CHUTTARACHA THENGA CHAMMANTHI

     Chuttaracha Coconut/ Thenga Chammanthi is a South Indian spicy dry chutney or condiment, a speciality common in North Malabar(KERALA). Coconut and spices are dry roasted in a pan and ground to a paste, mostly a thicker one, locally known as Uruttu Chammanthi/Chuttaracha Chammanthi. It is usually served with cooked rice at lunch and dinner, or along with hot-hot Rice Gruel/Porridge(kanji). Ingredients for making this Coconut chammanthi can vary from region to region. Generally, the ingredients are grated Coconuts, Dried Red Chillies, Shallots and Ginger/Garlic. Other optional ingredients include tamarind, curry leaves, coriander seeds/powder etc., For a twist, some add Dry Shrimps or Dried Fish into it.
     Chuttaracha means Roasted and then Ground and Uruttu means rolling the ground ingredients into a ball. So this Spicy Dry Chutney is called Chuttaracha Chammanthi and Uruttu Chammanthi colloquially. This is a must have condiment in a Kerala household.  One of the best and all the more unavoidable accompaniment served with rice-gruel/porridge(Kanji).
    Coconut is one of the main and major ingredients in almost every dish in Kerala, it's mainly because of its availability locally.  No wonder the State is named Kerala, where 'Kera' means 'Coconut'.  Traditionally the ingredients for this Chammanthi is roasted directly over the flame, slowly and carefully without burning them and then, they are ground in an Ammikkal (A flat stone) and rotund round stone called Kozhava to grind the ingredients).  Grinding them traditionally in a Stone mortar and Pestle, brings out the natural oil from the ingredients, making them tasty and nutritious.
    But in this busy world, I wonder how many households still use this ammikkal, if at all we have them at home, we don't find time and patience to grind in them.  My husband is a big fan of curries and chammanthis ground in ammikkal.  But the irony is I don't have one here in Malaysia and the funny part is, I have never or specifically couldn't master the art of grinding in an Ammikkal.

Cuisine - Kerala (South India)
Recipe Type - Condiment
Spice Level - Medium - High
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 3- 4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 5 Minutes
Cooking Time - 5 - 7 Minutes


You can find more recipes from GODS OWN COUNTRY - KERALA  click here...

 

INGREDIENTS :

Coconut - 1 Cup
Dry Red Chillies - 8 Nos.
Shallots - 6 Nos.
Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
Ginger - 1 Small Piece (Optional)
Tamarind - 1 Small Lime Size
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 2 Tbpsn

 

 METHOD :

• Heat Oil, roast the Dry Red Chillies until they fluff up.
• Add Shallots and saute it until they turn translucent in a very low flame.
• Add Curry leaves, Ginger, grated Coconut and fry until coconuts are dry and turn into a slight golden colour. (Care should be taken not to burn the ingredients).
• Add Tamarind and Salt to the above ingredients, fry until they are dry.
• Allow this mixture to cool.
• Grind it into a smooth paste in Mortar and Pestle or in dry blender jar.
• Do not add water while grinding. 
• Roll the ground ingredients into a ball and serve.
• It's a perfect match for Kanji(rice gruel/porridge) or serve it along with Kerala Rose Matta Rice. 
• Goes well with Dosa, Idli and Vellayappam too.

Notes :

• Can also do this with coconut slices.  If using coconut slices, roast them first, as they will take a longer time to fry. Then add the rest of the ingredients one by one.
• Adjust the amount of Red Chillies and Tamarind to your preference. 
• Tamarind Paste serves best for the recipe.
• If using normal tamarind, remove seeds and threads if any and shred it into small pieces and add it into the mix. Do not soak Tamarind in water for this recipe.
• Traditionally all the ingredients are dry roasted over direct flame and finally, tamarind and salt is added along and ground to a thick paste.
• This is a dry chammanthi, grinding it with mortar and pestle (Ammikkal) yields best results.
• Can use a small blender(mixer-grinder) to grind this too, if needed can add few drops of water to the mixture.
• Roll the ground ingredients into a ball and serve. 
• If preferred, drizzle few drops of coconut oil over the Chammanthi.