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South Indian · Indian

Allam pachadi (Andhra ginger chutney)

Vegetarian

అల్లం పచ్చడి · allaṁ paccaḍi

Fresh ginger fried with red chillies and lentils, then ground with tamarind and jaggery into a hot, sweet-sour paste. The classic Telugu chutney for pesarattu and upma.

Allam pachadi (Andhra ginger chutney) is a South Indian condiment, ready in about 35 minutes and made with dried whole chillies, fresh ginger and tamarind. It serves 12 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Rest
10 min
Total
35 min
Serves
12
Level
Easy
Calories
56

Ingredients

12 servings (about 1 tbsp)

For the tempering

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Soak the tamarind (opens in a new tab) in the hot water while you prepare the rest.

    • 1 min

  2. Step 2

    Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the urad (opens in a new tab) dal, chana dal (opens in a new tab), cumin and fenugreek (opens in a new tab) until the dals are golden. Add the dried chillies and fry until they darken, then scoop everything out.

  3. Step 3

    In the same pan fry the ginger, stirring, until it softens and the edges turn golden.

    • 4 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Cool, then grind the dals and chillies to a powder. Add the ginger, tamarind (opens in a new tab) with its water, jaggery and salt and grind to a thick, fairly smooth paste.

    Spices being ground in a mortar and pestle
    How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Heat the remaining oil, pop the mustard seeds (opens in a new tab), add curry leaves (opens in a new tab) and asafoetida (opens in a new tab) and pour over the chutney.

    • 2 min
    • medium heat

    Food safety: Hot oil spits when curry leaves and seeds go in; keep your face back and have the lid nearby.

About this dish

Origin
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, India · Commonly attributedMore food from India
Dish
Breakfast · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
Sautéed, Blended
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), sweet & sour, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead
Cook more with
Dried whole chillies · Fresh ginger · Tamarind · Black gram (urad dal) · Chana dal (split bengal gram) · Cumin seeds
Techniques
Pan-frying · Sautéing · Wet grinding · Emulsification

Allergens

  • May contain: Wheatfrom asafoetida
  • May contain: Glutenfrom asafoetida
  • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

56 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 20 g · recipe makes 12

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 6%
  • Carbohydrate 54%
  • Fat 40%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy56 kcal281 kcal
Protein0.9 g4.4 g
Carbohydrate8 g40.2 g
Net carbohydrate7.1 g35.7 g
Sugars——
Added sugars3.2 g16.2 g
Fibre0.9 g4.5 g
Fat2.6 g12.9 g
Saturated fat0.2 g1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium198 mg991 mg
Salt equivalent0.5 g2.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
100 mg
Calcium
10 mg
Iron
0.5 mg
Magnesium
11 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
14 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
10 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves, asafoetida.
  • Chana dal (split bengal gram): Whole raw chickpeas / bengal gram (FDC 173756) used as a stand-in for split, skinned desi chickpeas; the composition is very close.
  • Jaggery / palm sugar: Brown sugar (FDC 168833) used as a stand-in for unrefined cane jaggery and palm sugar.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Use young, juicy ginger; old, fibrous ginger makes a stringy chutney.

Common mistakes

  • Under-frying the ginger — raw ginger makes the chutney harsh and fibrous.

Serve with

  • Serve with pesarattu, upma, idli, dosa or upma pesarattu, the famous Andhra combination.

Food safety

  • Store in a scrupulously clean, completely dry jar (sterilise it in boiling water or a low oven and let it dry fully), and always use a dry spoon; moisture is what spoils chutneys and pickles.

Storage

  • Refrigerate in a clean jar for up to 1 week.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

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How this dish is built

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Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

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