Indian meals are incomplete without chutney. They add the zing to everything from snacks to meals. This versatile side dish comes in innumerable avatars across the different states and regions. From herbs like mint and coriander leaves, to vegetables and vegetable peels, a variety of ingredients are used to make these chutneys. Some of them are sweet and sour, others hot and spicy.
South Indian dishes like idli, dosa, vada, uttapam etc., are invariably accompanied by at least a couple of chutneys if not more. In Andhra and Karnataka they serve six or seven varieties of chutneys with these items. But the most common and best-loved chutney is that made of coconut as the main ingredient.
There are many varieties of coconut chutney even in South India. Here, I am giving my version of it, which is a little hatke.
Ingredients: (3 to 4 servings)
- Grated fresh coconut – 1cup
- Roasted Chana dal
- (dalia dal/chutney dal) – ½ cup
- Curd – ½ cup
- Curry leaves – 5 to7
- Green chillies – 2 to 3
- Coriander leaves – 1/4 cup
- Grated ginger – 1tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
- Hing – 1pinch
- Salt to taste,
- Water as required.
Ingredients for tempering:
- Refined oil – 1tbsp
- Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
- Urad dal – ½ tsp
- Channa dal – ½ tsp
- Whole red chilli – 2
- Curry leaves – 5 to 7
Method:
- Put all the chutney ingredients in a blender and grind into a fine paste, add water to adjust the consistency of the chutney as required.
- Transfer chutney to a serving bowl.
- Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it crackles add urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves and broken red chillies and roast on slow flame till the colour of the dal changes to light brown. Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well.
- Serve with the dish of your choice.
