Fresh and flavorful cilantro coconut chutney is the perfect accompaniment to Southern Indian breakfast dishes like dosas and idlis. This condiment takes only about 10 mins to put together.
Imagine the freshest of flavors coming together. Pungent, peppery and citrusy cilantro, fresh creamy coconut and spicy hot Thai chile peppers ground together to make this delicious chutney. It is then topped with a tempered seasoning.
We love this chutney recipe because
- It is easy to make
- This chutney is so very flavorful with a kick of spice
- It is a great accompaniment to dosas and idlis.
Ingredients
This coriander coconut chutney needs only a handful of ingredients. It is especially easy if you have frozen coconut ready in the freezer.
- Coconut - freshly grated coconut or freshly frozen grated coconut can be used.
- Cilantro - feel free to use the leaves and stem of the cilantro. Wash thoroughly first to remove any dust or dirt.
- Thai green chillies - remove stem and use as many as needed. Thai chillies can be unpredictable in their heat level. Some are very hot and some are not so hot. If you dont want any heat but just the flavor of the chillies, scrape out the seeds and use them. I would use at least one with all the seeds and everything to just get a little heat in as it adds much flavor and balance to the chutney when eaten with dosa or idli.
- Salt - taste as you go and add as per taste.
I generally don’t add tamarind to this chutney, I add it only to the plain coconut chutney. If you do need it for this, you can add a tiny blueberry sized ball.
Another main component of the chutney is the tadka / tempered seasoning / porichu kottinathu. You will need coconut oil, curry leaves, mustard seeds, dried red chillies and split urad dal for it.
Method
Gather all the ingredients for the chutney.
Place them in a food processor or the small jar of an Indian style blender.
Grind together to a smooth-ish paste, adding 2-3 tablespoon water at a time to help move the ingredients in the machine.
For the tadka, heat the coconut oil, splutter the mustard seeds in it and add the rest of the ingredients. Pour this over the chutney and serve with dosa or idlis.
Serving Suggestions
This coconut chutney with cilantro is a great side with Southern Indian breakfasts like idlis (we love this instant rava idli), dosas or semolina upma.
This chutney can be the only side or you can serve a side of sambar along with it as well.
Cilantro Coconut Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated coconut fresh or freshly frozen
- 1 cup cilantro packed in
- 2-3 Thai green chillies
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
For the tadka
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon split white urad dal
- 7-8 curry leaves
- 1-2 dried red chillies
Instructions
- Place the grated coconut, cilantro, green chillies and salt in a food processor or the small jar of an Indian style mixer.
- Add 2 tablespoon of water at a time, up to about ¼ cup of water, to help get the grinding started and to grind smoothly.
- Grind till you get a smooth-ish paste. Scoop it out or pour it out to a serving bowl.
- Add more water and mix well to get the desired consistency for the chutney. I like it a little thinner than a pesto. Some people like it thick like hummus. It is a personal preference.
- In a small sauce pan or a tadka pan over medium heat, add the coconut oil. Once the oil starts to heat up.
- Add the ural dal to it and fry till it starts to turn brown.
- Add the mustard seeds, let it crackle and splutter.
- Turn off the heat, add the curry leaves and dried red chillies. Give it a quick mix and pour over the chutney.
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