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    Home

    Onion Chutney Recipe

    Last Updated On: Apr 8, 2025 by Aarthi

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    Onion Chutney | Vengaya chutney is a popular Indian condiment onions, chillies, garlic and tamarind. This chutney can be served with any breakfast dish including idli, dosa, paniyaram, masala dosa, pongal and vada. Onion chutney has a sweet taste to it so it can be used as a spread for sandwiches & wraps too.

    onion chutney top angle shot

    Onion Chutney

    My mum makes this chutney more that twice in a week. Because it is so simple to make. It requires only onion and nothing else. I like to caramelize the onion before grinding which gives the chutney lovely dark colour and sweetness. Onion chutney is best served with hot idlis or dosa. And it makes a perfect spread for sandwiches.

    Table of Contents

    • About Onion Chutney
    • Watch Onion Chutney Video
    • Onion Chutney Ingredients
    • How to Make Onion Chutney (Step-wise Pictures)
    • Onion Chutney Variations
    • Expert Tips
    • FAQ
    • 📖 Recipe Card
    • Onion Chutney | Vengaya Chutney Recipe

    About Onion Chutney

    Onion Chutney | Vengaya Chutney is a popular Indian condiment made with onions, chillies, garlic, tamarind. Sometimes optional ingredients like tomatoes are added to make tomato onion chutney. Even coconut is added to gives the creamy texture.

    You can make this chutney with shallots (small onions|sambar onions) too. I have shared 5 versions of making the classic chutney here in this blog post which will be useful.

    Spicy Onion Chutney is an everyday condiment in any south Indian home which is usually served with breakfast dishes like rava idli, mysore masala dosa. It can be served as a dip to pakoras too.

    In this blog post I have tried to cover all the possible ways onion chutney is made. But the most popular two ways of making chutney is shared. One is raw chutney in which onion is ground with garlic, chillies, tamarind and salt and hot oil is poured over the chutney. The is not cooked and it taste amazing with sponge dosa.

    Vengaya chutney comes handy during times when you run out of tomatoes and coconut. All you need is onions and the other ingredients is to add pungent flavour and spicy kick the chutney. Spicy and Easy Onion Chutney Recipe!

    For More Chutney Recipes, Check Out My

    Tomato Chutney

    Coconut Chutney

    Capsicum Chutney

    Beetroot Chutney

    Watch Onion Chutney Video

    YouTube video

    Onion Chutney Ingredients

    ingredients for onion chutney

    Onions

    Cooking onions till it gets caramelized gives maximum sweetness to the chutney. For faster cooking of onions add a sprinkle of salt and sugar which brings out the moisture from the onions and allow it to cook faster.

    Dry Red Chillies

    Dry red chillies are roasted and ground which gives a slight hint of smoky flavour to the onion chutney. Optionally you can use green chillies or chilli powder.

    Garlic

    I like to use garlic in my chutney which gives a wonderful taste. You can add more garlic and make this chutney dominant in garlic flavour.

    Tamarind

    Tamarind paste or a small piece of tamarind is added when grinding which gives tartness to the chutney.

    Optional Ingredients

    Ingredients like coriander leaves, coconut, tomatoes is added in chutney for a variation.

    How I Make Onion Chutney Dosa (Ulli Kaaram Dosa)

    Onion chutney goes well with idli, dosa, kuzhi paniyaram, vada as well. Sometimes I like to spread it over dosa and make ulli kaaram dosa. Ulli kaaram dosa is nothing but a spicy chutney spread all over dosa. Dosa is cooked till golden and crispy. You can serve spicy onion chutney with dosa, idli or any breakfast recipe too.

    how to make ulli kaaram dosa

    How to Make Onion Chutney (Step-wise Pictures)

    1)Heat oil in a kadai. Add in sliced onions in the oil. Instead of onions you can use peeled shallots.

    add sliced onions to kadai

    2)Sprinkle salt evenly so the onions cooks faster.

    sprinkle salt over onions

    3)Cover and cook till onions gets soft. It will take around 10 minutes for the onions to cook. Make sure you mix in between for even cooking.

    cover onions and cook

    4)Cook onions till golden brown. This is the consistency you are looking for.

    onions looks caramelized

    5)Add in peeled garlic into the sauted onions. Add as much garlic as you prefer.

    add peeled garlic

    6)Add in tamarind paste and mix well.

    add tamarind

    7)Add in chilli powder and coriander powder. You can add 4 dry red chillies and 2 tbsp of whole coriander seeds instead of powder.

    add coriander and chilli powder

    8)Now the onion mix is cooked.

    cook onions will spices

    9)Cool this and take it in a blender.

