In a pan, dry roast the peanuts and garlic till it's has turned dark brown.
Switch of the heat, make space in the middle and add the cumin. It will get roasted with the residual heat.
Let the peanuts cool for 1-2 minutes.
Add the Roasted peanuts, garlic & cumin to a blender.
To that, add salt, chili, jaggery or sugar, 2-3 small ice cubes and half the water.
Blend once and add the rest of the water tablespoon by tablespoon till you get the right consistency. It should be smooth and flowy. Add more water if needed.
Tempering - Super optional!
Heat oil in a pan
Once it's sizzling, add curry leaves, chili, mustard and cumin. Let it splutter.
Switch of the heat.
Add the tempering on the chutney.
Serve the chutney with idli or dosas.
Video
Notes
I rarely temper the chutney. I only do it on special occasions and when I have guest over.
Substitutions
Peanuts - you can use skinless pre roasted peanuts too.Jaggery - White Sugar , Brown Sugar , coconut sugar, palm sugar will work tooChili -I use ground Kashmiri chilies. You can use whole red chilies too. Another alternative is using green chilies.Curry leaves - You can use dried curry leaves or leave them out completely.
Notes
The nutritional value is calculated along with the tempering.
Be careful of blending hot peanuts. It can be hazardous. Either wait for it to cool or use ice cubes while blending.
While using ice cubes, add the water little by little.
Storing
It stays for 9-10 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to use an air tight container, otherwise the chutney can discolor.To serve, mix a little hot water.