Easy and flavorful, this no-onion, no-garlic South Indian-style thakkali chutney is made with fresh, juicy tomatoes and lentils. A perfect accompaniment for idlis, dosas, chapati, parathas, and yogurt rice! Here is my vegan recipe with step-by-step pictures.
Jump to:
- Different Sides For Idli And Dosa
- What is Thakkali Chutney?
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients required
- How to Make South Indian Tomato Chutney (Step-by-Step)
- VVK Tips
- What to Serve with Tomato Chutney
- How to Extend the Shelf Life
- Variations To Try
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Explore other Indian chutney recipes
- 📖 Recipe
Different Sides For Idli And Dosa
After sharing the idli-dosa batter recipe, I wanted to post a simple side dish to go along with it. I’ve already covered coconut chutney, tiffin sambar, sambar for vadai, quick besan sambar, aka Bombay chutney — all great accompaniments for idli, dosa, and other tiffin items. Now it’s time to share this simple, everyday thakkali chutney.
At South Indian restaurants, tiffin plates are almost always served with an assortment of chutneys. My son and I love to color-code them: white (coconut chutney), red (plain tomato, tomato-onion, or spicy kaara chutney), and green (cilantro, mint, or curry leaf). All those recipes are already on the blog — but today, let’s focus on this simple, pantry-friendly red chutney made without any onion or garlic.
What is Thakkali Chutney?
Thakkali simply means tomato in Tamil. So thakkali chutney is essentially a tomato chutney — but with a South Indian spin. What makes it different from a basic blended tomato sauce is the addition of roasted lentils. Grinding the dal with cooked tomatoes gives the chutney a thicker consistency and a subtle nuttiness you just don’t get otherwise. If you have grown up eating South Indian breakfasts, this red chutney alongside a plate of soft idlis or crispy dosas is probably one of your most comforting food memories. And if you are trying it for the first time, I think you are going to love it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I make this almost every week, and there are a few reasons it has become such a regular in my kitchen
- It has no onion and no garlic, so it works on fasting days or whenever you want to keep things simple.
- It comes together in about 20 minutes with ingredients you most likely already have
- There is no coconut, no nuts, no dairy — just tomatoes, lentils, and a handful of spices.
- It keeps well in the fridge for up to a week, so one batch covers several breakfasts.
- It is not just a chutney — stir it into plain rice, spread it on a roti, or use it as a dip. It works either way beautifully.
Ingredients required
Lentils: Equal parts chana dal and urad dal. They add body and texture — I include lentils in nearly all my chutneys.
Dried red chilies: We use them to add spicy flavor. For a rich, vibrant color, choose Byadgi or Kashmiri varieties.
Tomatoes: Use fresh, ripe, and juicy ones. Roma-style tomatoes work well.
Oil and tempering: A small amount of oil is needed both for roasting the lentils and sautéing the tomatoes. The finishing tadka uses mustard seeds, asafoetida, and curry leaves.
You’ll also need salt. This recipe is naturally vegan and nut-free. To make it gluten-free, simply leave out the asafoetida.
Now let’s see how to make this tomato chutney with step-by-step photos-
How to Make South Indian Tomato Chutney (Step-by-Step)
- Heat a pan and dry-roast the urad dal and chana dal for 1 minute. Add the dried red chilies and asafoetida.
- Then continue roasting on medium heat for 3–4 minutes until the dal turns golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- Now in a separate pan or the same pan (as you can see, I used my small cast iron pan for roasting the lentils and another for tomatoes), add a tsp of oil and heat it. When the oil is hot, add the chopped tomatoes.
- Let it cook for about 7 to 8 minutes or until they turn soft and bit-mushy. You don’t need to cook until it becomes all mushy as we do for curries. Let it cool.
- First, in a mixer jar or blender, add the lentils and grind it without adding any water. Make sure the lentils are 80% ground. I used my Preethi mixer jar for grinding.
- Next, add the tomatoes and salt. No need to add any water. The moisture from the tomatoes is sufficient to grind the chutney.
- Grind it smooth or according to your texture preference. Transfer it to a bowl.
- Tempering: Heat a tsp of oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once the seeds splutter, pour the tadka over the prepared chutney.
- For a longer shelf life, after tempering, add the ground chutney back into the pan and sauté on medium-low heat until the excess moisture evaporates.
Store in an airtight container and serve with your favorite breakfast or tiffin items.
VVK Tips
- If your tomatoes aren’t very sour, stir in ½ tsp of tamarind paste or a 1-inch piece of tamarind. If using a piece, roast it along with the lentils to soften it.
- Adjust salt and heat levels to your taste.
- Skip the asafoetida to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Byadgi or Kashmiri chilies yield a beautiful, deep red color.
- Curry leaves can be left out if unavailable — don’t substitute them with anything else.
- Watch the heat carefully while roasting the lentils. Burnt dal will ruin the dish’s flavor.
- For a version with onion and garlic, check out my tomato onion chutney recipe.
What to Serve with Tomato Chutney
This chutney is one of the most versatile sides in South Indian cooking. Here are the best ways to serve it:
- Idli — the classic pairing. The tanginess of the chutney cuts through the mild, pillowy softness of steamed idlis perfectly.
- Dosa and masala dosa — spoon it alongside or use it as a base spread before adding the potato filling.
- Chapati and paratha — a less traditional but genuinely delicious pairing for a quick weeknight dinner.
- Yogurt rice— mix a spoonful directly into curd rice for a tangy, spiced variation.
How to Extend the Shelf Life
Compared to coconut-based chutneys, this one keeps much longer. It’s an excellent candidate for weekend meal prep — refrigerated, it stays fresh for up to a week.
