Dry-roasted peanuts ground with garlic, dried red chilli and cumin into a coarse, intensely flavoured dry chutney — the essential Maharashtrian table condiment.
Ingredients
1 cup raw peanuts — dry-roasted until golden and skins are blistered
5 garlic cloves — roasted briefly over flame
3 dried red chillies — dry-roasted
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
Method
Dry-roast peanuts in a pan on medium heat stirring constantly for 5 to 6 minutes until golden and the skins blister.
Cool. Rub skins off between palms.
Dry-roast red chillies briefly. Roast garlic cloves over a flame until soft with golden spots.
Cool all roasted ingredients completely.
Grind peanuts, garlic, red chillies, cumin, salt and sugar in a dry grinder.
Pulse to a coarse texture — not a smooth paste.
The chutney should have visible grain with some larger peanut pieces.
Taste — should be nutty, pungent from garlic, mildly spicy and balanced by the pinch of sugar.
Store in an airtight container for 2 weeks at room temperature.