    take cooled onions in a blender

    10) Grind the onions to a smooth puree.

    onion chutney ground

    11)Take ground onion chutney in a bowl.

    take chutney in a bowl

    12)Make tempering by heating oil, add mustard, urad dal, cumin seeds, dry red chillies.

    make tempering.heat oil add spices

    13)Pour this into the chutney.

    pour tempering over chutney

    14)Mix onion chutney well.

    mix well

    15)Serve chutney with idli or dosa.

    onion chutney ready to serve

    Onion Chutney Variations

    1)Simple Version

    This is simple version of chutney, my everyday version. Delicious and easy onion chutney made using very basic ingredients and can be made in less than 10 mins goes well with idli and dosa.

    how to make simple version onion chutney
    • Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add 4 dry red chilli and cook till golden and charred.Add 1 chopped onions, salt, 1 tsp tamarind and mix well. Cook for 2 mins.
    • Take it in a blender and make it into a fine puree. Pour this in a bowl.
    • Heat 2 tsp oil and add ½ tsp mustard and 1 sprig curry leaves. Pour this into the chutney and mix well. Serve.

    Raw Onion Chutney

    This recipe of raw onion chutney can be made in a jiggy. Super easy and instant. Grind onions, garlic, dry red chillies and salt together. Take this in a bowl and pour hot oil over the chutney and mix well. Serve with idli or dosa.

    how to make raw onion chutney
    • Take 1 chopped onions, 6 garlic cloves, 4 dry red chillies, 1 tsp tamarind pulp, salt in a blender and puree. Pour into a serving bowl which is heat safe.
    • Heat 4 tbsp gingelly oil till smoking. Pour hot oil over chutney and mix. serve.

    Onion Chutney with Tomato

    Adding onions and tomatoes gives a nice texture and taste so good with idli, dosa or anything you wish.

    how to make onion chutney with tomatoes
    • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add 5 dry red chillies and toast till golden. Remove and set aside. Add 2 chopped onions, 1 chopped Tomatoes and saute for a min. Add salt and 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp tamarind pulp and cook till mushy.
    • Take it in a blender and puree till smooth. Add water as needed. Take it in a bowl. 
    • Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add 1 tsp mustard seeds and ¼ tsp asafoetida and mix well. Pour it into the chutney and mix well.

    Onion Coriander Chutney

    You can easily lift up the flavour of the chutney by adding a bunch of coriander leaves and mint leaves. This taste amazing and is so flavourful.

    onion coriander chutney
    • Heat 1 tsp of oil, add in 2 chopped onions, 5 green chillies, 6 cloves garlic and salt. Saute for 3 minutes. Add in 1 cup coriander leaves and mix well.
    • Now take this in a blender and add in 1 tbsp tamarind and puree to smooth mix.
    • Heat oil in the same pan, add in 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp urad dal, 1 sprig curry leaves. 
    • Now add the chutney in and give a good mix. Serve this with dosa or idli.

    Onion Chutney with Coconut

    This Chutney is what i make to give some bulk to the chutney. This authentic coconut chutney can be made very easily with readily available ingredients.

    how to make onion coconut chutney
    • Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add 5 garlic and 4 dry red chilli. Saute for a min. Add in 1 chopped onions and cook that for 5 mins or so. Add in 3 tbsp coconut and mix well. Cook that for a min.
    • Take this in a blender, add salt and 1 tsp tamarind. Grind it to a smooth paste. Take it in a bowl.
    • Heat little 1 tbsp oil in the same pan, crackle 1 tsp mustard and 1 tsp urad dal.Add in 1 sprig curry leaves and mix well. Pour this over the chutney and mix well.Serve.

    Expert Tips

    1. Cook onions till they get caramelized and golden which adds sweetness to your chutney. 
    2. You can add dry red chillies instead of chilli powder. 
    3. Coriander seeds can be used instead of coriander powder.
    4. Optionally a handful of coriander leaves can be added.

    Storage

    If you want to store onion chutney longer, add very less water when grinding and pour the chutney back into the tempering and cook out the water and make it thick. This way the chutney can be stored in fridge for upto a week.

    FAQ

    How to Store Onion Chutney Longer?

    If you want to store chutney longer, add very less water when grinding and pour the chutney back into the tempering and cook out the water and make it thick. This way the chutney can be stored in fridge for upto a week.

