1cupCilantro or coriander leavesloosely packed, washed well
2Green chilieschopped roughly
½inchGinger
¼cupRoasted chana dal (Fried gram or daria, dalia)
Salt to taste
½teaspoonSugar
2-3teaspoonsLemon juice
½-¾cupWater
For Tempering:
2teaspoonsOil
½teaspoonMustard seeds
½teaspoonUrad dal (split, skinless black gram)
a pinchHing (Asafoetida)
6-8Curry leaves
Instructions
Take chutney ingredients (water. cilantro, coconut, green chili, ginger, roasted chana dal, salt, sugar and lemon juice) in a grinder or blender jar.
Make a smooth paste and remove it to a bowl.
For tadka (tempering), heat the oil in a small pan on medium-low heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add urad dal and fry until dal becomes light golden in color.
Add hing, curry leaves and turn off the stove.
Immediately add this to the prepared chutney and stir.
Notes
Be sure to grind the chutney to a smooth texture. Because of the coconut, it can stay grainy or chunky if rushed through the grinding process. So add a couple of minutes extra while grinding to make it smooth.
Fry tempering ingredients on medium-low heat. If done this on high heat then urad dal will brown super quick or may burn and stays hard.
If serving for guests then save some tempering for garnishing.
If you like garlicky green coconut chutney, then add 2-3 cloves of garlic to the blender.
Adjust the number of chilies as per liking spice level. The given amount gives a mild to medium spicy taste.
Thaw the frozen coconut before using it.
Storage: Store green coconut chutney in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.