Restaurant style Coconut Chutney :: Naariyal ki Chutney :: South Indian Chutney

OK, so all I am posting these days is Chutneys. Not that I am not cooking anything else, but the fact that’s the description is easy to write and I can do it quickly while I am busy at work. So all these chutney recipes cropping up at this site nowadays are from my drafts , which I am doodling in a jiffy to keep the blog and myself moving.

Although written in a haze, this recipe is a sure shot winner. It’s the most loved chutney in my family, and I make it almost every week.  Now, due to my Punjabi roots I was not much aware of the usage of coconut in every day food. Ironic as it may sound, Coconut chutney was the only “coconut-y” thing I  had had before my marriage. Apart from  Bounty of course !

When I started cooking food properly and then blogging, my interest in coconut, tamarind, peanut etc amplified and so is their usage in my diet. And it’s coming to a good balance of all cuisines in my kitchen now , which I am quite content about J

Whenever I used to make coconut chutney at home ( using my own modified recipe ), I never got good results. It was either too watery, or got thick very quickly. And that earthy flavour that makes this chutney a distinguished one, was always missing.  One fine day, I tasted this recipe at one of my friends’ and loved it so much, robbed a full bowl full for myself. And the recipe got written on a napkin.. tried it the very same weekend and loved the taste.. She told me the secret of getting that nutty texture.. what contributes majorly to the earthy taste of this Restaurant style coconut chutney is roasted Bengal gram or Chana dal. Another important key is to use freshly grated coconut and not to go overboard with the spices. Subtly spiced and tempering with curry leaves gives the coconut chutney all the charm it needs to be your favourite side with Dosas and Idlis

Another slight difference between this Chutney and the recipe I used is of tempering. I used to temper the Chutney  on top, after blending the coconut with spices. But in this recipe, we temper the curry leaves first and blend them along with the coconut and spices. And the quantity of oil used  is very less, just a tea spoon for a bowl full of Chutney. What more do we need ? J

I highly recommend using Mustard oil or Coconut oil for this Chutney ( or rather any chutney specially for tempering ). The flavours are just impeccable ! you may use Groundnut oil, Olive oil or Canola oil if you want, but don’t use vegetable oil or sesame oil.

What you need?

• 1 cup Coconut,  freshly grated
• ½ cup roasted Chana Daal ( Bengal gram )
• 1-2 Green Chilies  preferably light green variety)
• ½ inch Ginger , peeled and chopped roughly
• Garlic - 1 clove ( optional)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Mustard  oil
• A handful of curry leaves, washed
• ½ tsp of Mustard seeds
• ½ cup water, or more if required

How to make?

• Wash and rinse curry leaves, and dry them on a clean kitchen towel.
• Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds, and let them splutter for 10 seconds. 
• Add the curry leaves and fry till they become crisp. Takes about 1-2 minutes .Turn off and let it cool down a bit. 
• Roast Chana daal on a low-medium flame ( if you haven’t already ), till it becomes light brown. Let it cool and come to room temperature. Take care not to burn it.   
• Now, mix everything along with the curry leaves, oil and Chana Daal in a chutney grinder or small blender. Adding some water(depends on what consistency of chutney you want),  blend to a smooth chutney. Check the salt and add more if required. DO NOT  blend for a very long time unnecessarily, else coconut will start releasing oil and the Chutney will become all sticky and oily. 
• Transfer to a bowl and serve this Hotel style coconut chutney with idli, dosa, Upma etc. I even love it with any variety of fried rice like coconut fried rice, Egg friend rice etc. 

Notes:

• I usually keep a handful of Chana daal roasted in a jar, and use it for making these chutneys in a jiffy
• Take care not to burn the Chana daal while roasting, it  will ruin the taste if the Chutney otherwise.
• Like I said above, do not blend the chutney in mixer for too long... else it gets all sticky and oily
• This coconut chutney can be kept in fridge for 2-3 days, and at room temperature it gets bad within 24 hours.
• You may add a handful of roasted peanuts to the mixture
• If you want to make this Chutney oil free, just skip mustard seeds and add curry leaves raw without frying.