This tangy and spicy roti pachadi / chutney is delicious and easy to make.. This gluten-free and vegan chutney is freshly made with eggplants and fresh tamarind year round pachadi. It stays fresh for 2 days if refrigerated. Since we don’t grind this chutney, it gives a nice texture to feel in your mouth. So simple to make and tastes great with chapathi/roti and hot steamed rice and ghee, jowar roti, masala jowar roti, sorakaya thappilent, ragi roti.

Traditionally, we make this chutney with green eggplants / brinjals but if you don’t get them you can replace with purple ones too.

Other Chutney/Pachadi recipes for you:

How to make Eggplant-Tamarind Chutney

PREP TIME: 8 MINS COOK TIME: 10-12 MINS TOTAL TIME: 18-20 MINS COURSE: SIDES CUISINE: INDIAN SERVINGS : 4-5

Ingredients

green/puple vankayalu/eggplants/brinjals – 5, cut into long slices
tomatoes – 1 and 1/2, chopped
onion – 1/2, chopped
garlic pods – 4
green chillies – 7-10 (adjust to your spice level)
salt – 1/4 tsp/to taste
oil – 5 tsp, divided
cumin seeds/jeera – 1 tsp, divided
curry leaves – few
dry red chilly – 1
hing /asafotida – 1/8 tsp
fresh tamarind thokku (year round chinthakaya pickle) – 2 tsp

Instructions

Heat 2 tsp of sesame or mustard oil in a pan. Add 1/2 tsp urad dal, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp jeera, few curry leaves, 1/8 tsp hing and a dry red chilly.
When dal turns golden, transfer it to a serving bowl and keep aside for later use.
In the same pan, heat 3 tsp oil, add 1/2 tsp jeera, 1/2 (1/4 cup) chopped onion. Cover the pan and sauté for 2 mins.
Now add 5 eggplants (vankaya), 3 garlic and 7-10 green chillies. Cover and cook for 5 mins on medium heat.
Add 1 and 1/2 tomato, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric. Mix well. Cover and cook until the tomatoes become soft and mushy.
Add 2 tsp fresh tamarind/chinthakaya pachadi/thokku and mix well until everything is well blended, then turn off the heat. Let it cool for a few mins.
In a mortar, add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 garlic clove and crush/pound to a paste.
Now transfer cooked eggplant / vankaya, tomato mixture and few cilantro stems into mortar and pound it gently until the mixture is well blended.
Transfer it to the serving bowl with seasoning added in step 2. Mix everything well.
Serve chutney/pachadi with hot steamed rice with ghee or chapathi or roti or poori.

Tips

If you are using a mixie or grinder, just pulse it a couple of times to prevent grinding into a smooth paste.
If green eggplants are not available, you can use small purple egg plants.
Adjust the quantity of green chillies as per your taste.

Eggplant Tamarind Chutney – Step by step photo instructions

Heat 2 tsp of sesame or mustard oil in a pan. Add 1/2 tsp urad dal, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp jeera, few curry leaves, 1/8 tsp hing and a dry red chilly.

2. When dal turns golden, transfer it to a serving bowl and keep aside for later use.

3. In the same pan, heat 3 tsp oil, add 1/2 tsp jeera, 1/2 (1/4 cup) chopped onion. Cover the pan and sauté for 2 mins.

4. Now add 5 eggplants (vankaya), 3 garlic and 7-10 green chillies. Cover and cook for 5 mins on medium heat.

5. Add 1 and 1/2 tomato, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric. Mix well. Cover and cook until the tomatoes become soft and mushy.

6. Add 2 tsp fresh tamarind/chinthakaya pachadi/thokku and mix well until everything is well blended, then turn off the heat. Let it cool for a few mins.