Tengai Chutney / Coconut Chutney

Dosai is incomplete without the sides. Tengai chutney or coconut chutney is one of the favourite side in our house.

INGREDIENTS

TO GRIND

• Grated coconut – 1 cup (you can use frozen coconut too)
• Green chilly – 2 (you can add more or less)
• Coriander leaves, chopped  – ¼ cup (if you want a white chutney you can leave this out)
• Asafoetida / hing – 1 pinch
• Tamarind – small 20 cents size ball  soaked in a little hot water (if you are using concentrate use a little less than ½ tsp)
• Roasted Bengal gram – 3 tbsp (optional, mainly adds thickness to the chutney, especially if you are low on coconut)
• Salt to taste

FOR TEMPERING

• Oil – 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
• Chana dal – 1 tsp
• Urad dal – 1 tsp
• Dried Red chilly – 1 or 2, broken into smaller pieces
• Curry leaves – 3 -4
• Hing / asafoetida – 1 pinch

METHOD

• If you are using frozen coconut then soak it in hot water for a 3 – 5 mins for it to thaw fast and then strain the excess water.
• Add all the ingredients under the TO GRIND section into a mixer jar and grind to make a smooth paste.
• Make sure you check the taste and adjust the flavours to suit your taste.
• In a small pan, heat the oil and add mustard seeds. After it sputters add the chana dal & urad dal.
• After they turn slightly brown add the hing, red chilly and curry leaves.
• Now top the chutney with this tempering and serve with your hot homemade dosai.