Gujarati Lasan Ni Chutney | 3

You need this fiery dry garlic chutney or Lasan ni Chutney, which is made from raw garlic, to take your Gujarati thali to the next level! It is vibrant red, packs a punchy flavour and yet takes less than 5 minutes to make with only 3 simple ingredients.

My Mum has been making this chutney for as long as I can remember – she would always make a small amount in our pestle and mortar and her and my Dad would finish it up on the day with their meal.

She learnt it from my Grandma who used to make this chutney in large batches in India, she made so much that even neighbours would come and take some away. My Grandma used to pound whole dried chillies into the chutney rather than using chilli powder and then used to make another chutney using the seeds from the dried chillies. Talk about no waste food!

My Dad’s Mum too would make this garlic chutney in a similar way with similar ingredients in East-Africa and when they moved to the UK too.

The beauty of this chutney is that you can focus your time on the main meal and whip it up super quick just prior to serving.

This chutney must be made by hand using a pestle and mortar and not with a food processor. Use it sparingly as it is pungent!

Indian households will all have their own variation of this garlic chutney depending on region and preference and so it is also known as lahsun chutney, lahsun ki chutney, lehsun chutney and bellulli chutney.

This particular chutney is a dry chutney, like my Rajkot Ni Chutney more like a thick paste so it can easily be paired with more runny foods. Other preparations of garlic chutney can be thinner like a liquid or a loose paste.

Red garlic chutney for chaat

Kathiyawadi Lasan ni Chutney

This style of garlic chutney is unique to Kathiyawad, an area in the coastal region of Gujarat. Kathiyawadi cuisine is tailored to suit the harsher weather conditions and so more wholesome ingredients such as bajri, jaggery, potatoes and tomatoes are used. Kathiyawadi food also uses an abundance of garlic and tends to be spicy and oily.

Some Kathiyawadi dishes that I have learnt or seen prepared over the years include:

aubergine and potato curry

bajri na rotla

sev tameta nu saak

Ingredients

Garlic – we need fresh raw garlic for this chutney so garlic from a jar will not work.

Red chilli powder – raw garlic provides plenty of heat so it is best to use Kashmiri red chilli powder which is milder. Kashmiri chilli powder also provides a deep red colour. If you are feeling very adventurous, then chilli powder like Resham Patti chilli powder provides colour plus heat! You can find red chilli powder in most supermarkets now and will even have the option to choose Kashmiri chilli powder. A quick trip to a South Asian grocery store will give you shelves of choice between different types of red chilli powders.

Sesame seeds – crushed sesame seeds release their own oil so extra oil is not required.

Salt – to taste, using coarse salt will make it easier to pound the garlic however you can use any type of salt you have available.

Variations

There are other different ways of making this chutney.

You could also add:

• cumin seeds instead of sesame seeds
• lemon juice and jaggery
• coriander powder
• coriander leaves
• use black sesame seeds instead of white – black sesame seeds have a slightly stronger taste than white but otherwise are often used interchangeably. The intense black colour will add a different dimension to the chutney

Serving Suggestion

Lasan ni Chutney is a dry chutney and made with zero oil meaning it goes great with curries or saak that have a gravy. This chutney goes the best with rustic gujarati food like Ringna Bateta nu Saak and Bajri na Rotla. It is also delicious with Khichdi . Keep a jug of masala chaas on the side.

Leftover chutney goes great with thepla, paratha or stuffed bajri na rotla . It can also be stirred through yogurt to mellow it out and enjoyed with meals.

My Dad used to spread it over bread, top with some grated cheese and make garlic bread!

If you really do not know what to do with the leftovers, simply add it in when making your next curry like Valor Ringna Nu Saak or Guvar Dhokli Nu Saak . Leftover garlic chutney can also be added into curries containing onion and garlic. Simply add after the onions have cooked slightly then add this chutney (adding it too early may cause the red chilli powder to burn and stick)

Our favourite Lasaniya Gajar stir fry is also made using this chutney.

You can also use it to make Lasniya Bateta Pulao or Packed Potato Bhajiya (aka Atom Bomb Bhajiya)

This fiery chutney pairs so well with Gujarati Khichu Recipe .

How to make raw garlic red chutney

You only need a pestle and mortar and 5 minutes to make this chutney.

Simply peel a few garlic cloves, add to the mortar with salt.

Pound until garlic is coarsely crushed. Adding the salt early releases moisture from the garlic making it easier to pound. It also provides friction which makes the pounding easier.

