Walnut Chutney

Today I have a chutney with a nut that is usually not considered for preparing chutneys. I was skeptical about this chutney but still went ahead with the preparation. This recipe evolved as I prepared. The nut of the day is walnut.

I started preparing this walnut chutney similar to this peanut chutney. When I tasted the chutney, I was in two minds. Though I liked the chutney, I was unsure if everyone would like the nutty, earthly flavor of walnut. To mellow the walnut taste, I added some yogurt. It turned out pretty good. This would be a great chutney to serve with idli, dosa and vada. However, when I made this the day before yesterday, I served it with some rice. Though rice is not the best way to serve it, it wasn’t bad either.

Yields: ½ - ¾ cups of chutney

Ingredients

½ cup Walnuts, chopped (approx. 16-18 walnuts)
1 ½ tsp. Oil
5-8 Curry Leaves
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
1-3 Green Chilies, chopped (adjust to heat tolerance level. I used 3)
⅛ tsp. Mustard Seeds
¼ tsp. Cumin Seeds
Pinch of Turmeric
½ - ⅔ tsp. Salt (adjust to taste)
¼ cup Yogurt
Lime Juice to taste

Tempering

½ - 1 tsp. Oil
⅛ tsp. Mustard seeds
⅛ tsp. Cumin Seeds
½ Dry Red Chili
Pinch of turmeric

Preparation:

Chop walnuts. Chop garlic, chilies and keep aside.
Grind mustard and cumin seeds to powder. This step is optional. My blender is not as powerful as Indian mixies. I usually powder these spices and then add it to chutney. If you have a powerful grinder, skip this step and use the seeds as is.
Heat oil in a pan, add curry leaves, green chilies and garlic.
Add cumin and mustard powder and saute until green chilies are roasted in oil.
Add pinch of turmeric and walnuts. Turn off the heat. Add cilantro.
Roast the walnuts in the hot pan until lightly toasted.
Let the mixture cool.
Grind the mixture to a paste with some water. I used about 1 ½ - 2 tablespoon of water.
Transfer to a serving bowl, add yogurt, salt and lime juice. Mix well and adjust the seasoning.
I kept the chutney thick as I was going to serve it with rice. For idli, dosa and vada, it can be diluted. Either add some water or some light yogurt or whey from yogurt.
Do the tempering by heating oil listed under tempering. When the red chili turns brown and the seeds splutter, remove from fire.
Pour over the chutney and serve.