Five dry chutney's including an exclusive carrot chutney

Chutney is an assortment of essential condiments in Indian cuisine with endless varieties - sweet, spicy, tangy, dry, or wet. Here is my attempt to revive memories of childhood, preserve them, and adapt them to my new home far far away from the home I grew up.

I grew up in a Maharashtrian home where the dining table is always adorned with a tray filled with a variety of pickles and dry chutneys. The dry chutneys have a long shelf life and hence can be stored at room temperature for weeks. Growing up, I have memories of my mom packing them on long trips to go with 'Dashmi' - semi-sweet parathas, similar to these pumpkin parathas.

These chutneys make a great accompaniment to any meal, adding a unique taste, texture and aroma. In most traditional meals, there is always a spoon or two of spicy chutney and pickle served next to the lemon wedge and salt. I enjoy eating the dry chutney in a grilled cheese sandwich or sprinkled over a hot bowl of khichdi for an extra kick!

Here is a photo of my mom's chutney and pickle tray from my last trip to India:

This summer when my mom visited me, learning to make these chutneys was on my to-do list. So one fine day when my mom started to make them, I was stunned to see how simple and quick they were. We made 5 different chutneys in a little more than an hour. The authentic chutney recipes were done in under 10-15 minutes each and my mom's signature chutney with grated carrots took just a bit longer.

Black Sesame Chutney:

½ cup black sesame seeds
¼ cup peanuts
1 teaspoon salt
5 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon red chili powder

In a small pan, roast sesame seeds on low-medium heat for 3-3 minutes or until aromatic and they start making a popping sound. Keep aside.
In the same pan roast peanuts for 2 minutes. Allow to cool.
Add all the ingredients to a food processor and grind until all the ingredients have incorporated well. Store in an airtight container.
Add a few drops of oil over the chutney, after serving on your plate.

Coconut chutney:

1 cup dry unsweetened shredded coconut
8-10 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Add all the ingredients to a small food processor jar and pulse until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Store in an airtight container.

Garlic Peanut chutney:

½ cup peanuts
15 small spicy green chilies or 5 jalapeños, rough chopped
8-10 garlic cloves
1-½ tablespoon oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt

Add ½ tablespoon oil to a small pan. Roast garlic cloves and chilies for a minute. Add peanuts and roast them until they turn golden brown, 1-2 minutes.
Allow to cool. Pulse in a food processor with salt until the peanuts are roughly ground.
Add remaining oil to the pan, put the chutney from the food processor in the pan. Roast for 10 minutes on medium-low heat or until the chutney gets crunchy.
Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.

Peanut chutney:

1 cup peanuts
8-10 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon salt

Roast peanuts in a small pan, on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Allow them to cool.
Add peanuts and all the ingredients to a small food processor jar and pulse until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Store in an airtight container.

Mom's exclusive Carrot Chutney:

This is my mom's signature chutney and everyone who has tasted it has been astonished by the flavors, textures, and unique taste. Usually, my mom will air dry grated carrots for a day or two in direct sunlight. To speed up the process we used the oven at low temperatures to crisp up the grated carrots. We allowed the baked carrots to cool down and then once again sauté them in oil for a few minutes to get a perfectly crispy flavor bursting chutney!

1 cup carrots, packed, grated
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Spread grated carrots evenly on a baking tray.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the carrots become crispy, golden brown. Allow to Cool.
In a medium pan add oil and sesame seeds. Saute for a minute on medium heat. Add carrots and sauté for another minute on low heat.
Turn the heat off. Add red chili powder and salt. Mix well and Allow to Cool. Store in an airtight container.