Having a side dish always on hand in the form of a dry powder and which does not spoil is very useful. Chutney Powders/Chutney Pudis are a great side dish for chapathis, rotis, dosas, idlis or even hot rice with ghee. Shenga chutney pudi (groundnut chutney powder) is a very famous side dish from North Karnataka. All households make large quantities of this tasty spicy powder and store it. Try this with thalipeeth or with dosas. Dosas like rava dosa, open masala dosa taste really good with this chutney powder. The best combination has to be Bhakkri or Jowar Roti (plain sorghum flour oiless thin rotis) with this tasty shenga chutney powder mixed with yogurt/curd. A slightly different form called ‘shenga hinDi’ a coarser and rougher chutney powder with only oily shengas, is also a super delicacy from the beautiful land of North Karnataka (like Bijapur and other places). Other shenga/groundnut recipes to try.
- ½ heaped Cup (110 Gm) shenga/groudnuts
- ¼ heaped Cup (50 Gm) puthani/roasted gram/huri gadale
- 8-10 dry red chillies
- 2-3 small crystal hing/asafoetida
- ½ Tsp~ salt
- ¼ Cup desiccated coconut
- ¼ Cup curry leaves
- 1 Tsp oil
- 1 Tsp mustard
- Dry roast shenga till they turn crisp and their skin changes colour
- Add red chillies and roast lightly
- Add hing and roast again. Turn off heat
- Add desiccated coconut and keep aside
- In another pan, fry curry leaves in 2-3 drops of oil till they crisp up
- Once cooled, add roasted gram, salt, curry leaves to shenga mixture
- Add this to a mixer jar, grind dry into a chutney pudi/powder
- Make tadka with oil and mustard. Pour over chutney pudi. Mix well
- Store in air-tight container. Use as required
Add salt as per your taste
Increase red chillis as per your liking of spiciness of chutney powder
Roasted gram balances the flavours and oiliness of groundnuts
Use this sparingly as this can become very spicy for a few people
Stepwise:
Dry roast shenga till they turn crisp and their skin changes colour
Add red chillies and roast lightly
Add hing and roast again. Turn off heat
Add desiccated coconut and keep aside
In another pan, fry curry leaves in 2-3 drops of oil till they crisp up
Once cooled, add roasted gram, salt, curry leaves to shenga mixture
Add this to a mixer jar, grind dry into a chutney pudi/powder
Make tadka with oil and mustard. Pour over chutney pudi. Mix well
Store in air-tight container. Use as required
