Palli Chutney| Andhra Pradesh Peanut Chutney| Groundnut Chutney

This groundnut chutney from the state of Andhra Pradesh tastes absolutely, finger-lickingly delicious. Locally called Palli Chutney, this Andhra Pradesh peanut chutney makes for a beautiful accompaniment to dosas and idlis. We’ve had it with bajri and methi theplas too, and loved it to bits.

The flavour of the groundnuts (‘Palli‘ in Telugu) combines with the sweet of jaggery, the sour of tamarind, and the heat of dry red chillies and ginger to create this lovely dish. Trust me, this Palli chutney is quite a burst of flavours! It is unique in the sense that it doesn’t have any coconut in it.

The recipe for this Andhra Pradesh peanut chutney was shared by fellow food blogger Sakhi Ravoor of Sakhi Sanil Diaries. I have made it quite a few times, and it is much loved by everyone in the family.

Here is how to make Palli Chutney aka Andhra Pradesh peanut chutney or groundnut chutney.

Ingredients (makes about 1-1/2 cup):

1. 3/4 cup peanuts
2. 4-5 cloves garlic (optional)
3. 1 medium-sized onion
4. A 1-inch piece of ginger
5. 2-3 dry red chillies or as per taste
6. A small piece of tamarind
7. Salt, to taste
8. Jaggery powder, to taste
9. 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon of oil
10. A few fresh curry leaves
11. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
12. A pinch of asafoetida

Method:

1. Remove any seeds or impurities from the tamarind. Peel the garlic and onion. Chop the onion into cubes. Peel the ginger and chop into pieces. Keep aside.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan. Add in the peanuts and fry on medium flame for a minute. Now, add in the dry red chillies, ginger, garlic and onion and fry on medium flame for a minute more. Add the tamarind, and fry for a minute on medium flame. Take care to ensure that none of the ingredients gets burnt. Switch off gas and allow all the fried ingredients to cool down completely.

3. Take the fried and completely cooled peanuts, tamarind, garlic, ginger, onion, dry red chillies in a small mixer jar. Add in salt and jaggery powder to taste. Grind to a paste, as coarse or smooth as you would like it to be.

4. Check for seasonings, and add salt and/or jaggery as needed. Remove the groundnut chutney into a bowl.

5. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a pan. Add in the mustard seeds and let them pop. Add in the asafoetida and curry leaves, and let them stay in for a couple of seconds. Then, transfer this garnish from the pan to the chutney in the bowl. Mix well. Serve the chutney with dosas, idlis or methi theplas. It can also be consumed with piping hot steamed rice and ghee.

Notes:

1. Increase or decrease the quantity of groundnuts you use, depending upon your personal taste preferences.
2. Increase or decrease the quantity of ginger and dry red chillies you use, depending upon how spicy you want the Palli chutney to be.
3. The garlic is purely optional. You can omit it if you want to, but I think it adds a lovely depth of flavour to the groundnut chutney.
4. Let your taste buds decide upon the quantity of tamarind and jaggery you add to this chutney. Add just enough tamarind and jaggery to enhance the taste of the Andhra Pradesh peanut chutney, not too much – the latter would alter the taste of the chutney.

You like? I hope you will try out this Palli chutney too, and that you will love it as much as we do!

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