Coconut Chutney
Chutneys, Pickles, Thokkus and Thuvaiyals are condiments integral to South Indian food. Every kitchen will have at least one or two of these condiments to serve with every meal. Chutneys are served mostly with breakfast items like Idly and Dosa while the rest are usually served with rice.
Chutneys are made with fresh ingredients. We also have a few cooked chutneys. They can be made with lentils, vegetables, fruits and herbs. There are also sweet chutneys as well as tongue numbing spicy ones.
Spicy chutneys are the most popular ones in Southern India. Coconut, Tomato and Ginger chutneys are some of them.
The most loved chutney is coconut chutney. The fresh coconut and the sharpness of the green chilis gives a lovely flavor to this chutney. The seasoning that is added to this chutney at the end makes it extra special. There are various recipes for this coconut chutney and like every recipe, each family will make it in a slightly different way. Some people like to add more of the puffed dal while others might add just a little to thicken the chutney. You can also skip the cilantro or use a few mint leaves in the recipe.
Ingredients:
- Grated fresh or frozen Coconut 1/2 cup
- Puffed dal 3 tbsp
- Green chili 1 or to taste
- Garlic clove 1
- Ginger 1/4" by 3/4th" piece
- Tamarind 1/4 tsp or lemon juice to taste
- Cilantro 3 to 4 stalks
- Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
- Channa dal 1/2 tsp
- Urad dal 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves 5 to 6
- Oil 1/2 tbsp
Method:
- Add the coconut, puffed dal, Green chili, garlic, ginger and tamarind to a blender jar.
- Add enough water and blend everything into a smooth paste.
- Add the cilantro and pulse a few times until the cilantro is also blended but you can see tiny flecks of it throughout the chutney.
- Transfer the chutney to a container.
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat.
- Add the mustard seeds and allow them to pop.
- Then add in the channa dal and urad dal. Also add the curry leaves if using. Fry the dals until they turn golden brown.
- Pour the hot seasoning onto the chutney along with the oil from the pan. Mix well and serve.
Notes:
- Experiment with more or less quantity of the puffed dal.
- Some people like the texture of this chutney to be slightly coarse. Try it. You might like that.
- You can avoid either the garlic or ginger in this recipe.
- Likewise, you can also leave out the cilantro or substitute it with mint. Either way, do not add too much of the herbs. It will smother the coconut taste.
- Seasoning chutneys is an important process. If the dals or lentils are unavailable, you can season the chutney with just mustard seeds.
- If using lemon juice add it to the chutney after grinding all the ingredients. This chutney should have a very,mild tangy flavor, so do not use too much lemon juice.