Add sesame seeds and grind, then add the chilli powder and grind until you have a paste like consistency.

If you want to make it looser, add the water or oil at this stage so it is less likely to splash back in your face!

There you have it, super simple garlic chutney ready to be enjoyed.

Proper technique and tips for using a Pestle and Mortar

Lasan ni Chutney is traditionally made by hand using a pestle and mortar (khayani dusto in Gujarati or Okhli in Hindi) or even a sil batta (a flat grinding stone).

If you are using a pestle and mortar for the first time, here are some tips and tricks to make the whole process easier.

• Use a heavy-duty pestle&mortar that is made with materials like marble or granite or metal. One made with wood will not have the same heaviness
• Ensure the mortar will not slip from the kitchen surface but it is steady
• Start by adding small amounts into the mortar at a time – it is easier to handle and pound smaller amounts at a time and reduces the risk of the ingredients flying back out at you. Stick to one layer of the ingredients at the bottom of the mortar and between the pestle as a good starting point
• Add salt early as it draws out moisture and provides more friction for the garlic.
• Start with taps to break up the garlic cloves into smaller pieces. Instead of big thumps, do smaller and more gentle taps
• Move onto grinding the garlic to crush it into a paste – do not move the pestle away and use the sides of the mortar as extra surface area, grind in a circular motion

Storage

If you do have spare left over then store in an airtight container and place in the fridge and store for 6 months. You will not need to add oil to store it as the sesame seeds release their own oil. Ensure the container is free from moisture and totally dry before adding the chutney into it as added moisture may reduce the shelf-life.

Do not store the container in the dairy section as the smell may permeate into your dairy. Also, keep any sweets/bakes away from the chutney in the fridge.

The smell of this chutney is strong and if left out for more than a few hours will make the whole house smell of garlic!

You can also freeze this chutney by spooning it into an ice cube tray. Once cubes of chutney have frozen, they can be transferred into a freezer-friendly resealable bag. Whenever you need some garlic chutney, simply allow a cube to thaw at room temperature.

Other chutney recipes

Carrot, Tomato and Cardamom Chutney

Raw mango, Red chilli and Garlic Chutney

Apricot, Sweet Pepper and Thyme Chutney

Apple Saffron Chutney

Green Coriander Mint Chutney

Red Pepper and Chilli Chutney for Cheese

Roasted Spiced Strawberry and Rhubarb Chutney

Schezwan Sauce/Chutney

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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Gujarati Lasan ni Chutney | Garlic Chutney

Equipment

• Pestle and mortar

Ingredients

• 10-12 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoon chilli powder or Kashmiri red chilli powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

• Add garlic and salt in the mortar, pound using a pestle.
• When you see coarse garlic add sesame seeds and grind again or until sesame seeds are totally crushed.
• Add chilli powder and pound once more til every things comes together nicely.
• Serve or transfer in a air tight container and store up to six months in the fridge.

Notes

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First time published in February 2014.

Gujarati Lasan ni Chutney | Garlic Chutney

Equipment

• Pestle and mortar

Ingredients

• 10-12 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoon chilli powder or Kashmiri red chilli powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

• Add garlic and salt in the mortar, pound using a pestle.
• When you see coarse garlic add sesame seeds and grind again or until sesame seeds are totally crushed.
• Add chilli powder and pound once more til every things comes together nicely.
• Serve or transfer in a air tight container and store up to six months in the fridge.

Notes

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Fluffy basmati rice with garlic potatoes all in one pan? Garlic Baby Potato Pulao or Lasaniya Batata Rice is a delicious and warming rice recipe that’s perfect for the weekend! This vegan and gluten-free pulao is spicy, packed with flavour and filling as a main meal.

I call this recipe Lasaniya Batata Pulao because this rice dish is made from baby potatoes stuffed with a masala made from gujarati lasan ni chutney. The baby potatoes are cooked first in oil to give them a wonderful texture and colour.

This is a recipe that you won’t find anywhere else because it’s one that my Mum came up with when she had some leftover garlic chutney from making Packed Potato Bhajiya . She chose to stuff baby potatoes with a masala made with garlic chutney, fresh tomatoes and ground spices. She added chickpeas to add flavours and texture to the rice.

Traditionally, lasaniya batata is a Kathiyawadi Gujarati recipe of boiled then pan-fried baby potatoes cooked in a spicy garlic gravy.

In this recipe, the potatoes are “lasaniya” or garlicky because they are stuffed with a dry red garlic and tomato mixture that is potent.

