Tag: kara chutney

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South Indian Coconut Chutney

Coconut chutney is one of the most popular chutneys in South Indian cuisine. It is made round the year and is a common side dish in South Indian households. It is lightly spiced, nutty with natural and refreshing sweetness of coconut. It is made with fresh coconut, green chilli and lentil as prime ingredients. It is then tempered with mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. 

Though there are several recipes of coconut chutney with their own variations and style but out of all I find this to be the best. Honestly, I don’t feel the need of sambar with dosa or idli when I’ve this chutney as side. It’s pretty good. Also, it is great for kids since it is not spicy and has mild sweetness of coconut. My little one calls this Snowman Chutney. He loves this chutney with idlis, dosa and paniyarams.

You can also check out my other South Indian chutney recipes- Kara Chutney and Tangy Spicy Peanut Chutney. 

Apart from taste, having coconut chutney along with your meals has several health benefits too. 

  • Since coconut is rich in fibre, it can help in easy bowel movement. Eating it during summers and monsoon season can also prevents digestion-related problems such as indigestion and diarrhea.
  • Coconuts are especially high in manganese which is essential for bone health and the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and cholesterol.
  • They’re also rich in copper and iron, which help form red blood cells, as well as selenium, an important antioxidant that protects your cells.
  • Coconuts are low in carbs and high in fibre and good fats, which may be beneficial for blood sugar control.

Let’s see how we can make this delicious and healthy Coconut Chutney

Recipe

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup Fresh Chopped Coconut with brown skin peeled
  • 1 inch Ginger roughly chopped 
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 small Green Chilli
  • 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
  • 2 tbsps Roasted Channa Dal/Bengal Gram
  • 2 tsps Oil (I like to use either Groundnut or Coconut oil)
  • Rock salt or Salt to taste
  • Water: 1/2 cup or as required 

For Tempering: 

  • 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1 sprig Curry leaves
  • A pinch of Hing/Asafoetida

Method: 

  • Wash and pat dry channa dal. Add 1 tsp oil in a pan and roast the dal till golden brown. 
  • Add, coconut, roasted channa dal, lemon juice, ginger, chilli, 1/4th cup water and salt in a blender. 
  • Give a blitz. Now open and scrape off the sides. Add remaining water and blend again to get a smooth paste. You can more water if required but make sure to add little at a time. 
  • For tempering: To hot oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing. Cook till everything splutters. Pour the tempering over the chutney. Mix well. 
  • Your Chutney is ready to be served. 

Notes: 

  1. If you want whiter chutney, make sure to scrape the brown skin of coconut. 
  2. You can easily make this chutney watery because in the beginning it will feel that you will need more water for blending but add little water at a time while blending.
  3. Use fresh coconut, that’s shell is pale in color than the dark brown colour or dried coconut. Fresh coconut’s chutney tastes the best while the other might taste a little oily. 
  4. Do temper the chutney. It not only enhances the taste but also increases its shelf life. 
  5. You can store the chutney in refrigerator for 3-4 days. It might thicken a little after refrigeration. You can add few tbsps of warm water to loosen it.

Do try this recipe and let me know in the comments section how you liked it. Would love to hear it from you guys. 🙂 Happy eating!

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Kara Chutney- South Indian Chutney- Idlis | Dosa

Chutneys are special when it comes to Indian cuisine. India is the origin of different varieties of regional chutneys. They are super versatile. You can relish it as a condiment, use it as an ingredient, and even as a spread. Not just that, chutneys enhance flavor, provide texture contrast, preserve ingredients and hold cultural significance.

South Indian cuisine is not just about coconut chutney. There is so much variety and one such variety is Kara Chutney which originated in Tamil Nadu where kara means spicy. This chutney is typically made with onion, garlic, tomatoes and red chilies. This chutney because of its spiciness and lot of other flavours pairs perfectly well with foods that do not have lot of complicated flavour combinations like idli, dosa, appams. 

I am a hardcore chutney fan. I need variation when it comes to having chutneys with idli or dosa, even if it is a slight one. And this kara chutney is like an explosion of flavour in your mouth. It is delicious to the core. In fact it is my favourite chutney from South Indian cuisine. You can obviously make it less spicy by adding lesser dried chilies. I also like this Spicy Tangy Peanut Chutney which also pairs great with dosas and idlis. It is made with no onion or garlic. You can give this a try too. 

Originally kara chutney does not contain any coconut but I like to add a little bit to cut down on spice and also I feel coconut kind of balances all the other overpowering flavours of garlic, onion, lentils and tomatoes.

Let’s see how to make Kara Chutney my style with step by step recipe. 

Recipe: serves 4

Ingredients 

  • Onion: 1/2 cup
  • Channa Dal/Bengal gram: 1 tbsp
  • White Split Urad Dal: 1 tbsp
  • Arhar Dal: 1 tbsp
  • Tomatoes: 1 cup
  • Garlic: 2 cloves
  • Dried Red Chillies: 2 (you can increase or reduce as per your liking)
  • Coconut: 2 tbsps
  • Tamarind: 1/2 tsp
  • Water: 1/2 cup
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil: 2 tbsp (I used groundnut oil)

For Tempering

  • Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
  • Curry Leaves: 1 sprig
  • Asafoetida/Hing: a pinch
  • Oil: 1 tsp

Instructions 

  • In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Now add all the lentils. Roast till fragrant and lightlish brown in colour. Take it out and set aside.
  • Now add a tbsp of oil and add roughly chopped garlic. Sauté till rawness goes.
  • Then add onion and dry red chilies. Cook onions till they become translucent. 
  • Now add roughly chopped tomatoes, salt and the fried lentils. Cook everything till tomatoes get mushy and soft. 
  • Switch off the flame and allow to cool. Then in a blender, add tamarind, coconut and 1/4th cup of water and give a blitz. 
  • Remove the lid, scrape the sides and then add remaining water. Blend again till it becomes a smooth paste. You can add little more water if required.
  • For tempering: Heat a tsp of oil. Add mustard seeds and a pinch of hing. Allow it to splutter. Switch off the flame and then add curry leaves. Let the leaves rest in the oil for a few seconds and then pour it over the chutney and mix well.
  • Check for saltiness and tanginess. If you want it more tangy, at this stage you can add little bit of lemon juice. 
  • Serve kara chutney with idli, dosa or uttapam. This spicy chutney also goes well with paniyarams.

Note: Store the leftover chutney is refrigerator and consume within a week.

You should definitely try this chutney if you are a fan of South Indian cuisine. Do let me know in the comments if you do. Would love to hear from you.