Gujarati Kadhi Chutney| Fafda Chutney

If you have travelled (and eaten) in Gujarat, I’m sure you would have come across a thickish yellow-coloured chutney being offered alongside snacks like dhokla, khaman, fafda, cholafali and the likes. This delicious chutney has hints of spicy, sweet and sour and actually goes perfectly with most Gujarati snacks. It is made of besan aka gram flour, and is popularly called Fafda Chutney. It is also sometimes referred to as Kadhi Chutney, thanks to the similarity in looks with kadhi. Today, I’m going to share with you the recipe for this Fafda Chutney or Kadhi Chutney, Gujju style.

To make this chutney, a slurry of besan and water is cooked till it thickens, made aromatic with the addition of a few other ingredients. It is an extremely simple thing to whip up, and making it is but a matter of minutes. The Kadhi Chutney looks similar to the Bombay Chutney of South India but, taste-wise, the two things are quite different.

I made this Kadhi Chutney to serve with Khatta Dhokla for the 15 or so kids in the bub’s class, when it was our snack turn at her school recently. I wanted to give the little ones a sneak peek into Gujarati cuisine, and I must say it worked beautifully. I was, initially, a tad skeptical offering them something so different from the regular idli, dosa, pongal, pasta and pancakes, but I was all excited to see the dabbas returning from school almost empty. Yay to that!

Coming to the Kadhi Chutney, this is an entirely plant-based recipe, suitable for someone on a vegan diet. Just omit the asafoetida used here, and you have a completely gluten-free recipe too, without much of a change in the taste. Though some people add garlic and ginger to their Kadhi Chutney, this one doesn’t have any – making this a Jain version as well.

If you have never tried out Kadhi Chutney or Fafda Chutney before, you absolutely must! Let’s check out the recipe!

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

1. 1/4 cup besan (gram flour)
2. 2 cups water
3. 1/2 tablespoon oil
4. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
5. 2 generous pinches of asafoetida
6. 2 slit green chillies
7. 1 sprig fresh curry leaves
8. Salt to taste
9. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
10. 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder or to taste
11. 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
12. Juice of 1/2 lemon or to taste

Method:

1. Take the besan in a mixing bowl and add in about 1/2 cup water. Whisk well, forming a slurry without any lumps.

2. Add the rest of the water to the mixing bowl too, along with salt to taste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and sugar. Whisk everything well together. Keep aside.

3. Heat the oil in a pan. Add in the mustard seeds and allow them to sputter. Now, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and slit green chillies. Let them stay in for a couple of seconds.

4. Now, turn the flame down to low-medium and add the besan slurry to the pan. Mix well. Continue to cook on low-medium heat till the raw smell of the besan goes away and the mixture begins to thicken. This should take about 2 minutes. Switch off gas at this stage.

5. Mix in the lemon juice. The Kadhi Chutney is ready – serve it hot or warm or at room temperature with snacks of your choice.

Notes:

1. Some people add a bit of sour curd to the Kadhi Chutney, but I prefer using lemon juice.

2. Like I was saying earlier, ginger and/or garlic is sometimes added to Kadhi Chutney. I don’t.

3. Adjust the quantity of sugar, green chillies, red chilli powder and lemon juice you use, as per personal taste preferences.

4. Don’t skip the sugar. The Kadhi Chutney doesn’t taste the same without the sugar.

5. Jaggery powder can be substituted for the sugar, too. I prefer using sugar, though.

6. You may add in more green chillies and skip the red chilli powder altogether.

7. The Kadhi Chutney thickens a bit upon cooling.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!

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I’m sharing this recipe with Fiesta Friday #284. The co-hosts this week are Diann @ Of Goats and Greens and Petra @ Food Eat Love.
I’m also sending this recipe to My Legume Love Affair #130. This is a monthly event started by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook, the legacy carried forward for a long time by Lisa of Lisa’s Kitchen. This month, My Legume Love Affair is being hosted by Kalyani at Sizzling Tastebuds.

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