The coconut chutney (nariyal chutney) dish is a popular South Indian condiment. You can use red or green chillies to prepare this dish. You can add tamarind paste or lemon juice to give it a sour taste. This is a popular accompaniment for Indian dishes like dosas, vadas and idlis. If you are fond of South Indian food, you will relish this chutney. It is fairly simple recipe to make and can be prepared quickly. You can enjoy the sweetness of the coconut and notice how well it is balanced by the tartness of the tamarind/lemon. The use of chillies gives it an added flavour. You can store the left over coconut chutney in the fridge for a week and can use it in South Indian curries for added flavour.
In my state of Kerala in India, coconut chutney is also known as ‘Chammanthi’. There are 2 kinds of chammanthi – mulaku chammanthi and vella chammanthi. You can prepare the first kind with red chillies and tamarind puli and it will be spicy. You can also try the second version which is relatively milder and prepare it with green chillies and add a dash of lemon juice. This will give white colour to the chutney. Both are very popular versions to prepare and relish.
Ingredients
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For Coconut Chutney:
Instructions
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For grinding into coconut paste:
- Grind the coconut, chilies, 2 shallots (or 1/4 onion), tamarind paste and salt in a food processor, adding little water (about ½ cup) to a smooth paste. For Tadka or Tempering:
- Take 2 tsp.oil in a small saucepan. When hot, add 1 tsp. of mustard seeds and chana dal to it. When the seeds start spluttering, add finely chopped shallots/onions and curry leaves and fry until the onions turn dark brown.
- Now pour in the coconut paste.
- Let chutney simmer on low heat for about 5. Adjust seasoning. and serve warm with dosas, vadas or idlis.
Notes
For white coconut chutney (vella chammanthi) :
Instead of red chillies, add 2 green chillies and instead of tamarind paste, add a few drops of lemon juice once the chutney is done.