Video recipe for Kerala style spicy Inji Puli or ginger chutney

Preparation time: 15 minutes 

Cooking time: 20 minutes 

Serves: 4 to 5

Ingredients 

150 gms of ginger 

1 lemon size tamarind

100 gm shallots 

4 to 5 green chillies 

2 tsp red chilli powder 

¼ tsp turmeric powder 

Salt to taste 

3 tbsp coconut oil 

½ teaspoon mustard seeds 

3 dried red chilies 

1 sprig of curry leaves 

400 ml of water 

½ tsp fenugreek powder 

1 small piece of jaggery (approximately 25 gms) 

1 pinch of asafoetida powder 

Cooking oil for frying the ginger 

Method 

Step: 1 

Soak tamarind in 200 ml of water and keep it aside for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Step: 2 

Clean the ginger and scrape off its skin. Cut the ginger into thin round slices. 

Nicely clean and chop the shallots and keep it aside. 

Clean and cut the green chillies into round slices 

Step:3 

Heat enough oil in pan and fry the sliced ginger until it's golden brown and crisp. Thereafter allow the fried ginger to cool. 

Step: 4 

Squeeze the tamarind and extract the juice. Strain the extract to remove the sediments. 

Step: 5 

Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well 

Step: 6 

Once the fried ginger cools down, transfer it to a blender and coarsely grind it and keep aside 

Step: 7 

Heat 3 tablespoons of coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter.

Step: 8 

Add the dried red chillies and sauté for a few seconds. Add the chopped shallots and green chillies, sauté until the shallots turn golden brown. In between add the curry leaves as well. 

Step: 9 

Add the tamarind mix, approximately 400 ml of water, coarsely ground ginger, fenugreek powder, and the jaggery and then bring this mix to a boil. Check for salt and add if required. 

Step: 10 

Reduce the flame to medium-low and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir in between until it reaches a semi-thick consistency. Add a pinch of ground asafoetida as well. Once it reaches the desired consistency switch off the flame. Let it cool down, transfer to a clean dry glass jar. You can keep it outside for two days and thereafter refrigerate it.

Recipe courtesy: Sobha Varghese is a homemaker based in Mumbai, India. Sobha runs a popular YouTube blog called ‘Sobha's Kitchenette’ that focuses on authentic and traditional Kerala recipes