Red Bell Pepper Tomato Chutney

This red bell pepper tomato chutney is the spicy, tangy, well-balanced condiment we all need in our lives. Jammy tomatoes are processed with red chilis, roasted red bell pepper, roasted garlic, and peanuts and finished with a tadka (tempering) of curry leaves and mustard seeds.

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If you identify as a dip person, here is one that has been unfairly excluded from the mainstream dip scene. Indian chutneys can rescue boring meals and you can turn pretty much anything into a chutney. My personal favorite is a spicy South Indian-style tomato chutney that I usually enjoy with uttapam or paratha. While tomato season is still alive, I had to make it happen many times. One of my mom’s friends adds a roasted red bell pepper to her’s and I adore it, so I did the same. It adds such a lovely subtle sweetness! Since I was using the oven for the red bell pepper, I figured I’d add roasted garlic as well.

You process the red bell pepper and garlic with onions, tomatoes, dry red chilis, peanuts, and for a shortcut that always wins, sambar masala. Finish with a tadka (tempering) of curry leaves and mustard seeds. 

Even though you can’t find chutneys in the dip section of just any grocery store, the nice part about making your own is you can adjust according to your preferences, which is definitely what you should do. If you like it spicy, add two red chilis. If you want the red bell pepper coming through more, roast two of them! It’s your chutney and you can do what you want.

How to Make Red Bell Pepper Tomato Chutney

Roast red bell pepper and garlic.

If you don’t want to turn on your oven, charring the bell pepper over a flame is always an option. This will ensure that it still has a smoky flavor. The easiest way would probably be cooking in the pan alongside the tomatoes.

If you are going down the oven route, I highly recommend throwing in a head of garlic. If you’re unfamiliar with roasting garlic, start here. Baking should take about 30 minutes, so I like doing it in the morning when it’s less warm.

Cook the onion and tomatoes.

People love to call tomatoes “jammy” and so do I. Cook tomatoes down with onions and salt.

Process the chutney.

You’ll also need dry red chilis, toasted peanuts (I usually microwave some for a minute and let them cool), and sambar masala. Using sambar masala expedites the process and adds complexity to the flavor. This spice blend has a lot going on and I’m here for it. It’s quite simple to make at home and you can adjust the recipe to use the ingredients you have. If you don’t want to make it, you could use a simple blend of a few ground spices. I would go with some coriander, cumin, and turmeric.

How to serve

I like eating it with uttapam or parathas, but feel free to get creative with this hot and tangy condiment. It would be a great side to dal and rice. I also love it spread on toast with sliced cucumbers on top and I’m currently dreaming of a tomato chutney grilled cheese.

Red Bell Pepper Tomato Chutney

This red bell pepper tomato chutney is the spicy, tangy, well-balanced condiment we all need in our lives. Jammy tomatoes are processed with red chilis, roasted red bell pepper, roasted garlic, and peanuts and finished with a tadka (tempering) of curry leaves and mustard seeds.
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Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Indian
Servings 1 cup

Ingredients
  

  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 head of garlic *if you're not using the oven, then slice 2 cloves
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil or another neutral oil, divided
  • ½ red onion, chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
  • ¼ cup toasted peanuts
  • 1 dry red chili *2 for extra spicy!
  • 1 tbsp sambar masala *see notes for sub
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 10 curry leaves

Instructions
 

  • Roast the red bell pepper and garlic. (See notes for alternative.) Preheat the oven to 400 F. (To avoid using the oven at all, char the red bell pepper over an open flame and add sliced garlic to the onions and tomatoes in the next step instead.) Cut the bell pepper in half, lengthwise. Brush both sides with olive oil and place on a baking sheet.
    Peel a few layers off of the head of garlic. Cut the tips off to expose the bottom of the cloves (click here for a visual). Brush with olive oil. Wrap with foil.
    Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Add 1 tbsp oil to a pan over medium heat. Add chopped onions and stir until translucent. Add tomatoes and salt. Stir occasionally and cook until the tomatoes clump together, which should take another 5-7 minutes.
  • Peel the skin off of the roasted red pepper and add the flesh to a small food processor. Squeeze out about half of the head of roasted garlic. Add peanuts, dry red chilis, and sambar masala.
  • Tadka/tempering: Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds or so, until they start to crackle. Add curry leaves and let them crisp up. Pour onto the chutney.

Notes

*Alternatives to roasting: I get that sometimes it can be too hot to turn on the oven. In that case, you can char the red bell pepper over a direct flame to maintain the smoky flavor you get from roasting. You could also chop it and cook with tomatoes. Instead of using roasted garlic, you could slice 2 garlic cloves and add them after the onions. 
*Sambar masala can be made at home and you can adjust the recipe to use the ingredients you have. If you don’t want to make it, you can omit or use a few ground spices. I’d go with 1/2 tsp ground coriander and 1/4 tsp ground cumin.
Keyword chutney, Indian recipes, summer recipes

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