To store it outside the fridge, my mom’s method works brilliantly: after grinding, reheat the chutney in a little extra oil and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the moisture is absorbed. Once cooled completely, pack it into an airtight jar. She used to prepare it this way when sending me off to my college hostel, and it would easily last 5 days without refrigeration. The texture becomes thicker — more like a thokku — rather than the semi-solid consistency you see in the pictures here.
Variations To Try
Once you have the base recipe down, it is easy to play around with it. Here are a few versions I have tried and really liked:
Tomato Coconut Chutney. If the tomatoes are a little too tangy, I sometimes throw in 2–3 tablespoons of freshly grated coconut while grinding. It softens the sharpness and makes the chutney a bit creamier. Just keep in mind that coconut reduces the shelf life, so this one is best made fresh and used the same day or the next.
Smoky Roasted Tomato Chutney. This one is for days when I want something a little different. Instead of cooking the tomatoes in oil, I char them directly on the flame until the skin blisters and blackens. Peel off the charred skin, then grind as usual.
Hotel-Style Kaara Chutney If you have ever had that deep red, fiery chutney at a South Indian tiffin center and wondered how to recreate it at home, this is it. Just add 4–5 small shallots and an extra dried red chili when sautéing the tomatoes. It comes out spicier, slightly coarser, and has that familiar “hotel taste” that is hard to describe but instantly recognizable.
Tomato Mint Chutney. This is a variation I stumbled upon one day when I had extra mint sitting in the fridge. A small handful of fresh mint leaves added while grinding gives the chutney a cool, refreshing edge. It is a nice change from the usual and works really well as a spread inside wraps or as a side for uthappam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Roasted lentils — typically urad dal and chana dal — serve as a natural thickener. They give the chutney body and a slightly creamy texture without needing coconut or any other binding ingredient. They also add a mild nuttiness that balances the tomatoes’ acidity.
Yes, though the texture will be chunkier. Use a mortar and pestle, grinding the lentils first, then gradually working in the tomatoes. Many traditional households in South India still prefer this method for a coarser, more rustic chutney.
Yes. Portion it into small freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving. The texture may change slightly, but the flavor holds well.
Thakkali chutney is a relatively mild, tomato-forward chutney. Kaara chutney (also spelled kara chutney) is spicier and typically includes shallots and more red chilies. Both are red chutneys, which is why they are often confused, but their flavors and heat levels differ noticeably.
No. Tomato thokku (thakkali oorugai) is oil-heavy, more intensely spiced, and has a much longer shelf life — often months. This chutney is lighter and fresher, best consumed within a week. The preparation method and purpose are quite different.
Fresh tomatoes are strongly recommended for the best flavor. If you must substitute, use whole canned tomatoes and drain some of the liquid before cooking. The chutney will be slightly less bright in flavor, but it still works in a pinch.
Loved this recipe?
If you try this tomato chutney recipe, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have questions, drop them in the comments, and I’ll respond as soon as possible. Follow me on Pinterest for more healthy, delicious ideas, and on Instagram for regular updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and a peek into my kitchen!
Explore other Indian chutney recipes
📖 Recipe
Tomato Chutney | South Indian Tomato Chutney Without Garlic and Onion
Equipment
- Blender / Mixer Jar
- Tawa / Kadai for roasting
Ingredients
Measurement details – 1 cup = 240ml;1 tbsp=15ml; 1 tsp=5ml;
- 2 tsp oil divided
- 3 tomatoes medium-sized / 400 grams/ 2 cups when chopped
- 1 tbsp urad dal whole skinned
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 4 dried red chilies or to taste
- ¼ tsp asafoetida optional
- 1 tsp salt heaped or to taste
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
Instructions
- Heat a pan add the urad dal and chana dal. Roast for a minute and then add the dried red chilies and asafoetida.
- Roast again over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until the dal turns golden brown. All it to cool.
- Now in a separate pan or the same pan (as you can see, I used my small cast iron pan for roasting the lentils and another for tomatoes), add a tsp of oil and heat it. When the oil is hot, add the chopped tomatoes.
- Let it cook for about 7 to 8 minutes or until they turn soft and bit-mushy. You don’t need to cook until it becomes all mushy as we do for curries. Let it cool.
- First, in a mixer jar or blender, add the lentils and grind it without adding any water. Make sure the lentils are 80% ground.
- Next, add the tomatoes and salt. No need to add any water. The moisture from the tomatoes is sufficient to grind the chutney.
- Grind it smooth or according to your texture preference. Transfer it to a bowl.
- In a pan, add a tsp of oil and when the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds splutter, add it to the chutney. For longer shelf-life, after the mustard seeds splutter, you can add the ground chutney and saute again over medium-low heat until the moisture is absorbed. I did not do it this time.
Notes
- If the tomatoes are not sour, you can add ½ tsp of tamarind paste or a 1-inch piece of tamarind. If you are using tamarind pulp, you can roast it along with lentils, so it softens.
- Adjust the salt and spice according to your preference.
- You can skip the asafoetida and make this tomato chutney a gluten-free one.
- Try Kashmiri or Byadgi variety of chilies for the fiery red color chutney.
- If you can’t source curry leaves, skip the curry leaves. Do not go for substitutes.
- Do not let the lentils turn black. It ruins the taste of the chutney.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2009 but now updated with new pics and recipe cards.
This came as saviour for navarathri times when I can’t add onion and garlic.
Thank you so much
Tried this as you have given.
Tastes excellent. I added a little tamarind paste.
I can mix it with rice like thogayal too and enjoy the
dish. Excellent side dish for dosai and idli. Thanks a lot.
Thanks. Glad you liked it.