Coconut Chutney Recipe

Coconut chutney or nariyal chutney is an Indian dip made with fresh coconut. It is a very popular condiment and served with south Indian snack and breakfast like idli, dosa, uttapam as a side dish, or as a dip with appetizers.

It is really very easy to make coconut chutney at home and it can be made in a quickly. This idli dosa chutney also stores well in the fridge and can be frozen for later use.

Ingredients

Coconut chutney is made with very few ingredients. The main ingredient is fresh coconut which is easily available in the Indian grocery stores. Chop them into small chunks with a knife to make it easy for blending.

Cilantro gives a nice green color to the coconut chutney. Roasted chana dal, also known as dalia is added along with some ginger, curry leaves, serrano pepper, and salt. For tempering, some urad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dry whole red chili is added in some hot oil.

Instructions

It is really easy and effortless to make green coconut chutney at home. I have made it in Vitamix but it can be made in any other blender or food processor.

Put all the ingredients including chopped fresh coconut, roasted chana dal, serrano pepper, curry leaves, cilantro, salt, and chopped ginger in the blender jar. Pour a cup of water and blend it from medium to high speed. until the chutney is of semi-smooth consistency.

There should not be any coconut chunks in the chutney after blending. If needed add some more water to make it easier to blend. Transfer the chutney to a small bowl.

To add more flavor, heat a teaspoon of oil in a tadka pan on medium heat. Add a dry red chili, mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves in hot oil and add this tempering to the chutney. You can also add a little lemon juice to help preserve the green color of the chutney.

Mix everything well and chutney is ready to be enjoyed with your favorite south Indian dish.

Variations

This vegan and gluten-free chutney is made with fresh coconut and a handful of other ingredients. There are a few variations that can be done.

Spicy - add more serrano pepper or green chilies if you like the chutney to be spicy in taste. This recipe makes it mild in spiciness.

Peanuts - If you don't have roasted chana dal (dalia) then you can replace them with raw unsalted peanuts.

Coconut - Indian stores usually have fresh coconut, however, if you cannot find one, you can use frozen grated coconut as well.

Yogurt - add some whisked yogurt to the chutney for additional flavor.

Equipment

To make this chutney, I used the Vitamix blender. Any other powerful blender or food processor can be used. While blending just ensure that the chutney is blended to a semi-smooth consistency. You don't want the coconut chunks to be there in the chutney.

Serving suggestions

Coconut chutney is a flavorful dip and condiment and goes well with a lot of South Indian breakfast dishes like idli, dosa, appam, uttapam, and upma. It can also be served as an accompaniment with snacks or appetizers like fritters, kebabs, cutlets, and other finger foods.

Storage

Freshly-made coconut chutney can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 3 days. When you are ready to eat, you can serve it cold or just reheat it in the microwave to get it to room temperature. If you want to store it longer, it is best to freeze it.

Coconut chutney freezes well and it can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Portion the chutney and store it in freezer-safe containers or food storage bags.

When you plan to use it, you can take out the container from the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight. It can also be easily defrosted in the microwave directly.

Top tip

Chop the fresh coconut into small pieces as it makes it easier to blend. Blending larger chunks will take a little longer and can make the coconuts ooze some oil.

You can make the coconut chutney as much green as you like depending and adjust the amount of cilantro accordingly.

Don't forget to rate the recipe by clicking the stars. Also, pin the recipe by clicking the "Pin" button, for your future reference.

📖 Recipe