We are staying at our maternal grandparents’ home. My twin and I, barely 5 years old, are imitating the tight rope walkers we saw at the circus a few days ago. We are walking along the top of the short ledge that runs along the back patio, barely a foot off the ground. But Grandpa yells for us to get down. I am almost at the end of my tight rope walk and pretend not to hear him. He yells once more, I make it to the end and hop off. He is probably concerned about our safety, but at that age, I don’t see it!
I run into the kitchen to escape any more yelling. Bodi-amma, the cook and general housekeeper, is squatting in front of the large silbatta (grind stone) grinding all the ingredients to fix the coconut chutney for our dosa lunch. I sit cross-legged across from her and watch as she moves the round pestle forward and backward across the rectangular stone, pausing now and then to scoop the chutney to the center of the grindstone. She continues the process until she has a nice, smooth chutney. I can’t wait to eat it with dosas!
Coconut Chutney
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh grated coconut (frozen packets are available at the Indian grocery store)
- 1 green Serrano chili (more or less, according to taste)
- 4 flakes garlic (medium, peeled and washed or 1 tbsp garlic paste)
- 1 tbsp ginger, peeled and washed, or 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves (cleaned and washed)
- 1 tsp tamarind paste (Add more for tartness)
- ¾ tsp salt (or to taste)
- ¾ cup water (add more or less water, depending on the consistency you prefer)
For Tadka / Tempering
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- ½ tsp urd dal
- ½ tsp channa dal
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 6-8 fresh curry leaves
- 1 dry red chili (optional)
Instructions
- Grind or blend all the ingredients (except the coconut) into a smooth paste.
- To the smooth paste, add the shredded coconut and grind or blend until smooth, but still a little textured.
- Pour into a serving bowl and add the tempering.
Tadka / Tempering
- Rinse and drain the dals in a small strainer. Blot dry with a paper towel.
- Heat oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. When hot, add the red chili. As soon as it starts to darken, add the mustard seeds. As they start to splutter in about less than 15 seconds, add the curry leaves and the dals.
- Shake or stir until the dals start to darken in color, approximately 15-20 seconds. Pour over the coconut chutney and gently stir to mix the tadka into the chutney.
- Enjoy it with dosas, idlis, parathas, or dal and rice. It is also good with Allu Bonda.
Silbatta photo by Aditya Gupta on Unsplash