Classic South Indian Style Coconut Chutney

This classic coconut chutney, a must in every South Indian household. This is one chutney which goes with any classic South Indian breakfast dishes. Serve it with Dosa, Adai, Idli, Vada, Upma, Pongal, just about anything, and this will do the trick. Fast and easy, just throw in the ingredients and its ready in a jiffy.

What Is Coconut Chutney ?

Coconut chutney is basically a condiment or a dip made by finely grinding fresh white coconut meat. A simplest coconut chutney would have green chilies or dry red chilies and salt added to it. Chilies lend a bit of heat and spice in the chutney. Even garlic or ginger can be added. A tempering of oil with crackled mustard seeds, fried urad dal (black gram), crisp curry leaves and asafoetida (hing) brings more flavor to otherwise plain coconut chutney.

Coconut Chutney Variations

Myriad variations of coconut chutney can be made by adding various ingredients like fresh mint leaves, coriander leaves, garlic, curd (yogurt), tamarind, tomatoes, onions, almonds, carrots, beetroot, unripe mangoes, peanuts, capsicum, greens like spinach etc.

The ingredient you add make a lot of difference to the final taste and flavour in the coconut chutney – eg adding tamarind or tomatoes will impart a sour taste in the chutney.

Ingredients:
1 cup of fresh grated coconut,
3-4 green chillies,
1 inch piece of fresh ginger,
1 tbsp fried gram (chutney dalia),
Salt as per taste

For tempering:
1 tsp oil,
1 tsp mustard seeds,
6-8 curry leaves,
A pinch of asafoetida powder

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients into the mixer and grind it into a slight coarse to fine wet mixture.
2. Adjust the salt as per taste.
3. Remove onto a serving bowl.
4. In a small tadka pan, heat the oil and mustard seeds. Once it splutters, turn off the heat and add the asafoetida powder and curry leaves.
5. Pour this tempering onto the chutney and mix well. 

Serve this with Adai, Idli, Upma, Vada alongside sambar.

Enjoy :-)