Hotel Style Coconut Chutney

Coconut Chutney - two versions

Two versions of coconut chutney are widely popular in Tamil Nadu. One with pottukadalai and tempering. Another is hotel-style coconut chutney (thengai chutney) popularly known as white chutney without tempering. This recipe is for the second type of chutney. Saravana Bhavan also serves this white chutney (thengai chutney in Tamil ).

Hotel white chutney- thengai chutney

This is a very simple chutney recipe with minimum ingredients. In Tamil Nadu, thengai chutney is served as a side dish for idli, dosa, Pongal, vada, and other South Indian tiffin recipes. The moment I think about hotel white chutney I could immediately recollect the hotels Saravana Bhavan, Adayar Ananda Bhavan. I always ask for a second serving of chutney. Being a big fan of restaurant-style coconut chutney | thengai chutney I have experimented with it a number of times and am finally happy with the result!

What is special about hotel thengai chutney?

First and foremost is the super white color which is my favorite. The second is the predominant coconut flavor. Another favorite is the consistency of coconut chutney, not-so-thick consistency. My best liking is taste. Mildly sweet, and not-so-spicy hotel white coconut chutney recipes are my kids’ favorites too.

Can I use roasted gram/ pottukadalai for thengai chutney?

For regular everyday chutney, I do add roasted gram to my chutney, I will soon share that version. In this particular hotel’s white chutney version, I didn’t add roasted gram as it will change the color of the chutney

Can I temper the hotel white coconut chutney?

Yes, you can temper. I tried to recreate the restaurant-style coconut chutney I like, so I skipped tempering

Is it mandatory to soak cashew?

No, you can grind without soaking but I feel the soaked nuts give a smooth creamy chutney. I generally soak cashew in hot water which makes it fast and we can use the soaked water for making chutney

Should I add less water while grinding the chutney?

Always add little water while grinding chutney which helps for the perfect ground texture. After grinding smooth chutney you can add water and adjust the chutney texture according to your preference

Can I add ginger/garlic to the coconut chutney?

Yes, you can add ginger, garlic, onion, or any other extra flavoring of your choice. I tried to recreate the coconut chutney I relish from my favorite restaurant.

Should I use coconut milk to make Hotel thengai chutney?

Coconut is our main ingredient and to grind the chutney smooth we need some liquid. For perfect white chutney out of all the experiments I tried, store-bought coconut milk worked best for me. If you are using homemade coconut milk make sure it is smooth. If you don’t have coconut milk you can use regular milk instead. You can also add very little water instead of coconut milk but personally among coconut milk/ milk/ water in our home we like adding coconut milk and very little water while grinding.

Can I make coconut chutney with just chili?

I tried a version with coconut and just green chilli and it didn’t grind well and the coconut stays grainy. To get a smooth chutney I prefer adding cashew. You can also use almonds if you forgot to soak cashew.

What kind of coconut should I use for Hotel white chutney?

I have used frozen coconut for the chutney. If you are going to use frozen coconut then defrost the coconut and use it for chutney. If you are planning to use fresh coconut avoid grating the brown part as it might affect the chutney color.

Coconut-based recipes in TMF Thogayal | chutney varieties

Ingredients:

Grated coconut - 1 cup, tightly pressed Cashew -4 Thick Coconut milk - 3 tbsp Water - 2 to 3 tablespoon to grind + extra for chutney Green Chilli - 1 Salt - as required