Serving Suggestion

This pulao packs in plenty of flavour so it is best eaten as a main dish.

It is wonderful just as it is or goes wonderfully with cooling raita like Butternut squash raita or classic cucumber raita.

I love it with Kachumber salad on the side.

Roasted or fried papad/poppadoms are always a good idea with any Indian rice dish.

I also love my rice dishes with yogurt drinks like caramel lassi or a super creamy Rose Lassi .

Ingredients

Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.

Basmati rice – washed and soaked for half an hour in cold water. We use a good quality basmati rice which makes such a big difference in rice dishes.

Baby potato – you need baby potatoes or salad potatoes for this recipe as we need potatoes that hold their shape well. Prepare the potatoes by peeling off the skin and using a sharp knife, make a cross into the potatoes but leaving one end intact.

Boiled chickpeas – the addition of boiled chickpeas adds extra texture and flavour to the pulao. The chickpeas take on the flavour of the masala really well and blend in so well with the rice and the potatoes. We have cooked our own chickpeas in the instant pot but you can use tinned as well. Drain and wash the chickpeas well before using.

Garlic Chutney – we have used Gujarati Lasan ni Chutney for this recipe. It takes 5 minutes to make and is so good in this recipe.

Spices – red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ground cumin and coriander, garam masala. To keep the rice from becoming too spicy, reduce the amount of red chilli powder as some will also go into making the garlic chutney.

Tomato – fresh red tomato works best of any variety. Finely chop it so it can easily be stuffed into the potatoes.

Fresh finely chopped coriander for garnish.

Oil – use a flavourless or mild oil like sunflower or olive oil that is suitable for cooking with.

Vaghar (tempering)

These are the ingredients required for tempering.

Oil

Mustard seeds

Cumin seeds

Curry leaves

Dry red chillies – go easy on the dried chillies as they too impart their own heat. You could add the dried chilli to the vaghar and then remove it after prior to cooking the rice.

Hing – or asafoetida. Hing is used to aid digestion. If you do not have it, simply leave it out.

How to make garlic baby potato rice

Here are the basic instructions to make Baby potato pulao. For the exact ingredient amounts and steps, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. In a large bowl combine cold tap water, some salt and turmeric powder. Peel the potatoes using a sharp knife, make a slit horizontally and vertically but leaving one end intact. If some of them cut all the way don’t worry you can still use it. Add potatoes to the bowl.
2. In another bowl take rice and wash under running water until water comes out clean (this step will remove lots of starch). Soak rice at least 30 minutes in cold water. Make sure you use tap water not from the fridge.

1. Mix garlic chutney, red chilli powder (lal mirch), turmeric powder (haldi), ground cumin and coriander (dhana jeeru powder), garam masala, finely chopped tomatoes, freshly chopped coriander/cilantro (dhaniya), oil and salt. I used spoon to mix everything.
2. Next, remove the potatoes from the water. Fill all of them with the 1/3 of garlic chutney masala stuffing pressing down slowly and carefully. (If you put too much pressure, they might break.
3. Mix, boiled chickpeas in the remaining masala and leave it aside.

1. Prepare vaghar (tempering) by heating oil in a thick bottom pan or kadai.
2. Add cumin and mustard seeds, once they crackle add hing.
3. Then add dry red chillies, curry leaves and sauté just for few seconds.
4. Carefully add stuffed baby potatoes into the pan and lower the heat.
5. Cover the pan with the lid and let the potatoes cook in it’s own steam for 10-12 minutes.
6. Keep checking in between, if needed add couple of spoons of water
7. When potatoes are almost cooked, add all the masala and chick peas.

1. Mix gently and cook for couple of minutes.
2. Add soaked rice.
3. Mix gently and add enough water to cook the rice.
4. Add salt for rice.
5. Once again cover the lid and let the rice cook.
6. Once rice is done, let it rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.

Tips for the best pulao rice

This recipe is best made with long grain basmati rice because it is less sticky than medium or short grain. You could also use sella rice which is specially used for biryani due to its holding ability upon cooking.

Soak the rice at least for 30 minutes in COLD water as this is what ensures each grain of rice is separate and fluffy. Rice should never be washed and/or soaked in warm or hot water otherwise it starts cooking and will lead to poor cooked rice. The longer you leave the rice, the quicker to cook and fluffier the end result will be.

Remember that different types and brands of rice cook differently so adjust the overall cooking time and volume of water according to your rice.

Use baby potatoes as they hold their shape better after cooking.

