Red Pepper Chutney With Walnuts

This roasted red pepper chutney with walnuts is smoky, aromatic, tangy, and rich. So flavorful and pairs beautifully with dosas, idlis, upma, or as a delicious condiment for other dishes. It's also packed with nutrients, thanks to the thoughtful combination of roasted peppers, walnuts, and hemp seeds.

Indian Chutney With Mediterranean Inspiration

I was toying with the idea of creating an Indian-style chutney inspired by Muhammara, the famous Mediterranean red pepper and walnut dip. My sister makes a walnut chutney, and I wanted to blend those flavors with the depth of South Indian seasoning.

The result is this Roasted Red Pepper Chutney - a perfect fusion of Mediterranean inspiration and Indian spices. The addition of hemp hearts boosts both flavor and nutrition, creating a creamy, wholesome chutney.

It has a very authentic south Indian chutney taste, but with a more diverse and richer nutrition profile. Roasting the red peppers and walnuts enhances their natural sweetness and nuttiness, while the final tadka (seasoning) adds irresistible aroma and spice.

Why You'll Love This Chutney

• Smoky, spicy, and tangy - every bite is bursting with layered flavors.
• Nutrient-dense - loaded with antioxidants, omega-3 fats, and plant protein.
• Versatile - delicious with South Indian breakfasts, as a dip, or even as a spread for wraps and sandwiches.
• Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free - suits many dietary needs.

Key Ingredient Notes

• Red Bell Peppers: Use bright red, firm peppers with smooth, glossy skin - avoid any with wrinkles or spots. Look for peppers that feel heavy for their size. You can also use ready-made roasted red peppers if fresh ones aren't available.
• Walnuts: These provide a rich, creamy texture while boosting omega-3 fats. Toasting them enhances their flavor. Buy fresh walnuts - I get mine from Costco or reputable Indian stores, because they can go rancid quickly due to high fat content. Store them in the fridge for maximum freshness.
• Hemp Hearts: The edible seeds of the hemp plant are high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, magnesium, and iron. They make the chutney creamier and more nutrient-dense without altering the taste. I usually buy a big bag from Costco to boost protein in multiple recipes.
• Lemon Juice: I use about 3-4 tablespoons, but start with 2 tablespoons and adjust to your preferred level of tanginess. Lemon juice also helps thin the chutney to the desired consistency.
• Water: Use water to adjust the chutney's texture after adding lemon juice for tartness.
• Curry Leaves: Fresh curry leaves are best. If you don't always have fresh ones, try freezing them in ice cubes - a trick I share in my baghare baingan recipe.
• Paprika (Optional): Enhances color and adds a subtle depth to the red pepper flavor.
• Urad Dal: Split lentils obtained from dehusked black gram dal. They are commonly used in South Indian chutneys to add flavor and a subtle crunch.
• Asafoetida: A pungent spice available online or at Indian stores. Just a pinch adds the characteristic South Indian flavor to this red pepper chutney.

Step-by-Step Visual Overview

A quick visual guide - the full printable recipe is at the end of this post.

• Roast the red bell peppers - cut in half, drizzle with olive oil, and roast until blistered and charred.
• Peel and chop - cool the peppers, remove the skins and roughly chop them.
• Chutney base - blend roasted peppers, walnuts, hemp hearts, garlic, lemon juice, spices, and salt until smooth and creamy.
• Add Herbs - stir in chopped cilantro and adjust lemon juice, salt, and spice to taste.
• Prepare Seasoning - heat olive oil, add mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves; when they sizzle, add asafoetida and chili flakes.
• Finish and Serve - pour the hot seasoning over the chutney, stir, and enjoy.

