The Ayurveda Experience Blog
When eating south Indian favorites like Dosa (thin Indian pancakes), Idli (fermented rice cakes) and Sambhar Vada (savory fried lentil rings in traditional south Indian vegetable broth), if the coconut chutney is missing then the meal is incomplete. So you must know how to make a delicious Coconut Chutney.
And if you haven’t yet ventured into south Indain cooking and you don’t know how to make Dosa, Idli or Vada, don’t worry. Coconut Chutney is completely versatile. Have it as a dip, a spread or as a topping to steamed vegetables. It’s a delicious side, sauce or condiment that both kids and adults will enjoy.
South Indian Coconut Chutney Recipe
Chutney Ingredients
1/2 raw coconut, peeled and chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro (dhaniya), cut into thick pieces
2 green chillies
1 small lemon, juiced
Salt to taste
Tadka Ingredients
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds (Rie)
pinch red chile powder (optional)
How To Make Coconut Chutney
Make The Chutney
Crack open the coconut and remove the inner meat. Carefully peel the hard skin off of the inner white flesh using a sharp vegetable peeler. Wash it and cut into small pieces.
Mix the coconut pieces, cilantro, green chillies, lemon juice and 2 tbsp water in a mixer to make a fine paste. Place the chutney into a bowl, and add water according to how thick you want your chutney. Set this aside and make the Tadka.
Make The Tadka
Put oil in a small frying pan and heat. Add mustard seeds (Rie) to the hot oil. Once they start to pop turn off the heat. Mix red chile powder into the oil. Add this mustard oil (Rie Tadka) to the chutney and mix well.
Now a tasty Coconut Chutney is ready. Place delicious Coconut Chutney on the table and serve with your favorite food. Enjoy!
Health Benefits Of Coconut Chutney
The main ingredient of this recipe Coconut, is a complete food rich in calories, vitamins, and minerals like copper, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium and zinc. It is a good source of Potassium and B-complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, niacin, thiamine and pyridoxine.
One important saturated fatty acid in the coconut is lauric acid (1:12 carbon fatty acid) which increases good-HDL cholesterol levels in the blood so it has beneficial effects on the coronary arteries by preventing vessel blockage (atherosclerosis).
In one study of 40 women, coconut oil reduced total and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL compared to soybean oil.1 There are also animal studies (rats) showing that coconut oil reduces triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol, increases HDL and improves blood coagulation factors and antioxidant status.2,3,4
It pacifies Vata Pitta and increases the vitality and strength of the body (Balya). With coconut you can make a healthy and tasty chutney for your near and dear ones.
References
1 Assunção ML1, Ferreira HS, dos Santos AF, Cabral CR Jr, Florêncio TM.Lipids.Effects of dietary coconut oil on the biochemical and anthropometric profiles of women presenting abdominal obesity. . 2009 Jul;44(7):593-601. doi: 10.1007/s11745-009-3306-6. E pub 2009 May 13
2 Nevin, K.G., and T. Rajamohan. “Beneficial Effects of Virgin Coconut Oil on Lipid Parameters and in Vitro LDL Oxidation.” Beneficial Effects of Virgin Coconut Oil on Lipid Parameters and in Vitro LDL Oxidation – ScienceDirect, Science Direct, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009912004001201?via%3Dihub.
3 E.B.C. Lima et al Cocos nucifera (L.) (Arecaceae): A phytochemical and pharmacological review, Published online 2015 Aug 18. doi:10.1590/1414-431X20154773.PMCID: PMC4671521
4 Omotosho Ishiaq et al. Bio-nutritional constituents of coconut fruit and its possible medicinal applications African Journal of Plant Science Vol. 6(12), pp. 309-313, September 2012
