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Coconut is one of the most commonly used ingredients in regional cooking, across India. For many parts like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the Konkan belt, coconut is considered to be a staple ingredient in diets. Full of good fats, fibre and minerals like copper and magnesium, coconut is used in many cooking applications like chutneys, as stuffing for sweet dishes when mixed with jaggery and also to thicken gravies in savoury recipes like pachadi, kootu and thoran sabzis.
Chutneys being one of the most common ways in which both, fresh and dried coconut (khopra) are used in regional Indian cooking, also come in different variations, based on the preparation style and what’s available to communities locally. These delicious chutneys are either eaten as accompaniments to local meal staples, or enjoyed with rice and other snack items. Here are six types of coconut-based chutneys to try, at least once.
Kerala Coconut Chutney
Image Credits: Spice Container
This fiery red chutney made with a healthy dose of red chillies and shallots, is perfect to enjoy with fluffy idlis. Made by sauteing ingredients in coconut oil and tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves, this delicious chutney is served during breakfast in homes as well as chaya kadas (tea shops), across the state.
Hotel-Style Coconut Chutney
Slightly runnier than other coconut chutneys, this pastel green chutney has a herby hit from the generous use of coriander. Eaten as a breakfast accompaniment to malli poo idlis, benne dosas and uttapams, the coconut chutney is mildly spiced and most often eaten without any specific kind of tempering.
Sukha Kobryachi Chutney
Image Credits: Vaya
Made with dehydrated coconut and pulverised with red chillies and garlic, this chutney is a popular condiment added to vada pav. Due to the lack of moisture in any of the ingredients used to make the chutney, this one is a great pantry condiment to have handy and enjoy with bhakri, parathas and thalipeeth.
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Getti Chutney
Getti or thick coconut chutney is typically made by grinding together coconut, black gram and green chillies, with little or no water, and served with dosas or medu vadas. A commonly eaten condiment that is enjoyed at street-side stalls in Tamil Nadu, the getti chutney keeps well for long, due to the absence of excessive moisture in it.
Kothamalli Thogayal
Image Credits: I Camp In My Kitchen
A variation of chutney but thicker in consistency, the thogayal is made with a medley of whole spices, tamarind, coconut and curry leaves – best enjoyed with rice. Compared to the hotel-style green chutney, the thogayal has a higher ratio of coriander to coconut, but has a pronounced flavour of the grated coconut due to being toasted in gingelly oil.
Ambat Kairi Chutney
This Konkani preparation uses raw mango, when in season, as the souring agent, that offsets the mellow sweetness of coconut. The delicious chutney is usually eaten with breakfast flatbreads like dhirde and gavachi bhakri, since the tanginess offsets the rather bland flavours of these regional breads.