How to Serve and Use

• South Indian style: Perfect with dosas, idlis, upma, and other breakfast dishes.
• As a dip or spread: Use it for sandwiches, flatbreads, or panini-style Indian sandwiches.
• On pizzas or pastas: Adds a South Indian-inspired twist to your favorite pizzas or pasta dishes.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Indian Recipes

• Indian Cabbage Recipe (Oven Roasted, South Indian Style)
• Spicy Cauliflower Rice (Lower Carb, South Indian Style)
• Mirchi Ka Salan (Hyderabadi Pepper Curry, Vegan)
• Indian Mango Chutney

★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE COMMENT AND GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!

5 from 3 votes

Red Pepper Chutney With Walnuts

A delicious, smoky walnut and roasted red pepper chutney packed with antioxidants, omega-3 fats, and phytochemicals. The sweet, smoky flavor of roasted red bell peppers, tart lemon juice, rich walnuts, and aromatic spices come together to create a vibrant and flavorful chutney.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

1x2x3x

Print SaveSaved!

Course :Side Dish

Cuisine :Indian

Servings: 12

Calories: 145kcal

Author: Roxana Begum

Ingredients

Chutney

• ▢ 3 red bell peppers about 600 g, see note for substitute
• ▢ ½ teaspoon avocado oil
• ▢ 1 cup walnuts shelled, roasting optional
• ▢ ½ cup hemp hearts
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic grated, adjust to taste
• ▢ 1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes adjust to taste
• ▢ 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice adjust to taste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped, optional
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika optional

Seasoning (Tadka)

• ▢ 1 to 1½ tablespoons avocado oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon urad dal
• ▢ 8 to 10 fresh curry leaves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon red chili flakes or 1 dry red chili, broken into pieces, adjust to taste
• ▢ 2 pinches asafoetida optional

Equipment

• ▢
  Food Processor or blender
• ▢
  Baking Sheet
• ▢
  Small Sauce Pan for tadka

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Roast the Bell Peppers:
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Cut the red bell peppers in half, remove the seeds and stems, and brush lightly with oil.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat, and roast until blistered on all sides, about 30-40 minutes. Tip: Ovens may vary, so check around 25 minutes and adjust time.
• Prepare the Chutney Base:
Peel off the blackened skin and roughly chop the roasted peppers.
Add the peppers, walnuts, hemp hearts, cumin, garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and salt to a food processor. Blend until smooth.
• Add Fresh Herbs:
Stir in the chopped cilantro and adjust lemon juice, salt, and chili flakes to taste.
• Prepare the Seasoning:
Heat oil in a small seasoning pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves.
When the seeds start to splutter and turn light brown, add red chili flakes (or the broken red chili) and asafoetida.
• Combine and Serve:
Pour the hot seasoning over the chutney and stir well.
Serve with upma, idli, dosa, or as a flavorful spread or dip.

Notes

1. Spices & Seasonings: Cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida are available at Indian grocery stores. 
2. Walnuts: For a deeper, nuttier flavor, lightly roast the walnuts before blending.
3. Peppers: You can substitute fresh red bell peppers with store-bought roasted bell peppers (about 400 g drained weight). For enhanced flavor, add a spoonful of Turkish red pepper paste, but adjust the salt accordingly.
4. Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. For longer storage, freeze the chutney without the seasoning for 1-2 months. Thaw, stir or lightly blend, and add fresh tadka before serving.
5. Dietary Variations and nutrition insight below.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25Cup | Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1823IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

Did you make this recipe?I would love to know about it. Tag me @thedeliciouscrescent.

Dietary Variations

This chutney is naturally vegan, vegetarian, low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and grain-free. Nut-free option: Replace walnuts with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or unsweetened coconut.

Nutrition Insight

This walnut and roasted red pepper chutney is nutrient-dense and packed with heart-healthy fats from omega-3-rich walnuts. Red bell peppers, which are simply ripened green peppers, offer a boost of vitamin C, carotenoids, and antioxidants-providing even more vitamin C than an orange per cup. They're also a source of vitamins E, K, B6, folate, potassium, and manganese. The blend of spices, garlic, and herbs adds extra phytonutrients, enhancing both flavor and nourishment.