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Chammanthi podi
Dry coconut chutney powder
ചമ്മന്തിപ്പൊടി: Kerala dry coconut chutney roasted slowly to a deep red-brown with chilli, shallots and tamarind (about 250 g jar)
Kerala students heading off to hostels in Bengaluru or Chennai always seem to have a jar of chammanthi podi from home in their bags, because it makes a plate of plain rice and curd into a meal. Fresh grated coconut is roasted with dried chillies, shallots, ginger and curry leaves for the best part of half an hour, until it turns a deep, toasty reddish brown, then ground with tamarind and salt. The result is a moist, oily, smoky powder that tastes of coconut first, then sourness and heat. Serve it with kanji (rice gruel), with puttu and banana, or spread on dosa and idli. Common mistake: taking the coconut off the heat when it is merely golden. The remaining moisture makes the podi spoil within days; it must be uniformly dark and completely dry. Chef's tip: keep the flame low and stir without stopping for the last 10 minutes, as coconut goes from brown to burnt very fast.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 7 oz fresh grated coconutfrom about 1 medium coconut
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp skinned split urad dal
- 10 dried red chillieshalf Kashmiri for colour
- 6 shallotsthinly sliced
- ⅓ oz fresh gingerfinely chopped
- 15 curry leaves
- ½ oz tamarindseedless
- 1 tsp salt
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a heavy kadai over a medium-low heat and fry 1 tbsp skinned split urad dal and 10 dried red chillies for 1–2 minutes until the dal is golden and the chillies crisp. Lift them out onto a plate.
2 minStep 2: Add 7 oz fresh grated coconut, 6 shallots, ⅓ oz fresh ginger and 15 curry leaves to the pan and roast over a medium-low heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until the coconut is dry and light golden.
10 minStep 3: Lower the heat and keep stirring constantly for 10–12 minutes more, until the coconut is evenly deep reddish brown, smells toasty and feels completely dry and sandy. Add ½ oz tamarind for the last minute so it dries and softens.
12 minStep 4: Tip onto the plate with the chillies and leave to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
20 minStep 5: Grind the chillies, urad dal, tamarind and 1 tsp salt first, then add the coconut mixture and pulse to a coarse, moist powder; the oil from the coconut will make it clump slightly.
3 minStep 6: Pack into a clean, dry, airtight jar. It keeps for 2–3 weeks at room temperature or 2 months in the fridge; discard it if it smells rancid.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 65 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chammanthi podi take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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