Maharashtra Shengdana Chutney Dry Peanut Condiment

Method

1. 1

   Dry roast the peanuts: Place raw peanuts with skin in a dry, heavy pan on medium heat. Roast stirring continuously for 6 to 8 minutes until the skins begin to crack and the peanuts smell deeply nutty. Remove from heat.

2. 2

   Dry roast the red chilli: In the same pan, dry roast the dried red chilli for 30 seconds until slightly darkened. Remove.

3. 3

   Roast the garlic: Add 1 tsp oil to the pan. Fry garlic cloves for 1 to 2 minutes until golden-brown. Remove.

4. 4

   Cool completely: Allow peanuts, chilli and garlic to cool completely before grinding. Hot ingredients produce a paste rather than a dry powder.

5. 5

   Remove peanut skins (optional): Rub the cooled peanuts between palms — the skins will loosen. Blow them off gently. Removing skins creates a slightly lighter-coloured chutney but is not essential.

6. 6

   Grind coarsely: Place peanuts, dried red chilli, fried garlic, roasted cumin and salt in a mixer. Pulse in short bursts — 5 to 6 pulses of 2 seconds each. The goal is a coarse, crumbly powder, not a smooth paste. Check between pulses.

7. 7

   Check texture: The finished chutney should be a dry, crumbly, slightly oily powder with visible peanut pieces. If it becomes pasty, you have ground too long.

8. 8

   Taste: Add more salt or dried red chilli if needed. Pulse once more to incorporate.

9. 9

   Store: Transfer to a dry airtight jar. Keeps at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks.

10. 10

    Serve: Place a small bowl on the dining table alongside every meal. The standard way is to mix a spoonful with a few drops of oil and eat it with bhakri.

11. 11

    Note: Shengdana Chutney (shengdana = peanut in Marathi) is the most universally present condiment in Maharashtra — found on every table in every home, dhaba and restaurant in the state. No Maharashtrian meal is complete without it. The dry powder format allows it to be used as a condiment, a stuffing (inside bhakri), a thickening agent for curries, or a topping for poha and upma. Every Maharashtrian family has their own proportion of garlic to chilli — some prefer more garlic, some more heat.