A freshly made coconut chutney served with steaming hot idlis or a crisp dosa hot off the pan, is a thing of delight.
There are many varieties of this coconut chutney, but I prefer the one with tomatoes. It just adds that much more depth of flavour and dimension.
This easy recipe becomes even more fun to create when using a powerful blender like my new Optimum G.21 Platinum blender . Why ? Because the speed and convenience of having a pre-set function to grind means the job is done at the press of a button.
Besides the consistency and texture of the chutney is perfect.
If you are using frozen grated coconut like I do, it will look like this
- For grinding
- Grated coconut - ¼ cup - 55 gm
- Tomato - ½ a large or 1 small
- Kashmiri red chillies dried - 3 - you can increase or decrease the number depending on how hot you want the chutney to be
- Green Chilli - ½
- 1 tsp chana dal or yellow bengal gram split and without skin
- Ginger - a small knob about the size of your thumbnail
- Gralic - 2 small cloves without skin
- Salt as per taste
- Water - add according to consistency
- For the tadka or tempering
- Oil - 1 tbsp
- Curry Leaves - 5
- Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
- Urad dal ½ tsp (split black lentil without skin)
- Heat a pan on a medium flame and pan roast the chana dal till it turns a dark brown colour, do not allow it to burn, gently keep moving it on the pan with a wooden spatula. Set aside to cool.
- Halve the tomato and add into the blender.
- Add the freshly grated coconut, I buy a frozen packet from my local Indian store, have a look at the photograph in my post.
- Remove the skin of the ginger - this is best done using the back of a spoon if the ginger is fresh - it will come off easily , of not use a knife.
- Now add the garlic cloves, kashmiri red chillies and salt.
- Add the roasted chana dal which should have cooled down by now
- Add about one and half tbsp water and grind to a thick coarse paste like consistency.
- The water level depends on how you would like the consistency. I generally add a little more water after the first grind and give it one more pulse in my Froothie to get a better poruing consistency.
- Decant the chutney into a bowl
- Heat the oil in a kadhai or saucepan and add the mustard seeds in the hot oil.
- Once the seeds begin to pop add the urad dal and let it brown, then throw in the fresh curry leaves.
- Pour this hot tadka mixture onto the chutney and serve fresh with steaming hot idlis or dosad.