Here’s a quick and different side dish that you can serve with your Idlis and dosas. This chow chow cranberry chutney is a refreshing change from the usual chutneys and sambars and a great way to sneak in some veggies. Flavored with garlic, coriander and cumin, this chutney also goes well when served with some plain rice and ghee too.
My little one loves her idlis and dosas and she has either one of these almost everyday. I pack idlis for breakfast or send paniyarams (appe) as a snack. If she hasnt had either of these two, she would have dosa for dinner. So idli-dosa batter gets used almost everyday in our house in any of these forms. I try and add some grated veggies or vegetable puree to the batter sometimes, but when I am in a hurry to get her lunch boxes packed, it’s mostly the sides that go with it, that give her the veggie serving for that meal.
I initially set about making chow chow (chayote squash) chutney for her and then saw a single carrot waiting to be used. So I decided to add it as well. At the same time, the idea of swapping the tamarind with cranberries came to me and I decided to give it a go. It actually turned out pretty well. Served this with paniyarams and my little one relished it.
You can do this with just chayote squash or add other veggies like kovakka (ivy gourd), Peerkangai (Ridge gourd) to make it more nutritious. They all blend well and trust me, the little ones will have no idea what they are eating. Also cranberries and totally optional. They can be replaced with a small piece of tamarind so you can make this anytime of the year.
Easy and healthy side dish for idli dosa made with chayote squash, cranberry and carrots. This chutney goes well with rice too
- 1 chayote squash chopped roughly
- 1 carrot chopped roughly
- 6 to 7 cranberries (substitite it with a marble sized tamarind)
- 3 green chillies (add less more as per spice levels)
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
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1
tsp
Urad dal
- 1 small garlic pod
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- salt as per taste
- 1 tsp coconut / sesame oil
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Add oil to a pan and when it gets hot, add the urad dal, garlic, tamarind (if using), green chillies, coriander seeds and saute until the spices give out a nice aroma. Remove it and set it aside to cool.
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Now add the veggies (chayote squash, carrot, cranberries) salt needed for the veggies and saute until the squash becomes a little soft.
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When done, grind the veggies and the roasted spices from above with very little water to a smooth chutney.
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Serve with idlis/ dosa or rice. Alternatively you can also make a tadka of mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves and add it to the chutney.
Can substitute the cranberries with a small piece of tamarind.
Green chillies gives it a better flavour than red chillies. But you could always use red chilly powder or paprika as needed for some heat.
Can also add a tbsp of coconut to the chutney.
Looking for other side dish recipes for idlis and dosa? Here are some side dishes that we love Moong dal gotsu, peanut chutney, 15 minute tomato thokku
Chow chow and cranberry chutney sounds interesting…never heard before but your pictures made me drooling
Chutney with chow chow and cranberry sounds interesting and looks yum yum. Bookmarked it .
Ah, something different than usual chutney and this sounds delicious, the addition of cranberries sounds so wonderful.
Very different and interesting chutnay recipe with idllli dosa.. I liked how you have used cranberries for the much needed tartness in the chuney!! Loved this!!
An interesting recipe Preethi, I would not have thought of using chow chow to make a chutney. Using cranberries to add the tartness is a great alternate for tamarind.
Cranberry is associated with all happy, festive flavours in my mind. This chutney with robust flavours would be a lovely addition to the holiday menu.
This chow chow cranberry chatney is a refreshing change from the usual chutneys. This sounds so flavoursome.
Thank you 🙂
This chutney sounds great! A nice change from the usual coconut chutney and its variants 🙂
We love to experiment with different chutneys, as we eat idli dosa on a regular basis 🙂
Tue that, This chow chow cranberry chutney is a refreshing change from the usual chutneys and sambars. Yummy!
Yes, I was bored of the usual chutneys and wanted a change 🙂 Thank you
A different than regular chutneys… addition of cranberry will give a tangy taste to the salad
Yes, I intended this to be a substitute for tamarind Thank you 🙂
Wonderful combination for a chutney, cranberry replace very well tamarind in this chutney na. Tangy chutney to relish with some idlis or dosas definitely. Fingerlicking goodness.
Love anything tangy and spicy to go with idlis and dosas 🙂
I love vegetable chutney’s preethi, love this gorgeous golden color chutney with chow-chow and carrot. Interesting addition of cranberries!! Finger licking side with idly/dosa
Thank you 🙂 It tasted delicious!