ONION CHUTNEY /ROJA POO CHUTNEY

     Onion Chutney/Roja Poo Chutney is a spicy condiment which goes well with Idli, Dosai, Uthappam & Paniyaram.  There are many versions of this Chutney.  My Mom makes this Onion Chutney with Onions/Shallots ground along with Green Chillies.  She used to say this is Roja Poo Chutney(Rose Flower) when I was a kid. I thought it was prepared with Rose Petals and that is the reason it has a beautiful pink colour. Anything in the name of a flower I used to fall head over heels then and the love for this Roja Poo Chutney is no wonder. My Mom had her own tactics to make me and my brother eat.  As I was(am) fond of flowers I used to simply gobble up Idlis with this Chutney. She serves this Roja Poo Chutney with a drizzle of Coconut Oil. This trick also helps to subtle out the spiciness of the Onion Chutney. 
      To date, this Onion Chutney is called as Roja Poo(Rose) Chutney at home. Even during my last visit home, Amma asked me whether I wanted Roja Poo Chutney for Idli, and as always I happily said okay. Only Moms can bring out our childhood Nostalgias.
      During a TV show when Chef Damodar gave a recipe for a simple onion chutney to go along with Gothumai(Wheat Flour) Dosai and he said it is colloquially called Roja Poo Chutney.  I was immensely fascinated by the utter coincidence.  Even my friend Sasi used to bring soft white Dosa with this Onion Chutney/Roja Poo Chutney. The whole meal had an overwhelming flavour of Coconut Oil, Dosas were prepared with Coconut oil and the Chutney had a hearty drizzle of Coconut Oil, which took over my senses immediately. What so ever, this is my all time favourite chutney for too many reasons, it has a beautiful light pink colour, comes with the name Roja Poo Chutney, above all this Onion Chutney is an easy recipe which can be prepared within minutes and it is a wonderful chutney with an overall balance of tastes and flavours. Too many memories related to this Chutney...
    The spiciness from Onions and Green Chillies along with a tangy note from Tamarind makes this Chutney a wonderful combination to go along with Idli, Dosai, Uthappam, Paniyaram etc., Milagai Chutney - A similar recipe where Green Chillies are substituted with Red Chilli Powder is another simple Chutney I frequent at home.



For more CHUTNEY varieties, Click here...


Cuisine - South India
Recipe Type - Chutney/Condiment
Spice Level - Medium-High
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 2- 3
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 5 Minutes
Cooking Time - 5 - 7 Minutes

INGREDIENTS :

Shallots - 12 - 15 Nos.
Green Chillies - 3-4 Nos.
Tamarind Paste - 1 Tspn
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - a Pinch

For Seasoning :

Coconut Oil - 2 Tspn

METHOD :

• Grind Chopped Shallots, Green Chillies, Tamarind with a dash of Salt and a pinch of Sugar to a fine paste in a blender/food processor.
• Do not add Water while grinding the Onion Chutney.
• Remove the Chutney from the blender.
• Serve this Onion Chutney/Roja Poo Chutney with a hearty drizzle of Coconut Oil.
• Serve the Onion Chutney/Roja Poo Chutney along with Idli, Dosai, Uthappam or Paniyaram.

NOTES :

• This is a raw chutney, mix all the ingredients and grind it into a fine paste.
• Do not add water while grinding the Onion Chutney/Roja Poo Chutney.
• Can choose to season the Chutney or just pour few teaspoons of coconut oil over the Chutney and serve it as such.
• Can use Onions instead of Shallots.
• Adjust the number of Green Chillies to suit your spice level.
• Remove seeds if any and shred the tamarind into very small pieces before grinding it along with other ingredients. I have used Tamarind Paste in the recipe.
• Adding Sugar is purely optional.