Add the potatoes first and allow them to cook until they are about 75% done otherwise the rice will overcook and become mushy if it is all added at the same time.

You can adjust the spice level by adding more tomato and less garlic chutney and chilli powder. You can also add the dried red chilli to the vaghar for flavour but then remove it if you do not want it to become spicy.

Storage

How to store baby potato pulao? Let the pulao completely cool and put it in a air tight container. Store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Reheat before consuming it, you may want to add a teaspoon of rice.

How to freeze lasaniya Bateta pulao? Allow the rice to go cool totally, put in an airtight and freezer safe container or zip lock freezer bag. This rice can be frozen for maximum 4 weeks but best eaten in 2 weeks. Make sure to label with the recipe and date.

How to thaw frozen rice? Take out the container of the rice and leave it on the kitchen worktop for 3-4 hours then add in the microwave safe bowl and heat it in the microwave.

Other rice and baby potato recipes

• Vegetable Pulao

• Takeaway style pulao rice

• Tawa Pulao Recipe

• Burnt garlic tofu fried rice

• Yaki onigiri (grilled rice balls)

• Swaminarayan khichdi

• Doodh Pak/Paak

• Marwari dum aloo

• Schezwan/Sichuan Potatoes

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!

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Baby Potato Pulao – Lasaniya Bateta Pulao

Equipment

• 1 Thick base pan/kadai
• 1 Spatula
• 1 Sharp knife
• 1 Bowl

Ingredients

• 500 grams Basmati rice washed and soaked for half an hour in cold water.
• 250 grams Baby potato
• 250 grams Chickpeas boiled and drained
• 3 tablespoon Garlic Chutney or adjust to your liking
• 2 tablespoon Chilli powder Red
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 2 tablespoon Ground cumin and coriander 1 tablespoon each
• 1 medium Tomato finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon Coriander/Cilantro fresh finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon Oil
• 1 teaspoon Garam masala
• Salt to taste

Vaghar (tempering)

• 3 tablespoon Oil
• 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 8-10 Curry leaves
• 1-2 Dry red chilli
• Pinch Hing

Instructions

• In a big bowl add pinch salt and turmeric powder, mix and leave it aside.
• First peel the skin of the potatoes and cut into cross slits leaving bottom part intact, leave them in a salty water you prepared earlier .
• Now make stuffing mixture by mixing together garlic chutney, all the masala , salt, coriander , tomatoes and oil.
• Carefully Stuff the 1/3 of the masala into slit potatoes.
• Mix boiled chick peas into remaining masala and leave it aside.
• Now prepare vaghar by heating oil in a thick bottom pan.
• Add cumin and mustard seeds, once they crackle add hing.
• Then add dry red chillies, curry leaves and sauté just for few seconds.
• Carefully put stuffed potatoes into the pan and lower the heat.
• Cover the pan with the lid and let the potatoes cook in it’s own steam for 10-12 minutes.
• Keep checking in between, if needed add couple of spoons of water )
• When potatoes cooked almost 60% , add all the masala and chick peas.
• Mix gently and cook for couple of minutes.
• Drain the water from the soaked rice and add to the pan.
• Mix gently and add enough water to cook the rice.
• Add salt.
• Once again cover the lid and let the rice cook.
• Once rice is done, let it rest for 3-4 minutes.
• Serve this Pulao hot with plain yogurt or raita, roasted papad and colourful salad.

Notes

• This recipe is best made with long grain basmati rice because it is less sticky than medium or short grain. You could also use sella rice which is specially used for biryani due to its holding ability upon cooking.
• Soak the rice at least for 30 minutes in COLD water as this is what ensures each grain of rice is separate and fluffy. Rice should never be washed and/or soaked in warm or hot water otherwise it starts cooking and will lead to poor cooked rice. The longer you leave the rice, the quicker to cook and fluffier the end result will be.
• Remember that different types and brands of rice cook differently so adjust the overall cooking time and volume of water according to your rice.
• Use baby potatoes as they hold their shape better after cooking.
• Add the potatoes first and allow them to cook until they are about 75% done otherwise the rice will overcook and become mushy if it is all added at the same time.
• You can adjust the spice level by adding more tomato and less garlic chutney and chilli powder. You can also add the dried red chilli to the vaghar for flavour but then remove it if you do not want it to become spicy.
• This rice dish is spicy!
• To keep the recipe mild use Kashmiri Red Chilli powder and less Garam Masala.

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First time published in February 2016.