Coconut chutney- a perfect accompaniment to South Indian delicacies. A versatile chutney prepared with fresh coconut and pairs well with dosa, idlis, uttapam and vadas. In this recipe I have used freshly grated coconut but you can always substitute unsweetened desiccated coconut for the fresh one. All you have to do is simply soak desiccated coconut in milk for a while till the coconut becomes soft and then proceed with rest of the recipe.
A quick and easy recipe that can be prepared in a jiffy and requires no skill at all – totally a beginner’s recipe. Soaked chana dal is used for tempering, but if fasting/vrat then you can skip chana dal and continue with rest of the recipe. Below recipe uses peanuts but if allergic to peanuts then leave out the peanuts. Skipping peanuts will not change anything in the recipe.
Curd or lime juice can be added to the chutney to give it a sour taste. For my kiddos, I always add 1 teaspoon of green coriander chutney to 3 tablespoon of coconut chutney and they love it!!
Also try out other chutneys- Tamarind dates chutney, Vrat ki green chutney, Green cilantro chutney, green chutney for chaats .
Coconut Chutney
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 cups Freshly grated Coconut
- 1/2 cup Curd/yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Soaked Chana Dal (omit if you are fasting)
- 3- 4 nos. Whole red Chilies
- 1 tablespoon Peanuts
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds (omit if you do not eat during vrat)
- 6-7 nos. Curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon Methi dana (Fenugreek seeds) (omit if you do not eat during vrat)
- Salt to Taste (Sendha Namak)
- 1 tablespoon Oil for tempering
INSTRUCTIONS
- Assemble: all the ingredients. If using chana dal soak it in warm water for 1-2 hours.
- Add curd, salt and freshly grated coconut to a mixer and grind it a fine paste.
- Assemble: ingredients for tadka.
- Meanwhile prepare the tempering/tadka.
- Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and as it starts to crackle add curry leaves, whole red chilies, fenugreek seeds and peanuts. If using chana dal, drain the soaked chana dal and add it to the tadka. Saute until toasty.
- When done, add tadka to the grounded chutney.
- Adjust salt and...
- Enjoy freshly homemade chutney with your favorite South Indian varieties.