Red Coconut Chutney For Idli and Dosa (Kerala Style)

Red coconut chutney recipe- Kerala style red coconut chutney is a side dish for idli and dosa. The vibrant red color is the result of lightly roasted Kashmiri chilly. Unlike the other nadan coconut chutney; which is best to have with rice or kanji, but this Kerala style coconut chutney is only suitable for idli and dosa.

For authentic Kerala dishes, coconut oil is a must along with fresh curry leaves. My mother-in-law is adamant that red chilies should be lightly roasted in coconut oil as according to her the raw taste of the chillies would be otherwise evident. I have seen some families using raw Kashmiri chilli powder to grind along with coconut, but like mentioned above the rawness of the chillies are quite evident.

Step by Step:

Serves: 3

Heat a cast iron skillet / kadai or non stick pan with 1/2 tsp of coconut oil. Once it starts to heat add in Kashmiri chillies and lightly roast it, you should be careful not to let the color change; so it is best to put the flame to the lowest.

Add grated coconut into the chutney grinder.

Add the roasted red chilies, salt, and a wee bit water so as to make the grinding easier.

Grind to a fine paste.

Heat the same pan with another tsp of coconut oil (if you are health conscious, you can skip as there might be little oil remaining in the pan; which is what I did here). Add in mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. Add in sliced shallots (cheriya ulli), broken red chillies, and curry leaves. Put the flame on medium

Add in the grinded coconut.

And add in some water about 3/4 to 1 cup. Mix well, allow it to start boiling and immediately switch off the fire. Serve with idli and dosa.

Red Coconut Chutney Recipe For Idli and Dosa (Kerala Style)

PREP TIME: 2 mins | COOK TIME: 5 mins | AUTHOR:: NISA HOMEY

INGREDIENTS

Whole Kashmiri Chillies: 7
Grated Coconut: 1/2 cup
Shallot / Cheriya Ulli: 2
Cocout Oil: 1 tsp (divided)
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Water: About 3/4 to 1 cup
Curry Leaves: 1 sprig
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Whole Kasmiri Chillies: 2 or 3, broken
ingredient 10

METHOD:

Heat a cast iron skillet / kadai or non stick pan with 1/2 tsp of coconut oil.

Once it starts to heat add in Kashmiri chillies and lightly roast it, you should be careful not to let the color change; so it is best to put the flame to the lowest.

Add grated coconut into the chutney grinder.

Add the roasted red chilies, salt, and a wee bit water so as to make the grinding easier.

Grind to a fine paste.

Heat the same pan with another tsp of coconut oil (if you are health conscious, you can skip as there might be little oil remaining in the pan; which is what I did here).

Add in the grinded coconut.

And add in some water about 3/4 to 1 cup. Mix well, allow it to start boiling and immediately switch off the fire. Serve with idli or dosa.

NOTES

Once the chutney starts to boil, you should stop the cooking as boiling grinded coconut for long with alter the taste.
I used very little coconut oil; however, you can use more if you are not that health concious. Also, the taste would be better with more oil.
If you like the chutney to be very lose consistency you can add in 1 cup of water, else you can add 3/4 cup. I like it to be semi thick.
Try to use coconut oil and curry leaves. If you are using oridinary chillies then reduce by half, but the color many not be very red.
Again, if you are health concious you can roast the chillies in a greased pan without oil