Lehsan ki Chutney (Garlic Chili Chutney)
لہسن کی چٹنی
If green chutney is the cooling sauce of the Pakistani table, lehsan ki chutney is its opposite: hot, pungent and bright red. Dried red chilies are soaked until soft and blended with a generous amount of raw garlic, roasted cumin, lemon juice and salt. A teaspoon on the side of a plate of pakoray or a bun kebab is enough. It's also the secret of many street-food stalls, mixed into mayonnaise or yogurt for rolls.
- ⏱ Total: 25 min
- Prep: 25 min
- Easy
- Serves 12
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Soak the dried chilies in the hot water for 20 minutes, until soft and swollen. For a milder chutney, shake out as many seeds as you can before soaking.
Drain the chilies, keeping 3–4 tablespoons of the soaking water. Put them in a blender with the garlic, roasted cumin, lemon juice, salt and sugar.
Blend to a coarse paste, adding the reserved water a spoonful at a time only if needed. It should be thick, not runny.
Taste and adjust the salt and lemon. Stir in the oil if using, and spoon into a clean jar.
Serve with pakoras, samosas, BBQ, rolls or daal chawal.
Kitchen notes
Kashmiri chilies give a brighter red and less heat. Mix them half and half with regular chilies for a balance.
Wear gloves or wash your hands well after handling soaked chilies, and don't touch your eyes.
Raw garlic is strong. For a gentler taste, roast the garlic in a dry pan until spotted before blending.
The red chutney
Most Pakistani tables have a green chutney for cooling and an imli chutney for sweetness. Lehsan ki chutney is the third: the one for people who want more heat. It’s common in Sindh and Karachi, and anyone who has eaten rolls or pakoras from a street stall has probably had a version of it.
Simple, but balanced
The ingredients are few, so balance matters:
- Chilies give heat and colour. Soaking softens them so they blend smoothly.
- Garlic gives the pungent bite. Use plenty, as it’s the point of the chutney.
- Lemon or vinegar gives brightness and helps it keep. Vinegar makes a longer-lasting chutney.
- Roasted cumin adds an earthy warmth.
- A little sugar rounds off the sharp edges without making it sweet.
Blend it coarse rather than completely smooth; a little texture holds better on food.
Serving
Serve a small amount: with pakoray, samosas, seekh kebabs, chicken paratha rolls or a plate of plain daal chawal. Keep it in a clean jar in the fridge.
Questions people ask
How long does it keep?
About 2 weeks in a clean jar in the fridge, longer with vinegar instead of lemon and a layer of oil on top.
How do I make the street-style roll sauce?
Mix 1 teaspoon of lehsan chutney into 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise or thick yogurt, with a pinch of salt.
It's too hot. Can I fix it?
Blend in a tomato that has been charred on the flame and peeled. It adds body and softens the heat.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 20
- Protein
- 1 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
