Bindu Sriram, a dear friend of my Mother-in-Law's is a fantastic cook herself. This recipe is a family favorite of theirs. They serve it with Dosa, Paniyaram even Bruchetta she says. It is by Selvi Akka, a member of her house team. Selvi Akka has been with them for ages and is almost like family.
I have a penchant for everything peanut but didn't make the effort of trying to make the Peanut chutney at home. When Bindu offered to share their recipe I immediately grabbed the offer with both hands. It's a very simple recipe, but very versatile.
Peanuts are age-old Indian Superfoods. The mixture of healthful fats, protein, and fiber in peanuts means they provide nutritional benefits and make a person feel fuller for longer. This makes peanuts a healthful, go-to snack when people compare them with chips, crackers, and other simple carbohydrate foods. Foods that are digested more slowly and release sugar gradually into the bloodstream have a lower Glycemic Index. Peanuts have a low Glycemic Index, thus they reduce the Glycemic load of the entire meal, keeping us satiated for longer. No wonder Peanut chutney features in most meals of many communities.
Ingredients
- 7-10 Dry Red chilies (dry roasted)
- 100 gm Peanuts (dry roasted)
- 50 gm Chopped Coconut
- 8-10 Garlic with skin
- 1" Tamarind
- a handful of Coriander leaves
- Salt to taste
- water to grind
Method
- In a blender blend to almost smooth all the above ingredients with water a little at a time.
- keep adding the water to achieve an almost smooth consistency.
- Optionally temper with 1tsp Ghee, 1tsp Urad daal, 1tsp Chana Daal, 4 Kadi patta, 1dry red chilli.
Chef's tip:
Selvi Akka grinds her garlic with the peel. She believes it had immense flavour and its extremely nutritious.
This can be served with hot Paniyarams, Dosa, Parantha or Rice as well