Recipe Coconut Chutney

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Intrigued? I was. Enough to go and defrost the coconut flesh in my freezer.
It is simple enough to make

Ingredients
For Tempering
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
+6 curry leaves
1 tsp dried chilli flakes or 1 dried red chilli
1tsp safflower oil or similar neutral tasting oil

For the chutney
1 cup of grated or roughly chopped fresh coconut flesh
1 large nobb of grated/pureed ginger
2 green chillies
1 tbsp roasted Chana Dal
1tbsp tamarind paste (best made freshly, but if using shop bought try to avoid ones with added sugar or salt)
1/2 cup water
Salt

Method
For the tempering

1. Heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and wait until you hear them start to pop. Now add the cumin seeds, dried red chilli/chilli flakes and curry leaves and sauté for 10 seconds. remove from heat.

For the Chutney

1. In a spice grinder or similar, add the chilli and roasted chana dal and grind to a powder. If you are using freshly chopped ginger, include that as well. If you are using ginger puree, it is added later.
2. Next add the coconut and grind to a medium coarse consistency.
3. Now add the pureed ginger, if using, the tamarind paste and some of the water. Grind together until you have a smooth paste but with a touch of texture remaining. Add more water as needed. You are looking for a thicker consistency with some coconut texture visible.
4. Transfer the coconut chutney to a suitable vessel and pour the tempered spice mixture over the top. Serve to with dosa and idli.

Photo to follow.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Ok.

The ingredients

Not quite the color I was expecting, but my tamarind concentrate is very rich and I may just have been very generous in how much I used

And I don't think it's all going to fit into that jar!

Well half of it did.
Ok and now for an attempt at a better shot. Something artistic perhaps..

No not really. Never mind.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

So, what does it taste like? The tamarind makes it fruity, the chilli makes it fiery, but not too much so and the coconut is there a well. So a fiery, fruity coconut chutney.

I would however suggest that if you are bothered by colour and appearance then omit the tamarind. It is always going to give the chutney are brown colouring. You could replace it with lemon and/or lime juice. and if you ate really bothered by colour, I would suggest that you deskin your coconut first!

But I'm not and I love tamarind, so my coconut chutney is brown!

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

So, what does it taste like? The tamarind makes it fruity, the chilli makes it fiery, but not too much so and the coconut is there a well. So a fiery, fruity coconut chutney.

I would however suggest that if you are bothered by colour and appearance then omit the tamarind. It is always going to give the chutney are brown colouring. You could replace it with lemon and/or lime juice. and if you ate really bothered by colour, I would suggest that you deskin your coconut first!

But I'm not and I love tamarind, so my coconut chutney is brown!

I'd never seen a chutney without vinegar, but I do really like tamarind as a flavor that's works well in this preparation.