Thenga Chammanthi (Coconut Chutney)
Chammanthi is a staple in Kerala households, and this traditional Kerala Thenga Chammanthi Recipe represents a classic variation. In Kerala, every household has its unique take on chammanthi, with variations like the exclusion of ginger, curry leaves, or onions. This particular recipe captures the essence of chammanthi, blending the rich flavors of ginger, shallots, curry leaves, and tamarind with freshly grated coconut for a super flavorful experience.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Grated Coconut (If you use freshly scraped coconut, nothing like it)
- 1-2 tsp Dried red chilli flakes (refer notes)
- 4 Small / pearl onions (sliced)
- 1/2 tsp Chopped Ginger
- Small lemon size Tamarind (valan puli or sambar puli) (refer notes)
- Salt
- Coconut Oil
- 3-5 Curry leaves
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan & add small onions, ginger, curry leaves & dried red chilli flakes. Fry for 2-3 minutes, till you get the roasted smell. Add coconut & mix well. Just fry it for a minute or two. DO NOT brown it. Remove from fire & let it cool. Add tamarind & salt to this mix. Ground it in the smallest jar of the mixie. Ideally no water should be added, but I end up adding 1/2 – 1 tbsp of water. You can serve it with rice,kanji or idli & dosa.
Notes
If you don’t have dried red chilli, you can use chilli powder. Use around 2 tsp (adjust to suit your taste). Also, you can increase or reduce the qty of tamarind to suit your taste. But first do a taste test of tamarind, some variety tends to be very strong. Also, it’s better to add salt after tasting tamarind, because some tamarinds can be very salty. So, adjust the qty of salt accordingly. Try to grind the chammanthi without water, if it’s possible.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!