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    📖 Recipe Card

    Onion Chutney | Vengaya Chutney Recipe

    Onion Chutney | Vengaya chutney is a popular Indian condiment onions, chillies, garlic and tamarind. This chutney can be served with any breakfast dish including idli, dosa, paniyaram, masala dosa, pongal and vada. Onion chutney has a sweet taste to it so it can be used as a spread for sandwiches & wraps too. In this Blog post I have made 5 version of onion chutney.
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 148kcal

    Ingredients

    • 3 large Onion sliced
    • 1 tbsp Tamarind pulp
    • 1 tbsp Chilli powder
    • 1 tbsp Coriander powder
    • 6 cloves Garlic
    • 1 tbsp Oil
    • Salt to taste

    For Tempering

    • 1 tbsp Oil
    • 1 tsp Mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
    • 1 Dry Red chilli
    • Curry leaves

    Instructions

    • Heat oil in a kadai. Add in onions and sprinkle it with salt. Cook till the onions gets caramelized and golden. Add in garlic, chilli powder, coriander powder and tamarind paste and cook for 1 min.
    • Now let this cool a little. Put this in a blender and make into a fine puree. Pour this into a bowl.
    • Now make the tempering. Heat oil and add in mustard, cumin and dry red chilli, curry leaves. Pour this tadka over the chutney and mix well. Serve this with dosa or idli..

    Video

    YouTube video

    Notes

    1. Cook onions till they get caramelized and golden which adds sweetness to your chutney. 
    2. You can add dry red chillies instead of chilli powder. 
    3. Coriander seeds can be used instead of coriander powder.
    4. Optionally a handful of coriander leaves can be added.

    Storage

    If you want to store onion chutney longer, add very less water when grinding and pour the chutney back into the tempering and cook out the water and make it thick. This way the chutney can be stored in fridge for upto a week.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servings | Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 711IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @yummytummyaarthi or tag #yummytummyaarthi!
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    If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.

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    Aarthi

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chandrani

      at

      Wow Aarthi onion chutnet looks fabulous...Simple and easy preparation. Thanks for sharing this timeless side dish..

      Reply
    2. Angie's Recipes

      at

      A very healthy and tasty treat.
      Merry Christmas!

      Angie

      Reply
    3. Santosh Bangar

      at

      mouthwatering chutney

      Reply
    4. Santosh Bangar

      at

      mouthwatering chutney

      Reply
    5. Christy Gerald

      at

      Delish Chutney Dear.

      Reply
    6. faseela

      at

      a perfect combo with idli or dosha.......fabulous chutney dear

      Reply
    7. Archana

      at

      Yummy chutney so simple and quick. Thanks

      Reply
    8. Kavi

      at

      that's easy! But I wonder how the raw onions smell... will try it out. 🙂

      Reply
    9. Rachana

      at

      Delicious chutney!

      Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

      Reply
    10. vidhas

      at

      Aarthi , I love this chutney, i make with pear onions. inviting pictures.

      Reply
    11. Yummy Team

      at

      Raw onion chutney sounds delicious...Mouth-watering clicks!

      Reply
    12. Torviewtoronto

      at

      delicious looking chutney looks wonderful

      Reply
    13. Sharmilee! :)

      at

      Flavourful n yummy

      Reply
    14. sangee vijay

      at

      Spicy n yummy chutney...love it with dosa,yum..yumm!!

      Reply
    15. SinFoodie

      at

      This looks so simple to make yet very delicious. Will give it a try.

      Reply
    16. sliceofmylyfe

      at

      We make this at my mum's place and you are right about how appetizing it is with idli and dosa.

      Absolutely yummy.

      Reply
    17. mithra

      at

      HI I have done this chutney, no of times, I live in california, but always the raw smell of onions and the whole chutney taste will be like, as if we are eating raw onion, and my hubby, always tells me, that I don't know how to prepare raw onion chutney. It irritates me alot,I tried many times, but now, my hubby said that he lost the orginal raw chutney taste which his mom used to prepare in India. Please help..

      Thank you,
      Mithra

      Reply
    18. Aarthi

      at

      @mithra

      Make the raw onion chutney as mentioned here and don't forget to do the seasoning which i have given in the end...Pouring hot seasoning over the chutney makes the onion little milder...So i hope this helps out..

      Reply
    19. Anonymous

      at

      Nice recipe... Can you tell how long can we store this?

      Reply
    20. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousyou can keep this for 3 to 4 days in a air tight container.

      Reply
    21. Anonymous

      at

      @mithra I have felt the same way too. These onions here are not like the ones in India. Instead of red onions try using white onions. also make it a day earlier and store it in fridge. That settles the raw taste for me.

      Reply
    22. Anonymous

      at

      Basundi was too yummy I tried it

      Reply
    23. Anonymous

      at

      Nice work. .
      Simple recipe

      Reply
    4.75 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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