Chutney/ चटनी/ چٹنی | Tasty, healthy and a true life saver on those busy days!

Nov 17 , 2020

As a child, if it was an exhausting day for my mother, and she was not too keen to go out to eat, we had a shortcut meal. This comprised of the following options: 

- Chutney powder with Rice 

- Happla/Appadam/Papad with Rice

Or a quick rasam, also had with rice  

If this is the first time you are reading about chutney powder rice, then you are missing out on something major in life. I suggest you cook a cup of rice, and break open the chutney powder which you think is exclusively for Idli/Dosa. Mix the rice with chutney powder and add a dollop of ghee. You can thank me later :) 

Although gunpowder is a widely popular hero, there are a large variety of dry chutneys that are native to Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa & Telangana. The word "chutney" is derived from Hindi chaṭnī, deriving from chāṭnā "to lick" or "to eat with appetite". In India, "chutney" refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately.

Similar in preparation and usage to a pickle, simple spiced chutneys can be dated to 500 B.C. Originating in India, this method of preserving food was supposedly adopted by the British empires, who had started exporting these to the other colonies, Australia & North America. 

South Indian chutney powders are made from roasted dried lentils to be sprinkled on idli and dosa. Peanut chutneys (native to Maharashtra) can be is made wet as well as a dry powder. This variety is also common amongst Tamil, Telugu and Kannada cultures. Having chutney powder with hot rice and ghee is a fairly common practice in most households and is even served in traditional restuarants in South India. 

Popular chutney powders/Podi/Pudi include, Idli Podi from Tamil Nadu, Kanda Podi and Karvepaku Podu from Andhra Pradesh, Poondu Podi from Kerala,  Shenga Pudi from Karnataka.

What makes iPaaka Chutney powder unique, is its rich nutty flavour from freshly roasted and ground lentils along with the tang from tamarind and the umami from hing. When in doubt what to eat with any of your main dishes like roti, bread, dosa, idli always reach for that pack of Chutney powder. 

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