Coconut Treat :)

South Indian Kitchens are incomplete without coconut making it's presence felt in some form or the other. I am one pakka South Indian who loves to relish coconut in the innumereable dishes be it savoury or sweet. Oh yeah..there was a phase when I was petrified by the huge "give up eating coconut or else you'll land up being obese, develop high cholestrol or heart problems" and eating coconut based dishes seemed no less than paticipating in 'Fear Factor':(

As you all know that when one is afraid of something..that is the time when you see more of it around u...lol, so rightly there were articles in newspapers, health shows with doctors and dieticians blowing it out of proportion. I gave up eating coconut almost completely :)

I got over this phase gradually for the museum piece that I am ;), moral of the story Moderation is the key! Eating what you like is fine but knowing what quantity is right for you works like the magic words ABRACADABRA!!!

Chalo now let's get back to the purpose of this post :)Today's recipes are:

1. Coconut chutney - Recipe from my Amma.

2. Coconut Kadhi- Recipe by Tarla Dalal, book: Curries and Kadhis

Recipe for Coconut chutney:

Ingredients:
1 tbsp- Udad dal

1 small bowl- Grated coconut

1 pinch- Hing

2-Red chillies

1 small piece- Tamarind

Salt to taste

Tempering:

1tsp- Mustard seeds

5-6 Curry leaves

1tsp oil

Method:

1. Dry fry the udad dal, red chillies till it gives out nice aroma. Put the flame off and add hing.

2. Once the ingredients cool, grind it along with coconut, tamarind and salt adding water to get desired consitency.

3. Transfer it to a serving bowl.

4. Heat oil in a tempering pan add mustard seeds and curry leaves, when they begin to pop put off the flame, and pour it over the chutney and mix well.

5. The tasty coconut-udad dal chutney is ready to be served.

Coconut Kadhi:

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups coconut milk

2 tbsp besan (Bengal gram flour)

3/4 cup fresh curds

2 cardamoms

2 cloves

1" stick cinnamon

1 bay leaf

6 curry leaves

1 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp chopped green chillies

1/2 tsp red chilli powder ( my addition)

1tsp sugar ( my addition)

salt to taste

Method:
1. Add the besan to the curds beat well and set it aside.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the cardamom, cloves, bay leaf and curry leaves.

3. When the curry leaves splutter, add the ginger and green chilli and stir for a few seconds.

4. Add the coconut milk and 1 cup of water and bring it to boil, while stirring continuously.

5. Add the besan -curd mixture , salt and mix well. Simmer on a low flame till the kadhi thickens while stirring continuoulsy.

6. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.