Idli and dosa cannot be imagined without coconut chutney. It is such an essential accompaniment to both idli and dosa. Coconut is easily available in coastal Karnataka as many homes have this tree in their yard, so is the case with my parents’ home. 

Traditionally coconut is cut open in half and grated by hand using a grating tool which is still how my Amma makes it.

When I came to the US it was hard to find fresh coconut and even if you did it was a major task to cut it open without proper tools. Initially I used dessicated coconut or dry coconut to make chutney with disappointing results. After a while when I was browsing the frozen section of the grocery market happened to find frozen coconut. I tried making chutney out of it getting my Amma’s recipe but the outcome was not satisfactory, but better than dry coconut. Long story short, coconut needs to be thawed well and then ground in a blender for about 3-4 minutes to get the right consistency. 

The coconut chutney I make now is exactly like my Amma makes. You can’t tell that it is made from frozen coconut and tastes like fresh coconut.

Let’s get started with making coconut chutney.