Chutneys are the supporting cast in the South Indian tiffin scenario. The main cast of idlis, dosas or upmas never shine well with out these on the side (literally, in this case).The meal experience is never fulfilling with out these lending their flavors to the main act.

There is an endless array of chutneys out there, most of them different variants of the basic coconut chutney. You can make chutney out of most of the veggies. But my favorite is the onion or tomato chutney, but the man’s heart is really after the coconut kind. So a coriander flavored coconut chutney is a good compromise for us. He gets his coconut flavor and I get my colorful chutney.

This recipe is from the ‘jotting down recipes’ phase of my life. As paper is disappearing more and more from our lives, I was putting in a little effort from my side to preserve the “art” of writing and to prove to my child that my handwriting is not Times New Roman. Needless to say, it didn’t last long. But enjoy the digital version of it where my handwriting really is Times New Roman!

Serves : 2

Ingredients:

To grind together:

• 1/3 cup coconut, grated
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves, packed
• 1.5 tablespoons fried gram (pottu kadalai)
• 2 green chillies (or per taste)
• 1″ piece ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste
• salt as needed

For tadka:

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• a pinch of hing
• 1-2 red chillies
• 2-3 curry leaves

Method: 

1. In a mixer, grind the grated coconut with chillies, washed and cleaned coriander leaves, fried gram, ginger, tamarind and salt. It should be a smooth paste. You might have to add a little water for grinding.Tranfer to the serving bowl and keep aside.
2. To prepare the tadka, heat oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds and red chillies. Once the seeds pop, add the curry leaves and a pinch of hing. Take off the heat after a couple of seconds. Add the tadka to the chutney. Serve with dosa or idli.

Linking to Valli’s Cookbook Cooking Challenge.