I know I have been posting cilantro recipes back to back. When life gives you cilantro, make everything with cilantro. :-) After cilantro-lentils spice mix and cilantro rice, here is another easy South Indian style chutney recipe with cilantro.
Assorted chutneys for idli and dosa
In India, coriander leaves is the most common term used for cilantro. This coriander-coconut chutney or cilantro-coconut chutney is quite popular, and it’s one among the assorted chutneys that you can find in the restaurants in the idli/dosa platter. The other two popular chutneys are coconut chutney and onion chutney. Ok, now coming to this chutney, it’s not the restaurant-style chutney for sure. I have used lentils, more urad dal like thengai thuvaiyal/coconut chutney for rice so that you can serve it as an accompaniment for both rice and tiffin varieties. It’s more like the wet version of my kothamalli podi sans tamarind but with coconut. If you plan to serve it with rice, grind it slightly thick and coarse. If you plan to serve it with tiffin items, you can add extra water and make the chutney in pouring consistency and smooth.
Ingredients required
Cilantro/ fresh coriander leaves – I used one small bunch approx 66 grams of cilantro for this chutney. You can include the stems too. Dried red chilis – We need 4 to 5 dried red chilies but adjust to taste. Lentils – We need both urad dal (whole black gram) and chana dal (split desi chickpeas). I have used 3 tbsp of urad dal and 1 tbsp of chana dal. You can use an equal measure or experiment with the ratio. We need 4 tbsp of lentils for this recipe. Coconut – I have used ½ cup of grated coconut. The fresh or frozen coconut should be ok. Oil – We need oil to roast the ingredients and also to temper. Tempering ingredients: We need mustard seeds and a little bit of asafoetida to temper the chutney. Apart from these ingredients, we need salt and water.
Dietary specifications and serving suggestions
This cilantro-coconut chutney is vegan and nut-free by nature. Use gluten-free asafoetida or skip it for a gluten-free version. This chutney pairs well with idli and dosa. You can also serve it as a side for yogurt rice, upma, and savory pongal. I love mixing it with rice with a dollop of gingelly oil and relish it with papad. Kothamalli chutney stays good for up to 2 days when refrigerated. I haven’t tried storing beyond that.
Cilantro-coconut chutney recipe with step-wise pictures
Heat a pan or kadai and add ½ tsp oil. When it is hot, add the urad dal and roast until it turns deep golden brown. Transfer it to a mixer jar.
Add ½ more tsp of oil in the same pan, roast the dried red chilies until they turn crisp, and transfer it to the mixer jar.
Now, roast the chana dal in the same pan until it turns deep golden brown and transfer it to the mixer jar.
Turn off the heat and add the cilantro to the same pan and let it wilt.
When the lentils are cooled down, add the cilantro into the mixer jar and add salt as well.
Blend it roughly without adding any water.
Then add the coconut.
Grind into a smooth chutney by adding ¾ to 1 cup of water.
In a separate tempering pan, heat 1 tsp of oil. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and asafoetida. When the mustard seeds splutter, add them to the chutney and serve the kothamalli chutney with idli or dosa.
Recipe notes
Adjust the salt and spices to taste.You can include small betel nut size tamarind or ½ tsp of tamarind paste.If you are serving this chutney with rice, use ⅓ to ½ cup of water and grind it slightly coarsely.
More chutney recipes from my blog archives
While I highly recommend you to check my easy coconut chutney recipe, don’t miss these ones too.
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📖 Recipe
