Green Coconut Chutney

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Green Coconut Chutney

Green Coconut Chutney is what completes any South Indian meal. Flavoured with fresh curry leaves and coriander this chutney has a distinct fragrance and taste.

South Indian Coconut chutney has lots of variations and each family/ state in India will have their own combinations by using a mixture of herbs, spices and tempering.

I cook South Indian food quite often at home and always make 2-3 types of chutneys to complement the food and one of them is always this green coconut chutney using curry leaves. With their citrusy aromatic notes, fresh curry leaves are a must-have in South Indian cooking. Curry leaves are a citrusy, aromatic, flavour-enhancing herb that imparts a distinctive fragrance and a unique flavour to the food. Curry leaves have a characteristic flavour, though it is sort of difficult to define the actual taste it can be compared to citrus, anise, or lemongrass. Curry leaves are delicious and also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

I am not fussed about using fresh coconut or frozen coconut as it does not alter the taste much. I know some people use the dry desiccated coconut, but I do feel that since the heart of this chutney is coconut, try and use fresh/frozen desiccated coconut to yield a fresher authentic taste.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh shredded coconut
2 teaspoons fresh curry leaves
2 teaspoons fresh coriander
1 tablespoon fried gram dal (optional)
1 –2 green chillies (optional)
Salt to taste

Tempering
1 teaspoon oil
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ chana dal (optional)
¼ teaspoon urad dal (optional)
1-2 dry red chilli (optional)
a pinch of asafoetida powder
1 sprig curry leaves

Directions

Step-1

In a blender jar add the fresh shredded coconut, fried gram dal, curry leaves, coriander, and green chillies Add about quarter cup of warm water and grind to a smooth paste. Add more water while grinding the chutney if necessary. Add salt to taste.

Step-2

Heat oil in a pan and add the urad dal, chana dal and mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in a sprig of curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida powder and whole red chillies. Once the curry leaves starts spluttering switch off the heat.

Step-3

Add the tempering to the chutney.

Chutney is ready to be served with dosa, idli, or any snacks.

Tips & Variations

Only use only the white part of the coconut and not the brown part.
If using frozen coconut thaw it at room temperature before using.
If you want a little sourness in the chutney, you can add a teaspoon of lime juice or tamarind water after grinding the chutney.
Coconut chutney should be consumed fresh. If you have to keep it for few hours, then keep it in the fridge to keep it cold.
Always use warm water while grinding the chutney.
Adjust the number of green chillies for a spicy taste in the coconut chutney.
You can add an inch of ginger and/or one clove of garlic too while grinding.
This recipe is super simple but here are few things you can add to this coconut chutney.
-Dried red chilli– adds heat and give the chutney a beautiful red colour. Soak the red chillies in hot water before grinding. I would 2-3 red chillies for 1 cup of coconut. Discard the seeds of red chilli before grinding.
-Peanut– if you like peanuts, you can add some to this chutney. Deskin the peanuts before adding to the chutney. ¼ cup of deskinned peanuts to 1C of coconut.