Coconut Chutney

Storing and Planning Ahead

Keeps 2 days refrigerated. It thickens; loosen with cold water.

Coconut Chutney: The Method

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1. Put the coconut, roasted gram, green chillies, ginger and salt in a blender.

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2. Add half the ice-cold water and blend to a thick paste.

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3. Add the rest of the water a little at a time until it is the thickness of double cream.

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4. Scrape into a bowl.

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5. Heat the coconut oil in a small pan and pop the mustard seeds for 30 seconds.

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6. Add the dried chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida and fry 15 seconds, until the leaves crackle.

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7. Pour the tempering over the chutney.

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8. Stir it through just before serving, or leave it sitting on top.

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A Few Pointers

• Roasted gram dal is what stops it splitting.
• Ice-cold water in the grinder.
• Temper last and pour it over hot.

Why the Method Is What It Is

Roasted gram dal is what stops the chutney splitting into water and coconut within the hour. It has no other job and no substitute does it as well — it absorbs the water and holds the emulsion. Grind with ice-cold water: a warm grinder turns coconut oily and the chutney goes greasy and grey.

Serving Ideas

Dosa · Idli · Medu vada

Swaps and Variations

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the green chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.

What's in a Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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