9 Tasty Chutneys To Try When Midnight Craving Strikes
Image Credit: Pexels

Anyone up for a midnight sandwich, kachori, samosa, or vada pav? Imagine enjoying your favourite meal with the incredibly flavorful chutney varieties! If you have an obsession with different savoury chutneys or dips, try creating these at home and treat yourself to some delight.

Chutneys are amazing delicacies that can transform even the most basic dish into truly amazing. These are surely the soul of any flatbread or side; it makes a great dipping sauce and adds new flavours and kicks to the overall food.

When hunger hits midnight, you'll enjoyably lick your fingers with all these delicious dip recipes below. 

9 Chutneys For Midnight Hunger Pangs 

1. Mango Chutney

Fresh mango is the primary ingredient in mango chutney, a classic Indian chutney. In addition, there are cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, garlic, red chilli peppers, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and brown sugar and vinegar. Mango chutney comes in various forms, each cooked with unique additions. The chutney is typically served as a spread or a dip after the ingredients are simmered down and, if desired, occasionally mashed.

2. Hari Chutney

Hari chutney, also known as green chutney, is a classic Indian chutney made primarily of green vegetables and herbs. It typically comprises ginger, garlic, gram dal, cumin, chaat masala, sugar, salt, asafoetida, lemon juice, water, coriander, mint, and green chilli peppers. Numerous varieties of green chutney are created with various add-ons.

3. Coriander Chutney

The primary ingredient of coriander chutney, a typical Indian chutney, is chopped fresh coriander leaves. Ginger, green chilli peppers, lemon juice, cumin powder, water, and salt are typically used as additional components. Mango powder, sugar, yoghurt, and other extra ingredients are used to make a variety of coriander chutney varieties. Additionally, it's used as a seasoning or ingredient in Indian chaat recipes like sev puri and bhel puri. 

4. Coconut Chutney

A traditional South Indian condiment or side dish, coconut chutney is made from a stewed coconut with shallots, ginger, tamarind, chillies, and curry leaves. It is manufactured in two forms, liquid and solid, and is a speciality of the North Malabar region. While the solid version, also called ubuntu chammanthi, is typically served with rice for lunch or dinner, the liquid variant is served with idlis and dosas. 

5. Tamarind Chutney

Indian tamarind chutney, also known as imli chutney, is a classic chutney made primarily of tamarind. Other components typically include jaggery, ginger, red chilli peppers, fennel, coriander, cumin, and water. Many types of tamarind chutney are created with various additions, like dates (khajoor) or spices called garam masala. It goes well with chaats and appetisers like samosas, vada, idli, dosas, and pakoras. 

6. Ginger Chutney 

This traditional South Indian chutney, thought to have originated in Awadh, is made with ginger, split black and Bengal grammes (urad dal and chana dal), green or red chillies, tamarind, and a variety of spices, including mustard, coriander, cumin, and curry leaves. For added taste, ginger chutney can also be made with tomatoes, onions, or freshly grated coconut. 

7. Pudina Chutney

Pudina chutney, often known as mint chutney, is a classic Indian chutney with mint as the primary ingredient. In addition to water and optional spices, other components include cilantro, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, onions, and chilli peppers. Many versions of mint chutney exist, each with a unique combination of extra ingredients. Pudina chutney is a typical accompaniment to munchies like sandwiches, samosas, and pakoras.

8. Tomato Chutney 

The traditional method of making tomato chutney from south India involves pounding roasted tomatoes, chiles, garlic, tamarind, salt, and cumin in a mortar. These days, the additions are urad dal, chana dal, sesame seeds, peanuts, onions, garlic, and ginger. Once cooked, the tomato chutney is usually served with dishes like idli and dosa, while it is also frequently served with rice or small snacks like dal vada and masala vada.

9. Garlic Chutney

Indian traditional chutney, composed primarily of garlic, is called garlic chutney. Typically, additional components include cumin, coriander powder, red chilli peppers, and salt. Garlic chutney comes in many distinct forms, each with unique additions like sugar, lemon juice, shallots, tamarind, or coconut. Spicy, somewhat sweet, and tangy flavours characterise the best garlic chutney. 

In South Asian, Indian, and Indian sub-continental cuisines, chutney is a sauce or condiment. It is created with a flexible blend of fruits, vegetables, and/or spices. India is the home of chutney, prepared and used similarly to pickles. When craving something at midnight, chutney is the ideal way to add flavour to any dish.