Peanut Chutney
Lightly roasted peanuts ground with green chilli and salt into a rich, nutty chutney, finished with a seasoning in which slices of garlic turn golden alongside the mustard seeds and curry leaves. It is heartier than coconut chutney, and especially good with crisp dosa.
By Vegan Cook. Published 1 November 2026
Ingredients
Serves 4.
- 1/2 cup (75 g)raw peanuts
- 1green chilli, or to taste
- 1/2 tspsalt, or to taste
- 1/3 cup (80 ml)water, added gradually
- 1 tbspcoconut oil or mustard oil, for the seasoning
- 1/2 tspmustard seeds
- 1/2 tspcumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 tspurad dal (split black lentils)
- 8 to 10curry leaves
- 2 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced
Cookware
- Small heavy frying pan
- Blender or small grinder
- Serving bowl
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Roast the peanuts
Dry-roast the peanuts in the frying pan over medium-low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until they turn golden, their skins blister and they smell nutty. Tip them onto a plate to cool. You can rub off the loose skins if you like, though leaving them on is fine. For a fresher, greener flavour, you can skip the roasting and grind the peanuts raw, which is how many home cooks prefer it.
- 02
Grind the chutney
Grind the cooled peanuts with the green chilli, salt and half the water, then add the rest of the water a little at a time until the chutney is smooth and thick. Scrape it into a serving bowl.
- 03
Make the seasoning
Heat the oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and wait until they crackle and pop, then add the cumin seeds and the urad dal and stir until the dal turns light golden. Add the curry leaves and the garlic and fry until the garlic is golden at the edges. This step, known as tempering, fries whole spices in hot oil so that they release their flavour into it.
- 04
Finish and serve
Pour the hot seasoning over the chutney and stir it through. Taste and adjust the salt. Serve with idli or dosa. The chutney thickens as it stands, so loosen it with a spoonful of water if needed.
Serve with
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.
Swap note
Contains peanuts, which can cause severe allergic reactions. If you are cooking for someone with a peanut allergy, make the coconut chutney instead. Free of gluten and soy.