Coconut Chutney

A common South Indian condiment served with iidli, dosa, paniyaram, masala dosa, pongal, and vada for breakfast is coconut chutney. With my step-by-step recipe guide and accompanying photos, you can simply learn how to prepare many variations of the traditional coconut chutney.

About coconut chutney

The South Indian cuisine is where coconut chutney first appeared. It is typically served with snacks or breakfast.

In its most basic form, fresh white coconut meat is ground fine and seasoned with salt and either dry red chilies or green chilies.

The chutney gains some heat and spice from the chillies. For added savory depth, you can add ginger or garlic.

Crunchy curry leaves, fried urad dal (black gram), crackling mustard seeds are used to temper oil and add flavor to otherwise simple coconut chutney.

How To Make Coconut Chutney

1. Add ½ cup tightly packed freshly grated coconut in a chutney grinder jar or a small grinder jar.

2. Add 2 tablespoons of roasted chana dal, 1 to 2 chopped green chilies (depending on how spicy you want them), and ½ inch of chopped ginger (optional; you can use two tiny garlic cloves in their place).

3. Season with salt. I advise using less salt initially. Check the taste after grinding and add extra salt if necessary.

4. Include three to four tablespoons of water. By using less water, you can increase the thickness of this coconut chutney. 

Grind until the mixture is smooth. One to two teaspoons extra water, or as necessary, can be added if the blade cannot grind the chutney or if it appears thick.

5.Using a spoon or spatula, remove the chutney from the heat-resistant bowl. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.

Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a small pan or tadka pan over low heat.

6.Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds let them begin to crackle. 

7.The urad dal should start becoming golden. The cumin seeds will also crackle and get browned.

8.Add 1 spring curry leaves and one dry red chilli once the urad dal has started to turn golden. After adding the red chile and curry leaves, turn off the heat if the skillet gets too hot.

9.Switch off the flame and immediately pour the entire tempering together with the oil on the ground coconut chutney in the bowl.

Serve coconut chutney alongside your preferred idli, dosa, vada, pongal, or pakoda.

For a tangier chutney: If you like a little sourness in your coconut chutney, you can add one or both of the following ingredients:

Tamarind: Add the remaining ingredients to a grinder along with ½ to 1 teaspoon of tamarind.

Curd (yogurt): Transfer the ground chutney mixture to a bowl. Add two to three teaspoons of fresh yogurt or curd and mix. Prior to tempering the coconut chutney, this must be completed.

Serve right away: Coconut chutney must be eaten right away. The chutney should not be kept at room temperature for an extended period of time. Use the coconut chutney within a day and store it in the freezing section of your refrigerator if you need to keep it for a few hours.

Extending shelf life: The chutney's shelf life is slightly extended by the addition of tamarind. If you add tamarind, you can freeze the chutney for up to a day.

Using desiccated coconut: To achieve the proper consistency when grinding the chutney, use warm water if you're using desiccated coconut or coconut powder.