One of the oldest surviving regional cuisines in India is that of Karnataka. It has influenced the food habits of its neighboring states, as much as it has absorbed some features from them. It is a state that has a strong tradition of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes using predominantly locally found ingredients like coconut, which is found in abundance. All forms of coconut including oil, milk, fresh and dried are put to rampant and excellent use in its cuisine. Mysore Chutney is a very popular condiment commonly prepared in most households of Karnataka. It is simple to prepare and it enhances the taste of dishes that it accompanies. It pairs well with homemade soft idlis and masala dosa.
Ingredients
1/2 cup chana dal (Bengal gram split)
1 tbsp urad dal (black lentils split)
5 whole dry Kashmiri Red chilis broken into pieces
1 tbsp mashed jaggery (Gur)
3 garlic cloves (lehsun)
1/2 tbsp tamarind mash (imli)
4 kala mirch (peppercorns)
3/4 cup grated coconut
1 tsp powdered chili powder
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil for cooking
How To Make Mysore chutney
- Heat oil in a pan and add the chana dal and urad dal.
- Cook on a moderate flame for a couple of minutes till the dal become golden in color.
- Add red chilis, jaggery, garlic, tamarind mash, kalamirch, mix well and cook on a moderate flame for a minute.
- Add the coconut, powdered chili, salt, and cook on a moderate flame for 1 to 2 minutes while stirring non-stop. Allow to cool for a while.
- Blend with a cup of water into a coarse paste and the chutney is ready to serve.
Trivia:
- Coconut is a misnomer as it is not a nut at all but a stone fruit.
- Coconuts can float long distance over oceans and strike roots again when ashore.
- Coconut palm trees can survive for up to 120 years.
- More than any other fruit, coconut is used in many cosmetic applications.