7 Chutneys that are perfect with Steamed Rice and Ghee

In the southern states of India, it is common practice to eat chutneys made with vegetables and lentils with steamed rice and ghee. These chutneys are typically served on the side and are one of the dishes in a Thali, which includes other delicacies like sambar, rasam, a dry vegetable, and papad. Depending on how elaborate the meal is and for what occasion it is served, other dishes like desserts, fruits, salads, etc. are also added to the meal. However, at home, people keep their meals more straightforward. It can be as simple as steamed rice, served with a chutney and any vegetable of choice.

Today, I will share seven of my tried-and-tested chutney recipes. I make them quite often in my home in Germany. Some of these chutney recipes take inspiration from traditional ones but are made with locally available ingredients in Germany. Each of the posts includes information about sourcing the ingredients for these recipes in Germany.

If you are looking for chutney recipes to pair with your South Indian breakfasts, such as Idli and Dosa, please check out my post: 13 Chutney recipes that you can pair with South Indian Breakfasts.

Now, let’s start with my 7 Chutneys that pair perfectly with steamed rice and ghee:

Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney

Ridge gourd is available in Indian shops in Germany. This chutney is made from ridge gourd peels.
Bottle Gourd Peel Chutney

Bottle Gourd is commonly available in Indian shops in Germany. It can easily be grown at home in summer. This chutney recipe uses the peels of tender and young bottle gourds.
Green Tomato Chutney

Green tomatoes are available in big Indian and Turkish shops in Germany. You can easily grow tomatoes at home during summer and harvest them early when they are still green and sour.
Drumstick Leaves Chutney

Drumstick leaves are available in some Indian stores in Germany. This recipe uses fresh drumstick leaves.
Zucchini Chutney

Zucchini is commonly available in supermarkets in Germany almost all year. Tender zucchinis are ideal for this recipe.
Asparagus Thokku

Asparagus starts appearing in supermarkets and farm shops in early spring and is available all through summer. This Tamilian-style Thokku uses fresh green asparagus.
Andhra Style Asparagus Chutney

This tangy Andhra-style chutney uses green asparagus, which is commonly available in German supermarkets and farm shops from spring until the end of summer.