Coconut chutney is one of the most common side dishes served in South India for breakfast, lunch, and dinner because of the abundance of coconuts in the region. Its versatile recipes make it gel with every dish, like dosa, idli, appam, uttapam, and whatnot. Its delectable profile and flavourful taste make it the star of any meal.
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Tempered with spices and chillies, the chutney can change the palate of any bland dish. All you need is the spoonful goodness of it on your plate or tiffin, and you are good to go. While it can be eaten for any meal of the day, most people prefer it with breakfast. The simplest recipe is to blend the grated coconut with water, salt, and chilli, and your chutney is ready. However, a few different variations of it can add a burst of flavour to any dish.
Karnataka Style Coconut Chutney
The speciality of this chutney is its red colour and no addition of garlic or onion. It can either be thick or a little runny, depending on how you like the consistency. You soak red chilli in water for a couple of minutes and blend it with tamarind, grated coconut, roasted chana dal, and a good amount of ginger for flavour. Add salt to taste and temper it with urad dal, mustard seeds, and curry leaves.
Roasted Gram Dal Coconut Chutney (Pottukadalai Chutney)
Pottukadalai refers to fried or roasted gram dal. For this recipe, you need to grind coconut, garlic cloves, salt to taste, roasted chana dal, green chillies, and water. You can adjust the consistency of the paste according to your taste. In the end, it is tempered with a pinch of asafoetida, curry leaves, and mustard seeds. It goes impeccably with paniyaram.
Mint Coconut Chutney
If you want to add fresh flavours to your breakfast, mint chutney will do it for you. It also adds a colour to the dish, making it more irresistible. In a heated pan, add oil and saute mint leaves, green chillies, small onion, gram dal, tamarind, turmeric powder, and cloves of garlic. Add grated coconut at the end and allow the mixture to cool off. Blend it into a smooth paste and serve it with your dish.
Raw Mango And Coconut Chutney (Mangai Chutney)
This South Indian mango chutney has a tangy flavour that can make any meal go from okay to wow. You will need raw mango pieces, red and green chillies, fresh coriander leaves, a pinch of turmeric powder, ginger, grated coconut, tamarind, and salt and water according to your requirements. Blend all the ingredients into a smooth paste, and temper in the end with urad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida.
Also Read: 7 Must-Try Dishes With Coconut
Thengai Thogayal
Thengai thogayal is a special recipe from Tamil Nadu which is often served with rice. It is also referred to as Virgin Pongal or Kanni Pongal. In a hot pan, you will saute red chillies, asafoetida, and urad dal. Add coconut, tamarind, and salt to taste. Once the mixture cools off, grind all the ingredients into a smooth paste. It can be topped with ginger or sesame oil for fresh flavours.