Name: Gujarati Lasan ni Chutney
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 10-12 cloves garlic; 2 tablespoon chilli powder (or Kashmiri red chilli powder ); 1 tablespoon sesame seeds; salt (to taste)

You need this fiery no-cook Kathiyawadi style Lasan ni Chutney to take your Gujarati thali to the next level! Raw garlic, red chilli powder and sesame seeds are hand pounded to make a dry chutney that doesn't need any oil. It is vibrant red, packs a punchy flavour and takes less than 5 minutes.

Over head shot of red Gujarati lasan ni chutney in a small ceramic bowl

Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and helpful content. The tried and tested recipe remains the same. First published in February 2014.

My family's fiery lasan ni chutney made the traditional way

And by "traditional" I mean hand-pounded. It's the only way that releases punchy heat and has lots of depth. I've tried the short cut of blending but I found it lost it's rustic texture and taste.

It's the exact way both my Grandmas made it, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

You'll find it on our plate with plain khichdi or vaghareli khichdi, rustic bajri na rotla, and rasa varu ringan bateta nu shaak. Oh and we keep a glass of masala chaas ready!

My Dad spreads it on bread, tops it with cheese, toasts it then proudly calls it garlic bread!

Sometimes we make a bigger batch and use it in Kathiyawadi lasaniya gajar or this comforting lasaniya bateta pulao. When I'm feeling adventurous it's a platter of packed potato bhajia.

Hayley x

This particular chutney is a dry chutney, like my Rajkot Ni Chutney so it can easily be paired with runny foods. Other preparations of garlic chutney are thinner like this red garlic chutney for chaat.

dry kathiyawadi lasan ni chutney in a small bowl

Ingredients notes

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

Garlic - I exclusively use fresh raw garlic for this chutney not garlic powder.

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!

Sesame seeds - crushed sesame seeds release their own oil so extra oil is not required. I do not roast the sesame seeds first - this recipe is QUICK!

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.

How to make raw Gujarati garlic chutney

You only need a good quality pestle and mortar (I recommend a heavy marble one) and 5 minutes to make this chutney.

Simply peel a few garlic cloves and add to the mortar with salt. Adding the salt early releases moisture from the garlic making it easier to pound. It also provides friction which makes the pounding easier and give a smooth chutney.

Pound until garlic is coarsely crushed. I like to first pound downwards gently, and once the garlic is broken into small pieces, I then rotate the pestle against the edges of the mortar to start crushing the garlic into a paste.

garlic cloves and salt in a pestle and mortar — Add garlic and salt to a pestle and mortar

crushed garlic paste in a mortar — Add garlic and salt to a pestle and mortar

Add sesame seeds and crush again. Once they are almost crushed, add the chilli powder and grind until you have a paste like consistency.

white sesame seeds added to crushed garlic paste in a mortar — Add sesame seeds

garlic and sesame seed paste in a mortar — Add sesame seeds

Doing this in batches makes it much easier to achieve the correct consistency. But don't worry, it doesn't need to be silky smooth! That's part of its appeal.

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

And there you have it. Super simple garlic chutney ready to be enjoyed.

bright red chilli powder added to crushed garlic paste in a mortar — Add kashimiri chilli powder

red garlic and sesame paste in a mortar — Add kashimiri chilli powder

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.

A close up of garlic chutney with sesame seeds in a tiny ceramic bowl next to garlic cloves and chilli flakes

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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