Coconut Chutney

This easy 5-minute spicy coconut chutney dip is the perfect accompaniment to your meals to elevate flavour. It’s also naturally vegan and gluten free!

Coconut chutney dates back to the 17th century where legend has it that Mughal emperor Shah Jahan fell ill and the treatment was to consume something that was light, nutritious and flavourful – and that’s how the great chutney was born.

I would consider coconut chutney as one of the underrated dip or a condiment, as compared to other popular chutneys like green and tomato-onion chutneys. It’s a south indian dip, best paired with tiffin items like dosai (indian crepes) and idli (fluffy rice cakes). It’s often made with coconut pulp or grated coconut blended with other ingredients such as green chillies, ginger and gram dahl or peanuts!

Tips to make the best chutney

The type of blender you use

To blend this chutney, you would need a high speed blender or grinder. I used raw coconut which is even harder to blend than the grated ones or pulp so a grinder was my best option.

You can also use a high speed food processor that does the trick. We just have to ensure all the ingredients are blended evenly and you can add a splash of water to make it easier if required.

Tempering is crucial

We’ve probably seen countless videos of adding hot oil to spices but tempering is slightly different. You add aroma-inducing spices to slightly hot oil and roast them until you inhale that waft of nuttiness, spice and fragrance. Then pour them over your chutney, hear that sizzle and give it a good mix before serving!

Also be careful not the burn the spices! In that case, you would lose all the flavour and tempering wouldn’t make much of a difference.