Idli Chutney or Dosa Chutney is an easy South Indian condiment made with coconut, green chilies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves. The ingredients are blended to a smooth consistency and finished with a tempering of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chilies and curry leaves. Made without roasted chana dal or tamarind, this simple chutney pairs well with idli, dosa, medu vada and other tiffin snacks.
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 5 minutes
- Total time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3
- Category: Condiment
- Cuisine: South Indian
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut (– freshly grated, can also use frozen coconut)
- 1 to 2 green chilies (or add more as per taste)
- ½ inch ginger (– peeled & chopped)
- 1 to 2 small to medium-sized garlic cloves (– peeled & chopped)
- 4 to 5 curry leaves
- 4 to 5 tablespoons water (– for grinding the chutney)
- salt (according to taste)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 red dry chili (– torn or halved and seeds removed)
- 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing))
- 4 to 5 curry leaves
Method
Grinding Chutney Ingredients
- In a chutney grinder jar, take the grated coconut, green chilies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves.
- Add 4 to 5 tablespoons water and grind all the chutney ingredients to a smooth and fine consistency.
- Transfer the prepared chutney to a steel or glass bowl and set aside.
Tempering & Making Idli Chutney
- Heat oil in a tadka pan or small frying pan. Lower the heat.
- First add mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
- Next add the cumin seeds.
- Let the cumin seeds also splutter.
- Next add the dry red chili, asafoetida and curry leaves. Mix with a small spoon.
- When the curry leaves become crisp and the red chili darkens in color, pour the tempered ingredients and the hot oil over the chutney.
- Mix well and serve Idli Chutney or Dosa Chutney with idli, dosa or vada.
Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note
Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.