Venkatesh Bhat makes Onion Chutney

Ingredients

• 150 g Fresh Grated Coconut (white flesh only, grated from the larger half of a mature coconut)
• 50 g Roasted Gram (Chana Dal) (dry roasted, adds body and reduces wateriness)
• 3 pieces Green Chillies (light coloured, medium spiciness; break in half before adding)
• 20 g Ginger (peeled and cut into small pieces)
• 0.75 tsp Salt (about a quarter teaspoon for coconut chutney; adjust to taste)
• 60 ml Water (room temperature) (approximately 1/4 tumbler, used for grinding coconut chutney)
• 150 g Onion (peeled, roughly chopped; about 2 medium onions)
• 5 pieces Byadagi (Mangalore) Red Chillies (mild, bright red; essential for authentic colour)
• 15 g Tamarind Pulp (use sparingly; adjust sourness to taste)
• 35 g Jaggery (adjust sweetness; can use 30‑40 g as per preference)
• 20 g Coconut Pieces (small chunks, 4 pieces; no need to grate for onion chutney)
• 1.5 tsp Salt (onion chutney) (about half a spoon, adjust to taste)
• 120 ml Water (room temperature) (approximately 1/2 tumbler, used for grinding onion chutney)
• 30 ml Coconut Oil (2 tbsp for tempering both chutneys)
• 1 piece Red Chillies (whole) (cut into pieces for tempering)
• 0.75 tsp Mustard Seeds (about 3/4 tsp, add to hot oil)
• 0.5 tsp Urad Dal (split black gram) (add after mustard seeds, fry till golden brown)
• 5 sprigs Curry Leaves (add at end of tempering)

Instructions

1. Grate Fresh Coconut

   Using a fine grater, grate only the white flesh of the larger half of a mature coconut, avoiding the brown shell.

   Time: PT2M

2. Add Coconut Chutney Base Ingredients

   Place the grated coconut, 50 g roasted gram, 3 broken green chillies, 20 g ginger pieces, 1/4 tsp salt and 60 ml room‑temperature water into the mixer jar.

   Time: PT1M

3. Grind Coconut Chutney

   Blend on the slow/first speed for 1–1.5 minutes until a coarse paste forms. Stop the mixer before it heats up.

   Time: PT2M

4. Transfer Coconut Chutney

   Spoon the coconut chutney into a serving bowl.

   Time: PT0.5M

5. Prepare Onions

   Peel two medium onions (≈150 g) and roughly chop them; they will be ground later.

   Time: PT2M

6. Add Onion Chutney Ingredients

   Into the same mixer, add the chopped onions, 5 Byadagi red chillies, a small piece of tamarind pulp, 35 g jaggery, 4 coconut pieces, 1.5 tsp salt, and 120 ml water.

   Time: PT1M

7. Grind Onion Chutney

   Blend on low speed for 1.5–2 minutes until a coarse, uniformly coloured paste is achieved. Stop before the motor gets hot.

   Time: PT2M

8. Transfer Onion Chutney

   Move the onion chutney to a separate bowl.

   Time: PT0.5M

9. Prepare Tempering (Seasoning)

   Heat 30 ml coconut oil in a small pan over medium flame. Add the cut red chilli, then 0.75 tsp mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add 0.5 tsp urad dal and fry until golden brown. Finally, toss in the curry leaves and turn off the heat.

   Time: PT3M

   Temperature: medium flame

10. Finish and Garnish

    Divide the hot tempering equally between the two chutney bowls, stir gently, and garnish each with a whole red chilli piece on top.

    Time: PT1M

11. Serve

    Serve the coconut and onion chutneys alongside idly, dosa, pongal or any South Indian breakfast item.

    Time: PT0.5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

150

Protein

2 g

Carbohydrates

20 g

Fat

7 g

Fiber

3 g