Allam Pachadi Ginger Chutney

Ginger Chutney or Allam Pachadi or Allam Chutney Recipe With step by step pictures. This Andhra style vegetarian ginger chutney is a flavor-packed chutney or dip made with fresh ginger root. The chutney has a sweet, spicy and sour taste and goes very well with idli, dosa or steamed rice.

The Telugu word for ginger is allam and hence the name allam chutney. Obviously, in this chutney recipe, ginger is the star ingredient but tamarind, red chillies, jaggery and some spices are added to balance the pungency of ginger.

This ginger chutney has a sweet-sour-spicy taste. It makes an excellent dish with idli, dosa, pesarattu, dibba roti and even steamed rice.

There are some Andhra recipes that are our favorite and this ginger chutney is one of them. Ginger chutney is prepared in many ways. I sometimes share the recipe to go with idli or dosa. This chutney is an onion or garlic recipe.

How is Allam Chutney made?

Ginger chutney is prepared in the same way as various vegetable chutneys from South Indian cuisine. Grind the ginger with some spices and then grind it with tamarind jaggery and jaggery. This ground chutney is then mixed with some spices and herbs.

Tips for making ginger chutney

• Types of ginger
  Use fresh and tender ginger. Avoid ginger which is stringy and heavy. Ripe or ripe ginger can make the chutney taste bitter.
• Ginger undercooked vs. overcooked
  While making this chutney, only ginger should be lightly fried. So you don’t need to brown or overcook your ginger. Roasting ginger too much can make the chutney taste bitter.
• Jaggery substitute
  Add sugar or unrefined cane sugar or palm sugar or coconut jaggery instead of jaggery.
• To temper or not to temper
  You can skip the tempering at the end and it is an optional step. Allam chutney also tastes better without tempering.
• Which oil to use?
  You can use sunflower oil or peanut oil or any neutral tasting oil.
• Can the ginger chutney recipe be halved or doubled?
  Yes you can halve or double the recipe as per your requirement.
• Alternative to tamarind?
  Tamarind has this typical sour taste which cannot be the same if you use lemon juice or dry mango powder. Still if there is no tamarind then you can add lemon juice.
• Ginger chutney is a remedy for bitterness
  Add some more tamarind pulp when the chutney becomes bitter. The tartness of the tamarind pulp will balance the bitterness in the ginger chutney. You may need to add some more jaggery if needed. Generally, the bitterness is felt on the first day, but after keeping the chutney in the fridge, the bitterness subsides and you don’t taste it.
• Preserving ginger chutney
  Leftover chutney can be stored in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.

What is served with ginger chutney?

This chutney is best served with idli, dosa, set dosa, pesarattu, dibba roti and even medu vada. You can have this chutney with roti or roti as a side dish. It can also be served with steamed rice.

Step by step guide

How to make Allam Pachadi

1. Take ¼ cup of hot water in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of tamarind to it. Soak tamarind in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.

2. After 20 to 30 minutes, strain the tamarind pulp directly into a bowl of water. As much pulp as possible. Keep this tamarind pulp aside.

3. Meanwhile, wash 60 grams of ginger or 6 to 7 pieces of 2-inch ginger very well in water. Peel them.

4. Then cut them. You will need half a cup of chopped ginger. Keep aside.

Cooking ginger for Allah Chutney

5. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small kadai or pan. Keep the heat low and add half a teaspoon of mustard seeds. Start cracking the mustard seeds.

6. Add 1 teaspoon of urad dal when the mustard starts to crackle.

7. Fry the urad dal stirring frequently.

8. Fry the lentils until golden.

9. Then add 2 dry Kashmiri red chillies (broken and seeds removed) and 1 to 2 pinches of hing (asafoetida).

Turn off the heat when the pan becomes very hot. If using any other type of dry red chillies, you can add more or less as per the spice of the red chillies.

10. Quickly add 10 curry leaves.

11. Mix and fry for a few seconds until the red chilies change color. Do not burn them. The curry leaves will also become crispy.

12. Now add chopped ginger.

13. Mix very well.

14. Add 2 pinches of turmeric powder. Mix again and fry on low flame.

15. Fry the ginger pieces for 1 to 2 minutes until their raw smell goes away. Do not over fry or brown the ginger.

16. Turn off the heat and place the pan on the kitchen counter-top. Let this allam pachadi mixture be cold or hot.

Prepare ginger chutney

17. Then put all ginger chutney mixture in a grinder-jar. Add tamarind pulp.

18. Add 1.5 tbsp jaggery or add as required. Jaggery can be added more or less as per your taste buds and quality of tamarind. Darker and older tamarind will be more sour and require more molasses.

19. Add salt as per taste.

20. Add 4 to 5 tbsp water or as required and grind the chutney to a smooth consistency.

21. Transfer the ginger chutney to a steel bowl and keep aside.

Tempering ginger chutney

22. In a tadka pan or a small pan, heat 2 tsp oil. Keep the heat low. Add half a teaspoon of mustard seeds and start cracking them.

23. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add ½ teaspoon of urad dal.

24. Stir fry the urad dal till golden brown.

25. Then add 5 to 6 curry leaves. Stir fry them for few seconds till they become crispy.

26. Switch off the heat and add the whole tempering mixture to the ginger chutney.

27. Stir and mix very well. Check the salt taste and if necessary you can add more salt to the chutney.

28. Serve ginger chutney as a side dish with idli, dosa, pesarattu, medu vada, set dosa or rice or roti.

Some more delicious chutney varieties for you!

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This ginger chutney post from the blog archives was first published in February 2019 and was republished in February 2023.