Tomato Coconut Chutney Recipe
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Tomato coconut chutney is a delicious South Indian condiment made with fresh ripe tomatoes, fresh coconut, garlic, and mild spices. It pairs beautifully with idlis, dosas, upma, and paniyaram. I also serve it with my everyday Indian meals to perk up the taste. It is best served at room temperature, but it can also be served slightly cold. Use my simple, beginner-friendly recipe to make it.
Table of Contents
Quick Look: Tomato Coconut Chutney
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Dietary Info: Vegan, can be easily made gluten-free
Flavor/Texture: Tangy, mildly spicy, and creamy with juicy tomatoes, fresh coconut, and a smooth texture balanced with a flavorful tempering.
We make idlis, dosas, and uttapams at home a lot. While I usually make the classic white coconut chutney, there are days when I want to eat something different. On those days, I try various combinations and come up with something interesting.
Sometimes, the combinations don’t work, but sometimes, they seem like they were always meant to be together. Tomato and coconut are one such combination. The tempering takes the chutney to the next level. Try the recipe!
Here are some more chutney recipes: kokum chutney, vada pav chutney, onion tomato chutney, amla chutney, kobbari pachadi, and garlic chutney.
Why You’ll Love This Family Favorite Recipe!
- Perfect balance of tangy tomatoes and creamy coconut with gentle heat from green chillies.
- Quick, beginner-friendly, and ready in just 15 minutes.
- Pairs beautifully with dosa, idli, uttapam, paniyaram, vada, or even rice.
- Uses simple pantry ingredients yet tastes restaurant-style.
- Unique Value: My recipe cooks the tomatoes before blending, which removes rawness, deepens flavor, and gives the chutney a richer color and naturally sweeter, more balanced taste, a step most online versions skip.
Ingredients
For The Chutney
- Tomatoes – Use ripe red tomatoes. If fresh tomatoes are unavailable, then you can use canned tomatoes.
- Fresh Coconut – To save time, use pre-grated fresh coconut. It is available in the freezer section of any Indian grocery store.
- Others – You will also need oil, onions, dried red chilies, ginger, garlic, and salt. Use any neutral-flavored oil.
For The Tempering
- Oil – Use any neutral-flavored oil.
- Asafetida (Hing) – To make the chutney gluten-free, skip adding asafetida.
- Curry Leaves – Give a delicious South Indian flavor.
- Others – You will also need brown mustard seeds, dried red chilies, and white urad dal.
How To Make Tomato And Coconut Chutney
Make The Chutney
Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the following ingredients and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 2-3 dried red chilies
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
Step 2: Add 1 cup chopped tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes.
Step 3: Add ½ cup grated fresh coconut and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook for a minute.
Step 4: Transfer the mixture to a blender along with ¼ cup of water.
Step 5: Blend until smooth.
Temper The Chutney
Step 6: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon asafetida, and 10-12 curry leaves and fry for 3-4 seconds. Add 1 dry red chili (broken into small pieces) and ½ teaspoon white urad dal and fry until the dal is lightly browned.
Step 7: Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well. Serve.
Pro Tips By Neha
If using frozen coconut, thaw it to room temperature before making the chutney; otherwise, it may curdle.
Add some skinned, roasted peanuts while blending for a change of taste.
Storage Suggestions
You can store this chutney in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Try to bring it out a few hours before serving so it reaches room temperature. Otherwise, you can serve it cold, too. You can also heat the chutney in a microwave for 20-30 seconds to bring it to room temperature.
You can also freeze it in freezer-safe containers for up to a month. Thaw, heat, and serve.
Other Chutney Recipes We Recommend
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Tomato Coconut Chutney Recipe
Ingredients
Chutney Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 2-3 dried red chilies
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup grated fresh coconut
- 1 teaspoon salt
Tempering Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 1 dried red chili (broken into small pieces)
- ½ teaspoon white urad dal
Instructions
Make The Chutney
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add chopped onions, dried red chilies, ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes.
- Add coconut and salt, and cook for a minute.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender along with ¼ cup water.
- Blend until smooth.
Temper The Chutney
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, asafetida, and curry leaves and fry for 3-4 seconds.
- Add dried red chilies and white urad dal and fry until the dal is lightly browned.
- Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well. Serve.
Nice 👍