Savory, toasted Dry Sesame Garlic Chutney is quintessentially Indian but can be used for a variety of dishes. This simple to make chutney is very versatile and takes just minutes to put together.
Chutneys like this one, or the coconut green chutney, mango onion chutney, or meyer lemon chutney form an important part of Indian Meals. A little spicy or toasty, savory flavored chutney is a great way to add flavor to your meal, without having to make an elaborate side dish.
These chutneys are used as relishes, as a small side flavor to complement the main meal. They're often eaten with a small piece of naan, chappati, or roti.
But as often, they're mixed in with ghee and eaten with plain rice. So it's really up to you where you want to add in the flavor.
When I first posted this in the Facebook Two Sleevers Group, it started a lively discussion on all the various things you could use this for. A few ideas that emerged, some of which are traditional, and others of which are innovative and perfect sounding:
- With ghee and rice
- With ghee and chappatis
- Over steamed buttered vegetables
- Mixed in with mayonnaise
- Mixed in with thick yogurt as a dip
- Mixed with butter and spread on bread and toasted like an Indian version of garlic bread
Once you taste it, you might have other ideas and I'd love to hear them in the comments.
SUBSTITUTING INGREDIENTS
I call for curry leaves in this recipe. I realize that not all of you will have access to these nor want to run right out and buy them. If you did though, try them here on Amazon, or at your local Indian grocery store.
But if you don't want to get them just yet, I'd suggest you omit them and just use garlic and sesame seeds along with the red chile and the salt. It will still be a very tasty chutney, just different to what I'm making here.
If you like it, you can then consider getting some curry leaves to add a wonderful, savory flavor to this Dry Sesame Garlic Chutney.
THE STEPS FOR MAKING THIS INDIAN DRY SESAME GARLIC CHUTNEY ARE:
- Cut peeled garlic cloves and smash flat to allow more of the surface area to roast
- Roast sesame seeds
- Mix all ingredients and grind together using a coffee or spice grinder
- Store in a cool dry place for a week. Does not need to be refrigerated
WANT TO MAKE MORE HOMEMADE SPICE BLENDS?
- Egyptian Dukkah
- Lebanese 7 Spice
- Cajun Spice Mix
- Sambhar Masala
- Kafta Kabab Spice Mix
- Ras Al Hanout Spice
- Shawarma Spice Mix
- Dry Sesame Garlic Chutney
- Ethiopian Berbere
- Maharash Trian Goda Masala
- Garama Masala
- Punjabi Garam Masala
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) Sesame Seeds
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) Dried Curry Leaves
- 6-8 cloves (6 cloves) Garlic
- 2 (2 ) Dried Red Chilis
- 1/2-1 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Peel garlic and smash cloves with the side of a knife to flatten as much as possible.
- Heat a small cast iron pan and when it's hot, add in the sesame seeds and stir frequently. At first these seeds will pop but will settle down in a few minutes. You may want to use a splatter screen or plate on top, but be sure to shake the pan so the seeds don't burn.
- Once the seeds smell toasty and are somewhat brown, about 1-2 minutes, pour them into a plate and let them cool.
- Add in the garlic cloves and toast until somewhat charred but not burned (see picture above).
- Add these to the sesame seeds and let them cool for 5-10 minutes. Do not grind while hot else the steam will make a paste instead of a dry powder.
- Once the garlic has cooled mix together all ingredients in the plate. Working in two batches, grind to a powder in a coffee or spice grinder, shaking the spice grinder to ensure an even grind.
- Store in a covered container in a cool, dry place for up to a week. Does not need to be refrigerated.
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