Red-Spicy-Coconut Chutney

Red Spicy Coconut Chutney

Chutney is integral part to Indian food. Depending upon the local produce it is made from different ingredients like tamarind, green mango/dried mango/mango powder/ Lemon to name few. In coastal part coconut grow plentiful so coconut is the main ingredient along with tamarind which gives the tangy taste where as in other areas coriander/ mint is used along with any of the above said sour ingredients.

When I went to my daughter’s house, her helper made this awesome chutney to be had with dosa. Since then I have become big fan of this tangy-spicy red chutney.

Preparation Time: 10 – 15 minutes

Making Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 10 medium servings

Ingredients Required For Making Chutney:

Ingredients for Chutney

• 1/2 Fresh Coconut
• 4-5 Garlic pods (Medium sized)
• 4-5 Red dry Kashmiri Chilies
• 3-4 Red dry chilies or to taste
• Salt to taste
• 2 Teaspoon tamarind pulp

For tempering:

• 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
• 2 Teaspoon Urd Dal
• 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard seeds (Rai)
• 1/4teaspoon Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
• 2-3 Dry Red Chilies
• 8-10 Curry leafs

Ingredients for Tempering

• 1 Teaspoon cooking oil (except mustard oil any cooking oil of your choice)

Direction For making Red Coconut Chutney:

• Soak both Kashmiri chilies and regular red chilies in half cup of water for 30 minutes.
• Remove the outer brown color hard peel of coconut and discard the peels.
• Cut the peeled white coconut to small pieces.
• In a mixer-blender take
• Coconut pieces
• Garlic
• Soaked chilies along with water
• Tamarind pulp
• Salt
• Grind them to fine paste. Keep adding water in small amounts while grinding. The consistency of paste should be like cake batter.
• Heat oil in a thick bottom pan. When the oil becomes hot, reduce the heat to low and Urd dal and cook till it just starts changing the color.

Urd dal first in oil

• Add mustard seeds and increase the heat to medium. Mustard seeds will start spluttering.
• Add Curry leafs and Red chilies, in 30 sec or so the chilies will turn darker in color. Immediately add the coconut paste and lower the heat.

Spices cooking in Oil

• Cook for 2-3 minutes with constant stirring , this will allow the flavor of spices to mix with chutney and give it that special flavor. Add sugar and stir. Remove from heat and cover the pan.

Red-spicy-Coconut Chutney

Red Spicy Coconut Chutney

• Allow it to cool before serving.
• This chutney can be stored in fridge for 5-6 day.

Tips:

• Check the hotness of chilies before using. Sometimes they are too hot some times less. So adjust the amount accordingly.
• Soaking red chilies and then grinding enhances the red color.
• Tamarind paste can be made by soaking tamarind in water for few minutes, then mashing it up.
• Removing the brown peel from coconut is must to get proper texture and color.
• Make sure Urd dal in tempering does not turn black, it should be of brown color in final stage so care has to be taken while preparing tempering. If any of the ingredients get over cooked then the taste and flavor of chutney gets spoiled.
• Water should be added while grinding in small amounts for the ease of grinding as well as maintain the required consistency.
• Continuos stirring is must once coconut paste is added to tempering.

Suggested Variations:

• Sugar can be replaced by jaggery.