Healthy and delicious kollu/horse gram chutney for rice, idli, and dosa! Learn how to make this delicious kollu chutney with detailed step-wise pictures.
I think I inherited my love for chutneys from my mom. :-) I love them so much that I started my blogging journey with two chutney recipes for rice – paruppu thogayal / toor dal chutney and thengai thogayal / coconut chutney. Over the years, I have shared quite a few chutney recipes, and now I am so excited to share yet another favorite one of ours: horse gram chutney or kollu thogayal/thuvaiyal.
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Kollu recipes
Kollu, also known as kanam in Tamil, is quite popular across India. In Hindi, it is known as kulthi. I have shared kollu sundal, kollu rasam podi (spiced blend for rasam), kollu rasam, kollu kadaiyal, horse gram stew, ulava charu, and ulava charu biryani. That’s a lot, but given the health benefits of horse gram, I recommend you to check it out. :-)
I love exploring and collecting new recipes, and I adapted this kollu chutney from a Tamil magazine supplement. The combo of horse gram and garlic is terrific, and it just enhances the flavor of chutney. My son liked this chutney very much and asked for second and third servings, and that says it all. (I am not exaggerating)
This chutney pairs well with rice. But if you are planning to serve it with idli or dosa, you can grind it smooth and add more water.
Ingredients required
To roast – We roast horse gram (of course the key ingredient), urad dal, dried red chilies, and garlic one by one.
Other ingredients: We then grind the roasted ingredients with tamarind paste, salt, grated coconut, and water.
To temper: Finally, we prepare the tempering with oil, mustard seeds, and curry leaves.
Please check the recipe card for the measurements and also the notes section for variations and other tips.
Dietary specifications and serving suggestions
This chutney is nut-free, vegan, and gluten-free. I have refrigerated this chutney for up to three days. Serve this with hot rice with a ghee or gingelly oil and pair it with papad or dry curries for a filling meal. You can also serve this with idli or dosa.
Now without any further ado, let’s see how to make this kollu chutney.
How to make kollu chutney
- Heat a pan and add the horse gram.
- Dry roast it over low heat (on a number scale 2) for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the horse gram turns deep brown/red. As you can see in the step 1 picture, horse gram lentils come in different shades of brown. The light brown ones should turn golden brown, and the darker shade lentils will turn deep brown. Don’t let the lentils turn black. As you roast, you will hear the popping sound; you can turn it off at that stage and always roast in medium-low or even low heat. Transfer it to the mixer jar and let it cool.
- In the same pan, add ½ tsp oil, and when the oil is hot, add the dried red chilies and urad dal.
- Roast until the urad dal turns golden brown. Transfer it to the mixer jar.
- In the same pan, add ½ more tsp of oil, and when it is hot, add the chopped garlic cloves and roast until it is soft and turns light brown.
- Transfer it to the mixer jar. Allow all the ingredients to cool. Add the coconut, tamarind paste, and salt to the mixer jar and grind it coarsely by adding 3 to 4 tbsp of water. Transfer it to a bowl. If you plan to serve this with idli or dosa, add more water and grind it smooth.
- In a separate tempering pan, heat the remaining tsp of oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter and curry leaves crisp up. Add this to the ground chutney. Serve it warm with rice or idli/dosa.
Recipe notes
- The garlic cloves that I used were pretty big, and it was approx 20 grams. You can use up to 25 grams of garlic cloves. Depending upon the size and taste preference, you can adjust the measure.
- Adjust the salt and spices to taste.
- I used Bydgi variety red chili, and it was mild but gave nice color to the chutney.
- I highly recommend gingelly oil, but you can use any neutral oil.
- As I served it with chutney, I added only 4 tbsp of water. If you plan to serve with idli or dosa, you can add ½ to ¾ cup to bring it to pouring consistency and grind the chutney smooth.
- Along with garlic cloves, you can add one or two shallots for added flavor.
More chutney recipes for rice
Check out my South Indian style coconut chutney and onion-tomato chutney for idli and dosa.
Loved this recipe?
If you try this kollu thogayal, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest or Instagram or join my Facebook Group for recipe updates and simple Indian meal ideas.
📖 Recipe
Kollu Chutney | Horse Gram Chutney
Equipment
- Wok or Kadai or Fry pan
- Mixer jar or coffee grinder
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
- 2 tsp oil divided, preferably gingelly oil
- ½ cup horse gram/kollu
- 5 dried red chilis or to taste
- 2 tsp urad dal
- 3 garlic cloves (big ones) 20 grams approx. Peeled and chopped roughly
- 2 tsp tamarind paste
- 1.25 tsp salt or to taste
- ¼ cup grated coconut if using frozen thaw it to room temperature
- 3 to 4 tbsp water refer notes
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
Instructions
- Heat a pan and add the horse gram.
- Dry roast it over low heat (on a number scale 2) for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the horse gram turns deep brown/red. As you can see in the step 1 picture, horse gram lentils come in different shades of brown. The light brown ones should turn golden brown, and the darker shade lentils will turn deep brown. Don't let the lentils turn black. As you roast, you will hear the popping sound; you can turn it off at that stage and always roast in medium-low or even low heat. Transfer it to the mixer jar and let it cool.
- In the same pan, add ½ tsp oil, and when the oil is hot, add the dried red chilies and urad dal.
- Roast until the urad dal turns golden brown. Transfer it to the mixer jar.
- In the same pan, add ½ more tsp of oil, and when it is hot, add the chopped garlic cloves and roast until it is soft and turns light brown.
- Transfer it to the mixer jar. Allow all the ingredients to cool. Add the coconut, tamarind paste, and salt to the mixer jar and grind it coarsely by adding 3 to 4 tbsp of water. Transfer it to a bowl. If you plan to serve this with idli or dosa, add more water and grind it smooth.
- In a separate tempering pan, heat the remaining tsp of oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter and curry leaves crisp up. Add this to the ground chutney. Serve it warm with rice or idli/dosa.
Notes
- The garlic cloves that I used were pretty big, and it was approx 20 grams. You can use up to 25 grams of garlic cloves. Depending upon the size and taste preference, you can adjust the measure.
- Adjust the salt and spices to taste.
- I used Bydgi variety red chili, and it was mild but gave nice color to the chutney.
- I highly recommend gingelly oil, but you can use any neutral oil.
- As I served it with chutney, I added only 4 tbsp of water. If you plan to serve with idli or dosa, you can add ½ to ¾ cup to bring it to pouring consistency and grind the chutney smooth.
- Along with garlic cloves, you can add one or two shallots for added flavor.
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.
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