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    Home > Indian Vegan Recipes

    Coconut Chutney

    Posted: Sep 8, 2020 ยท Updated: Apr 15, 2022

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    A freshly ground, brilliantly green coconut chutney makes just about any south Indian snack -- from idli to dosa to vada to upma -- way more delicious. I'll show you how to make the creamiest and best coconut chutney you'll ever eat, and it's so easy! A vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe.
    An overhead shot of creamy green south Indian coconut chutney with cilantro and curry leaves in a steel bowl with a silver spoon on a black background

    If you've been to an Indian restaurant, you've very likely eaten a coconut chutney, and fallen in love with it. This is the chutney served -- along with sambar, a south Indian dal -- as a side to dosas that spill across the plate, or moon-like idlis, or fluffy upma.

    You tear off a bit of the crispy dosa, dunk it into the chutney, and you're in heaven.

    Overhead shot of a creamy green coconut chutney in a steel bowl with a spoon and garnished with curry leaves, served with south Indian upma in steel plates and garnished with cilantro and lemon, all on a black background.

    It would be fair to say that there are as many types of coconut chutney as there are cooks, because no two individuals really make it the same way, and there can be so many permutations of the same handful of ingredients.

    Some things remain constant, however: the coconut as the base, of course, and the essential flavors, like heat from chili peppers, either red and dry or green and fresh.

    This is my coconut chutney, the way I've made it for years, with a unique combination of ingredients I've come up with after years of trying and testing. It goes perfectly with any south Indian tiffin, enhancing it, and it's even made a fan of Desi, who had never been a huge fan of coconut chutneys before he ate this one.

    Contents
    • What we love about this chutney
    • Tips for making the best coconut chutney
    • South Indian tiffin dishes to eat with the chutney
    • Coconut Chutney recipe

    What we love about this chutney

    • It has a combination of fresh and bright flavors.
    • It's so creamy. Coconut chutney can sometimes taste dry, even if it's not really dry, but this one is going to turn out creamy and smooth.
    • It's packed with healthful herbs.
    • It goes with just about any south Indian dish, from an idli to a dosa to upma to uthappam to pongal and so many more.
    • It takes all of five minutes to throw the ingredients together, and then another minute to zap it into smoothness in a blender.
    A closeup front partial shot of a steel bowl with south Indian coconut chutney with a sprig of young curry leaves and in the background is a steel plate with yellow upma with tomatoes and onions.

    Tips for making the best coconut chutney

    • The secret to making this an extra creamy chutney is two kinds of coconut: the grated, unsweetened kind you can buy off the shelf, and full-fat coconut milk of the canned kind. This is a trick I've used for many years now, and shared with you in some past posts on chutneys. Although traditionally Indian cooks would use only freshly grated coconut in a coconut chutney, I came up with this approach because the grated coconut I'd buy in packets always appeared a bit dry. If you have freshly grated coconut -- one you grated yourself after cracking open the brown shell -- you could skip the coconut milk. But I'd recommend still using it because it will definitely make your chutney creamier.
    • Use a big handful of herbs in the chutney for the most flavor. I use curry leaves, cilantro and mint. You can make coconut chutney without any herbs at all, but why would you?
    • You don't have to use all three herbs. If you have more of cilantro and a little mint but no curry leaves, that's okay. Your chutney will taste different, but good different. Or make it just with cilantro or just mint. Again, different but good.
    • Use green chili peppers, if you can, in the chutney. I like the fresh heat they add and they're herby without the sharp bite that a dry red pepper can sometimes add, making your throat feel like you swallowed a fireball. Both jalapeno peppers or serrano peppers will do very well here.
    • Use ginger in your chutney for more complexity and healthfulness. I sometimes toss in a clove of garlic as well, and you definitely can.
    • Add a squeeze of lemon into the chutney, to balance out the flavors.
    • Use a blender, not a food processor, to blend your chutney and make it as smooth as possible.
    • South Indian coconut chutneys are often finished with a tadka or tempering of oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves and--sometimes--red chili peppers. You can do this, and it's a nice touch, but I don't most of the time because the chutney is really flavorful as it is, and I'd rather not add the extra oil. If you do decide to do this, I'll add instructions in the recipe box.

    South Indian tiffin dishes to eat with the chutney

    • Idli, a delicious, gut-friendly food from south India
    • Rava Idli
    • Brown Rice Dosa
    • Ven Pongal, a savory South Indian rice and lentil khichdi
    • Brown Rice Uthappam

    A close up overhead shot of a steel bowl with coconut chutney, curry leaves, cilantro and a silver spoon with plates of upma and a green napkin around it on a black background.
    A freshly ground, brilliantly green coconut chutney makes just about any south Indian snack -- from idli to dosa to vada to upma -- way more delicious. I'll show you how to make the creamiest and best coconut chutney you'll ever eat, and it's so easy! A vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe.

    Coconut Chutney recipe

    A freshly ground, brilliantly green coconut chutney makes just about any south Indian snack -- from idli to dosa to vada to upma -- way more delicious. I'll show you how to make the creamiest and best coconut chutney you'll ever eat, and it's so easy! A vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: nut-free, South Indian, Soy-free
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Coconut chutney
    Prep Time: 5 mins
    Total Time: 5 mins
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 64kcal
    Author: Vaishali ยท Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

    Equipment

    • Blender

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    • ยฝ cup grated coconut
    • ยฝ cup coconut milk (full fat, stir the coconut milk in the can, and then measure it out. Store the remaining in the freezer for future use)
    • 2 sprigs (about 24 leaves) curry leaves
    • ยผ packed cup cilantro (coarsely chopped)
    • 2 tablespoon mint (coarsely chopped)
    • 1 teaspoon ginger (crushed into a paste)
    • Juice of 1 lemon (add little at a time, and then more according to your taste. I like my chutney a bit tart)
    • 2 serrano peppers (coarsely chopped, or jalapeno peppers. Deseed and use less if sensitive to heat)
    • Salt to taste

    For optional tadka or tempering:

    • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
    • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
    • 5-6 curry leaves
    • 1 dry red chili pepper (broken into pieces)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Place all the ingredients into the jar of a blender
    • Blend into a very smooth chutney

    Optional tadka:

    • Heat the coconut oil. Add the mustard seeds, and when they sputter, add the red chili pepper and curry leaves. Stir quickly until peppers begin to change color, about 30 seconds, then turn off heat.
    • Carefully pour over the chutney and serve.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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    A freshly ground, brilliantly green coconut chutney makes just about any south Indian snack -- from idli to dosa to vada to upma -- way more delicious. I'll show you how to make the creamiest and best coconut chutney you'll ever eat, and it's so easy! A vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe. #vegan, #chutney, #southindian, #tiffin | HolyCowVegan.net
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    About Vaishali


    I cook and eat simple, tasty and nutritious plant-based food in my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. Read more about me here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Fresh coconut Exporter

      September 29, 2021 at 10:42 pm

      Nice recipe. I would love to try this recipe.

      Reply
    2. Adi

      September 12, 2020 at 3:38 am

      5 stars
      I really liked the coconut milk addition. It added the pizzazz to my chutny. Best shared secret Thankyou

      Reply
    3. Jay

      September 08, 2020 at 3:50 pm

      5 stars
      Hi I like the recipe but wanted to get clarification on the grated coconut in this recipe. Is it frozen grated coconut or dry grated coconut?
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        September 08, 2020 at 4:01 pm

        Hi Jay, it's the frozen kind--not the dry one--copra--that's used in some Indian recipes.

        Reply

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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

    More about me โ†’

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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

    More about me โ†’

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