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. Made with fresh coconut, it is one of the versatile chutneys that pairs well with any South Indian snack or breakfast. Here is how to make it.
Here are some more South Indian Chutney recipes that you can try – Tomato Onion Chutney, Andhra Style Peanut Chutney, Green Tomato Chutney, and Peanut Coriander Chutney.
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About This Recipe
What to say about coconut chutney? It is one of the tastiest chutneys ever!
Coconut Chutney is a South Indian condiment made using fresh coconut and is traditionally served with dosa, idli, upma, vada, and can also be a part of your delicious South Indian meal.
No matter where you go, this chutney will always be served on the plate with your crispy hot dosa, soft idlis, and crunchy vadas. It just needs a few everyday ingredients, the most important being – fresh coconut.
Not only in South India, but this chutney has also marked its place all over India. Even overseas, if you order Dosa/Idli/Vada, you will definitely get to taste this nariyal chutney. Every South Indian home has its own way of preparing it, but this recipe is my favorite of all the recipes I have tried.
You can also make it dry or flowy, depending on your taste preference. So next time, you treat yourself to a South Indian breakfast or snack, do not forget to try my recipe of Coconut Chutney.
This chutney is,
- Easy to make
- Creamy
- Delicious
- Tastes just like Darshini/Tiffin Centres
- Adjustable
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 and these are different from the chana dal. If you do not add the roasted gram to the chutney, the water will separate from the chutney after some time. 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 and also makes it creamy. If yogurt is not sour, you can add some tamarind.
Also for a vegan version, skip the yogurt and add tamarind instead.
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, asafoetida, and dry red chilies.
You can use any vegetable oil or even coconut oil to temper the chutney.
Use fresh green coloured curry leaves for the best flavour and taste.
How to make Coconut Chutney?
Grate the flesh of the coconut using the medium hole of a box grater. You can also chop it into small pieces. Add 1 cup packed grated fresh coconut, ¼ cup roasted Bengal gram, 2 tbsp yogurt, 1 chopped green chili, ½ inch piece of ginger (chopped), and salt to taste in the small jar of a high powdered grinder. Add ¼ cup water along with these ingredients.
If roasted Bengal gram is not available, add skinned roasted peanuts instead. Increase or decrease the quantity of green chili according to your taste.
Blend until smooth. Add more water and grind once again if you like thin chutney. Check for salt and add more if needed. Transfer the chutney to the serving bowl.
For the tempering, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan. You can also use sesame oil or coconut oil for tempering.
Once the oil is hot, add ½ tsp mustard seeds and 1 tsp urad dal. Fry till the dal turns brown. Keep stirring while using a small spoon.
Add 1-2 broken dry red chilies, 10-12 curry leaves and ¼ tsp asafoetida and fry for 2-3 seconds.
Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well. You can let the tempering on top of the chutney for serving as it looks very pretty. Then mix it once you are ready to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
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.
This recipe uses asafoetida, which is not gluten-free. You can avoid adding it if you are looking for a gluten-free recipe.
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.
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 this chutney in Andhra-style, you will need tamarind paste instead of curd. Roast chana dal, urad dal, and some coriander seeds with some oil. Once brown, add red chilies, green chilies, 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.
Red Coconut Chutney – To make this variation, you will need whole dried red chilies. Replace green chilies with dried red chilies 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 to this recipe. Tomato and Onion can be added to 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.
When raw mangoes are in season, add them in the chutney for a tangy taste.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this chutney with masala dosa, idli, vada, paniyaram, dosa, utthapam, pongal, upma, or any South Indian meals.
I love to serve it with Rava Appe, Rava Upma, Ragi Idli, Paniyaram or Goli Baje.
You can also serve it with aloo pakora, onion pakoda or vada.
Storage Suggestions
Store this chutney in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days. Store it in an airtight container and use a clean spoon to take out the chutney every time you use it.
Yes, the good news is you can freeze the coconut chutney in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to a month.
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Recipe Card
Coconut Chutney Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated fresh coconut
- ¼ cup roasted Bengal gram
- 2 tbsp yogurt
- 1 chopped green chili
- ½ inch chopped ginger
- salt to taste
For tempering
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 1-2 dry red chilies (broken into 2-3 parts)
- 10-12 curry leaves
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
Instructions
- Grate the flesh of the coconut using the medium hole of a box grater. You can also chop it into small pieces.
- Add 1 cup packed grated fresh coconut, ¼ cup roasted Bengal gram, 2 tbsp yogurt, 1 chopped green chili, ½ inch piece of ginger (chopped), and salt to taste in the small jar of a high powdered grinder. Add ¼ cup water along with these ingredients.
- If roasted Bengal gram is not available, add skinned roasted peanuts instead. Increase or decrease the quantity of green chili according to your taste.
- Blend until smooth. Add more water and grind once again if you like thin chutney. Check for salt and add more if needed. Transfer the chutney to the serving bowl.
- For the tempering, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan. You can also use sesame oil or coconut oil for tempering.
- Once the oil is hot, add ½ tsp mustard seeds and 1 tsp urad dal. Fry till the dal turns brown. Keep stirring while using a small spoon.
- Add 1-2 broken dry red chilies, 10-12 curry leaves, and ¼ tsp asafoetida and fry for 2-3 seconds.
- Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well. You can let the tempering on top of the chutney for serving as it looks very pretty. Then mix it once you are ready to eat.
