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.

Pesarattu( Pan cake of green Moong Dal)

Pesarattu with onions

Pesarattu with out onions

Pesarattu was my fathers favorite snack as well as break fast . At the drop of  hat he would demand pesarattu from my mom as if it would appear, if my ma would say Abra Ka Dabra :). But then my mom being a very good wife and house wife would keep the batter ready in the fridge and supply him Pesarattu as and when he wanted.Since it is made of Moong dal therefore is easy to digest and is rich in protein.
In north India this dish is known as moong dal ka chilada and in south India it is called Pesarattu.

Preparation Time: 10min.

Cooking Time: 20min.

Servings: Makes10 Pesarattu of medium size

Materials Required For Pesarattu :

• 200gm, Moong Dal.
• Salt to taste
• 1 Medium size onion
• 1 Medium size Tomato.
• Few leaves of coriander.
• 1 Green chili
• Cooking oil.
• Water to make batter.

      Directions For Making Pesarattu :

Moong Dal Batter

• Wash and soak moong dal in water for at least 3-4hrs.
• Drain the water .
• Grind the soaked dal to fine paste.
• Add water to make pourable batter.
• Add salt to taste.
• Cut onion, tomato, green chili,coriander leaves and mix them together in a bowl.
• Take a tawa (flat iron cooking plate) and heat it on gas.
• When hot grease it with few drops of oil.
• Pour some moong dal batter on it and spread to a round.

Pesarattu being cooked




• Spread the onion,tomato,green chili,coriander mixture on it and cover, and cook for 1min.
• Pour one tea spoon of oil from the edges in tawa and cook on medium flame for 2 min.
• Loosen the edges and flip the pesarattu upside down.
• Cook for another 2-3 min.

Pesarattu being cooked on other side

• Colorful and tasty Pesarattu is ready to be served with coconut/ ground nut chutney.

Pesarattu with onions

Coconut Chutney

Tip(s):

• Using Non stick tawa would reduce oil requirement to make the pesarattu very much less.

• Those who do not take Onions can omit onions.

Pesarattu without onions

• Pesarattu makes light yet very nutritive break fast, or even light snack!!!

Enjoy Pesarattu with Coconut / Coriander mint chutney  Chutney

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html

or pickles

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/tangy-mango-pickle-maharashra-style.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/mango-pickle-north-indian-style.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/spicy-mixed-vegetable-pickle-less-oily.html

Suggested Variation:

• Since children are very fond of cheese so one or two tea spoon of grated cottage cheese / Mozzarella cheese can be sread over pesarattu along with onions and tomatoes.