Red Dry Lasan Chutney (Dry Garlic Chutney)
When I was a kid in Mumbai, we would take road trips to my boarding school in Panchgani and often stop around Panvel for a snack. There was a tiny place we always stopped at for vada pav and kanda or batata bhaji. They served this very specific lasana chi chutney (red dry garlic chutney): powder-fine, not oily, not pasty, just this loose, sandy mixture that clung perfectly to the vada. I loved it so much I’d coat my whole pav in it.
I’ve tried to recreate that chutney for years using fresh ingredients. Every time I tried to make it at home, it just never came out quite right. I tried the peanut version, the coconut version, the fresh-garlic-pounded-in-a-mortar version. All good, but not what I was trying to recreate
Then one day, I tried something that felt almost wrong. I mixed only powders. And that was it. That was the flavor. The texture. The exact bright red magic I’d been trying to recreate since childhood.
It feels like cheating. It is cheating. But it works unbelievably well.
This isn’t the peanut-heavy version some families make, and it’s not the coconut version either. It’s the roadside version I grew up with. The dry one that gets everywhere and makes everything taste better.
If you’ve been looking for that chutney, this is it.
Red Dry Lasan Chutney (Dry Garlic Chutney)
A bright, garlicky Maharashtrian dry chutney made entirely from pantry powders: quick, bold, and perfect for vada pav or any fried snack.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 3 Tbsp almond flour (or ground almonds)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Tbsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp toasted cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp amchoor
Instructions
- Add everything to a small bowl.
- Mix it with your fingers — yes, fingers. It breaks up the little lumps and makes the texture just right.
- Taste it. Add more garlic for punch, more chili for color, or a pinch more salt if it needs it.
- Store it in a jar in a cool, dry place. It keeps beautifully.
How to Use It
- Sprinkle over vada pav (obviously!)
- Toss with hot pakoras or bhajiyas
- Mix with a spoonful of oil or ghee for a quick dipping sauce
- Use it on roasted potatoes or veggies
- Add a pinch to grilled cheese — seriously, try it
Notes
- Kashmiri chili powder gives the best color without turning it into a five-alarm fire.
- If you add coconut or peanut powder, reduce the garlic a little for balance.
- This chutney tastes even better the next day after the flavors settle in.
Storage Notes:
Keep an an air tight container at room temperature. It should stay fresh for up to a year.
