Coconut Chutney or Thengali Chutney is a South Indian condiment that is served with dosa, idli, vada, and also as a part of a meal. It is one of the versatile chutneys that pairs well with any South Indian snack or breakfast. Here is how to make this recipe (3 ways) at home.
About The Recipe
What to say about coconut chutney? It is one of the tastiest chutneys ever. It is a South Indian condiment that is served with dosa, idli, vada, and also as a part of a meal.
Prepared from fresh coconut, urad dal, green chillies, dry red chilli, etc, thengai chutney is one of the best chutney recipes for serving with dosa, vada, masala dosa, idli, pongal, and other snacks.
You can also make it dry or thin, depending on your taste preference. In short, this chutney is
- Easy to make
- Creamy
- Tastes much better and uses the best ingredients
- You can make the variation you like to suit your palate
Ingredients
Coconut – Fresh coconut is the star ingredient of this chutney. It’s available in all Indian stores. You can also go for frozen grated fresh coconut if taking out the flesh is a challenge for you.
Roasted Bengal Gram – These are added in the chutney to give a body and a nice flavor. If Bengal gram is not available, you can skip adding them. Add some roasted peanuts instead.
Yogurt – Very slightly sour yogurt adds a nice tang to this chutney. If yogurt is not sour, you can add some tamarind.
Green Chilli & Ginger – Adjust the amount of these two according to your taste.
For Tempering – A nice tempering is a must. You will need oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, hing, and dry red chillies.
Step by Step Recipe
Add all the ingredients for chutney in a blender.
Blend until smooth. Use little water to blend the chutney.
For the tempering, heat oil in a small pan.
Add mustard seeds and urad dal. Fry till the dal turns brown.
Add dry red chilies, curry leaves and hing.
Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to crack open a coconut?
Opening a coconut is a tricky process but with some practice, you can do it easily.
To start with, remove the husk from the outside of the coconut and keep it on a sturdy surface.
I generally keep it on the backyard steps and not on my kitchen counter. Now using a heavy knife or a hammer, tap hard at the center of the coconut. It should break into two halves. If not, then try a few more times.
To take out the coconut meat, I freeze the halved shells for 6-8 hours. Then thaw them for an hour. Now insert a knife all along with the corners and the coconut flesh comes out easily.
Cut the flesh in small pieces and either remove the brown skin using a vegetable peeler or a knife or use it as is.
Can this chutney be frozen?
Yes, the good news is you can freeze the coconut chutney in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to a month. It stays good refrigerated for up to a week.
Can diabetics eat this chutney?
Yes, diabetics can eat coconut chutney. Make sure you eat in moderate quantities and also consult your doctor.
Can you eat it during pregnancy?
Yes, you can eat it during pregnancy. In fact, coconut is considered very good to eat while pregnant. But make sure you eat in moderate quantities and also consult your doctor.
Is this chutney vegan?
All the ingredients in this chutney except yogurt is vegan. Skip the curd/yogurt and use tamarind instead and you have the recipe for the vegan chutney.
How to make it without Fresh Coconut?
If you don’t have fresh coconut available, you can use coconut powder or grated dried coconut. You can even use frozen desiccated coconut if fresh is not available.
How to make this chutney without Mixer?
Traditionally this chutney is made using a mortar pestle. You can grind all the ingredients using mortar pestle if you do not have a mixer. In fact, the taste will be much better if it’s ground on a stone slab.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this chutney with masala dosa, idli, vada, paniyaram, dosa, utthapam, pongal, or any Indian meals. You can even use it as a spread in your sandwiches.
I love to serve it with Rava Appe, Rava Upma, Ragi Idli, Paniyaram or Goli Baje.
Variations
Kerala Style – For Kerala-style chutney, you will need shallots or small red onions. While grinding the ingredients mentioned for the chutney. Use tamarind instead of curd. Grind all the ingredients to get a smooth paste and temper with all the ingredients mentioned for tempering.
Andhra Style – To make Andhra-style coconut chutney, you will need tamarind paste instead of curd. Roast chana dal, urad dal, and some coriander seeds with some oil. Once brown, add red chillies, green chillies, ginger and sauté for a minute.
Now add coconut pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool. Once cool, grind it with a little water to make a smooth paste.
For the tempering, heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and urad dal. Fry till the dal turns brown. Add dry red chilies, curry leaves and hing. Once done, pour the tempering over the chutney.
With Curry leaves – Adding some curry leaves in this chutney gives a very nice yet different taste to this popular Idli Dosa chutney. Add a couple of sprigs of fresh curry leaves while blending to enjoy Curry Leaves Coconut Chutney.
Red Coconut Chutney – To make this variation, you will need whole dried red chillies. Replace green chillies with dried red chillies while grinding.
You can follow the rest of the steps as given below. Here is a detailed recipe to make Red Coconut Chutney.
Green Coconut Chutney – For green chutney, you are going to need fresh coriander leaves. Add washed and roughly chopped coriander leaves while grinding.
You can follow the rest of the recipe as is. Here is a detailed recipe to make green coconut chutney.
Others – You can also add mint in this recipe. Tomato and Onion can be added in this chutney too.
Add peanuts for a change in taste. Make sure to roast the peanuts before adding in the chutney. Roasted sesame seeds make a great addition to this chutney.
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Coconut Chutney Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Coconut (Grated)
- 1/4 cup Roasted Bengal gram
- 2 tbsp Curd
- 1 Green chilli (Chopped)
- 1/2 inch Ginger (Chopped)
- Salt to taste
For tempering
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Urad Dal
- 1-2 Dry red chilies (Broken)
- 10-12 Curry leaves
- 1/4 tsp Hing
Instructions
- Blend all the ingredients for chutney in a blender to make a smooth paste.
- Use little water to blend the chutney.
- Transfer in the serving bowl.
For the tempering
- Heat oil in a small pan.
- Add mustard seeds and urad dal.
- Fry till the dal turns brown.
- Add dry red chilies, curry leaves and hing.
- Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well.
- Serve with dosa, idli or paniyaram.
Notes
Linsy Patel
perfect with dosa and idlis.
prachi agarwal
i love coconut chutney……………..
Kitchen Rhythms
Love this 🙂
Ravi Swamy
Nice recipe. Thanks
Neha Mathur
Thnx 🙂