Coconut and Fried Onion Chutney

A Variations to the coconut chutney
This is just one of the chutneys we make at home to go with either dosa or idli. The bland idli tastes best when paired off with something hot and spicy. We usually make a batch of the ulli chammanthi or onion chutney (recipe given here) and store it in the refrigerator. This chutney here is a variation to the ulli chammanthi and the usually coconut chutney. This is a coconut chutney with a little twist.

Ingredients

Coconut - 1 cup

Onion - 1/4th

Dried red chillies - 2 to 3

Curry leaves - 3-4

Salt to taste

Oil - 1tsp

for seasoning

Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp

Curry leaves - 5-6

Oil - 1 tsp

Chop the onions. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions in it till light brown. When done, add the dried red chillies give it a stir and take it off the gas. Grind the grated coconut, the fried onion, dried red chillies curry leaves and salt with little water to a fine paste. Add water to get a thickish consistency. Pour it  out into a bowl, check for salt and add if necessary.

 

Heat a pan for the tadka, add the oil and when hot add the mustard seeds. When it splutters, add the curry leaves and take it off the gas and pour it over the chutney.

 

If Sambhar onions or cheriya ulli is added to this recipe, the chutney's taste is elevated to a completely different lever. I did not have the cheriya ulli so used savaalla ulli or the usual onions in this recipe.

 



Ulli Chammanthi / Onion Chutney

The chutney or chammanthi elevates the taste of food, just like that spicy achaar with a bowl of dal chawal. In Kerala, we have a variety of chammanthis made to complement different dishes. I remember as children when we vacationed with my grandparents in Kerala, the day would start with two items for breakfast. My grandparents needed their fix of kanji (rice gruel) and the rest of the family wanted some palaharam that was either idli or dosa or rawa / godambu upma or godambu or aree podi puttu or appam. We children were encouraged to eat both by our grandparents. They would offer all the accompaniments as enticement - the regular fixture - chammanthi, next papadam, add to that thoren and not to miss the kadumaangaa or any uppilittathu. Actually, I did not need much coaxing - I loved it, but it was nice to have muthachan and ammumma encouraging us. For me, the best combination was hot kanji with a bit of ghee and salt and lots of chammanthi in the side plate. The chammanthi was especially yum if made by my P ammayi. It was a simple coconut-green chilli-curry leaves ground on the ammikalu (grinding stone) with mango when in season. The slightly ripe mango elevated the chammanthi to ambrosial heights. Just thinking of that chammanthi makes my mouth water.

 

Today, I bring you a simple Ulli chammanthi that goes very well with idli and complements the coconut chutney. Ulli chammanthi is made in a lot of ways in Kerala, one version uses the cheriya ulli / sambhar onions / shallots simply crushed with green chillies to go with boiled kappa (tapioca). The one I am making today has savaalla ulli (onions / pyaz) and dry red chillies as the main ingredients. Without much ado, lets go to the recipe.

 

Ingredients

Onions - 2 medium

Kashmiri dry red chillies - 7-8 or Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp.

Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves - about 8-10 crushed and torn to pieces by hand

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt

Chop the onions roughly. Grind the red chillies and the onions to a fine paste with a little salt and keep aside. Heat a kadai, add the coconut oil and when it is hot add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard has spluttered add the curry leaves and stir with spoon. Add the ground onion - red chilli paste and mix it well. Keep the heat on low to medium and stir it on and off so that it doesn't stick to the bottom. Taste it for salt at this stage and add some if required. When the oil starts leaving the sides and the mix starts coming together take it off the gas and serve it!

Pair this chammanthi with idli, it really complements the blandness of idli. Enjoy!