medium tomatoes to make 2 cups (330 grams, after preparing)
• Slice or dice 1 medium onion to make ¾ cup (110 grams) (red or yellow)
• Peel 3 to 4 large garlic cloves (7 grams)
• Peel and slice ½ inch ginger (5 grams)
• Rinse & pat dry 2 sprigs curry leaves (1 for the chutney + 1 to temper) (or for a different flavor use 10 mint leaves or 2 to 3 tender stalks of coriander leaves to make the chutney)
• Measure ½ tablespoon chana dal (6 grams, Bengal gram or sub with 2 tbsp roasted peanuts. If using raw fry them and reserve aside)
• Measure 1 tablespoon urad dal (12 grams, skinned black gram, omit if using peanuts)
• You also need 6 to 8 low to medium heat dried red chilies (12 grams, I use Byadgi, or use ¾ to 1 tsp mild red chili powder)
• ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera or sub with shahi jeera for a different flavor)
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric (may omit)

2. To temper the chutney, you need

• ⅓ teaspoon black mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon urad dal (skinned black gram) (optional)
• 1 to 2 dried red chili (break if they are very long) + 1 sprig curry leaves mentioned above
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing, optional, use a gluten-free version to make it GF)

3. Heat 1½ tablespoon oil (22 ml) in a pan. Add urad dal, chana dal & red chilies. Fry them on a medium flame until light golden & aromatic, for 2 to 3 mins.

4. Add cumin seeds, 1 sprig curry leaves, sliced ginger and garlic. Fry them for a minute.

5. Add the onions and saute until they turn transparent, for 4 to 5 mins. Your lentils can burn if you cook on a high heat at this stage. If you feel so, you may deglaze the pan with a splash of water. I never do that though.

5. Add the chopped tomatoes, ¾ teaspoon salt and tumeric.

6. Saute until they break down for 5 to 7 mins. If you want you may cook them covered after 2 to 3 mins of sauteing. If your pan dries out, add a splash of water.

Make the Chutney

7. Cool down and transfer to a blender/ grinder.

8. Make a smooth chutney. If your tomatoes are less juicy and more pulpy, your chutney can become very thick. If so add a splash of water while grindling. Taste test and adjust salt. The mild sweetness in this tomato chutney actually comes from onions but if you want add half a tsp of jaggery. For a more tangy taste, you can also add a bit of tamarind paste. I don’t add both.

Temper Tomato Chutney

9. Transfer your chutney to a serving bowl before tempering. Heat a small tadka pan with 1½ teaspoon oil. When the oil is medium hot, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, dried chilies and curry leaves (one after the other). Mix with a small spoon and fry until the lentils turn golden but not burnt. Turn off and add hing if using. Do not make your tadka on a high heat. You don’t want to smoke the oil or burn the spices.

Pour the tempering over the Tomato Chutney. Serve with hot idlis, dosas, uttapam, pongal, Khichdi or serve as a side in any Indian meal.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card 1 – Restaurant style

This recipe was originally publised in 2013. Updated in 2025 July

Homestyle chutney – Recipe 2

Photo Guide

I made a large batch of this tomato chutney to last for 2 to 3 weeks. But I have given the recipe for a smaller batch, to make 2 to 3 servings.

Preparation

1. Rinse 250 grams of ripe tomatoes (half pound) under running water. Remove the core and slice the tomatoes.

2. Pour half tablespoon oil to a hot pan. When the oil becomes hot, reduce the heat to medium or low. Add half teaspoon cumin seeds. As you see the seeds begin to sizzle, add 3 to 4 dried red chilies (5 grams) and fry until crisp.

4. Add 2 to 3 garlic cloves (about 5 grams) and 1/3 inch peeled & sliced ginger (3 grams, optional).

5. Fry until they turn aromatic for about 2 minutes. Add 1/8 teaspoon turmeric.

6. Add sliced tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt.

7. Cook until the tomatoes are mushy and most of the juices evaporate. To begin with you can start on a high heat and then reduce as they cook. If you prefer a slightly runny chutney you may turn off when there are little juice left in the pan. But note that will reduce the shelf life. Cool this completely.

Make the Chutney

8. Add this to a grinder and blend to a smooth chutney without adding any water.

9. Taste test for salt and add more if required.

Temper

10. Pour half tbsp oil into a pan and heat. You can use the same pan after wiping down with kitchen tissues. Lower the heat and add 1/8 teaspoon mustard seeds (one pinch), 1 to 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 small dried broken red chilli. Cook till the garlic is fragrant and chilli is crisp. Next add 1 small sprig curry leaves and fry till crisp.

11. Skip this step if your chutney is already hot. Stir in 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder (optional) and immediately transfer the tomato chutney. Adjust the spice level to your choice/ taste.

12. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes after mixing well. If you wish to store the chutney for longer, saute for another 2 to 3 minutes till the mixture is very hot.

13. Cool it completely. Transfer to a clean and dry glass jar if u want to preserve this for 3 to 4 weeks. Store in the refrigerator. I prefer to store them in smaller containers and I feel the chutney keeps better and fresh this way. You may temper it again if you want.

For a creamy chutney, you can also stir this with a tablespoon of thick yogurt before serving. This goes well with everything again, but not with rice.

Reheating: If you make a large batch and refrigerate it, you may scoop out a few tablespoons of chutney to a small bowl. Bring a few tablespoons of water to rolling boil. Pour it over the chutney and mix well. This brings the chutney to room temperature but will thin down. The other way is to heat in the pan or in the IP for 2 to 3 mins depending on how cold your chutney is.