Chutney is a popular savory condiment that can be served as an accompaniment to a meal or snack use as a spread or dip with literally anything. This coconut chutney is very popular with South Indian savory meals and snacks such as dosas, idli, vada or fried snacks and also delicious with any South Indian style meal.
The texture of coconut chutney is thick, slightly grainy, but smooth smooth and with the addition of the tempering can be nutty. I sometimes add a few tablespoons of fresh cilantro to give it a fresh herby flavor which is delicious too. Coconut chutney can be made the traditional way using mortar and pestle for the smooth yet slightly grainy texture, but a small food processor does a wonderful job to get the perfect texture we love.
How To Use Coconut For This Recipe
Fresh grated coconut is best for this recipe. Whole coconut is available in most Indian grocery stores and Asian markets. Make sure this is not the green coconut that is for coconut water, for this recipe the coconut that is used had dried from the outside and the meat inside is mature and can be grated once cracked open. I use pre grated frozen coconut easily found in Indian and Asian grocery stores. Desiccated coconut or coconut powder can be used for this chutney, but I have never used them for this recipe so can’t comment on the success.
Ingredients
- Coconut: freshly grated coconut meat is ideal, frozen grated coconut works just as good. Alternatively use desiccated coconut or coconut powder, Disclaimer: I have never used desiccated coconut so can’t comment on the success of use.
- Ginger: adds a fresh, warm delicious flavor to the chutney.
- Dalia/Puttani/roasted Chana dal: this adds body, volume and adds a smooth consistency to the chutney, if you can’t find dalia, peanuts or cashews works well with a slight variation in flavor with peanuts.
- Cumin seeds
- Green chillies: use as many or as little or omit to suit your diners heat tolerance. I find one whole Thai chili enough zing to make it delicious.
- Cilantro: this is optional, use a little for some fresh herbal flavor.
- Tamarind or Lemon Juice: to add a little sourness and balance the creamy coconut.
- Tempering: classic tempering for any South Indian recipe.
- Curry Leaves
- Asafetida:
- Mustard Seeds
- Urad Dal
- Oil
Coconut Chutney
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup fresh/frozen grated coconut meat
- ¼ cup dalia or penut or cashew
- 1-2 hot green chilli or to your heat tolerance
- 1 fat inch ginger, chopped
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice or ½ tsp tamarind passte
- 2-3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro optional
- ½-¾ tsp sea salt
- 2-5 tbsp water as needed
Tempering
- 1 tsp avocado or any neutral oil
- ½ tsp urad dal
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 5-7 curry leaves
- ⅕ tsp asafetida
Instructions
- Warm oil in a small pan. Once hot add all the ingredients one by one starting with hhe urad dal, once urad dal golden and sizzling take it off the heat. Add the curry leaves and let it sizzle in the residual heat.
- Place all the ingredients for the chuntey and blend it to smooth paste. Taste and adjust he seasoning to your liking. You may need to add a little water to help the blender move. Transfer to a bowl, and pour the tempering and mix.
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