Chammanthi
Whenever I am super busy and don’t have much time on hand, this is the recipe I prefer to make. It is a spicy delicious coconut chammanthi made Kerala style. It is relatively easy to make and pairs well with steamed rice, Specially when you serve it with some kind of vegetable thoran and egg omelette.
About Kerala Chammanthi
Chammanthi, it is nothing but chutney or thogayal. Thengai chammanthi is a popular Kerala side dish for rice. This is an easy recipe made with coconut, shallots, tamarind coconut oil, chillies, curry leaves, ginger. The texture of the chammanthi has to be thick without any water content. The chammanthi has to be made without any water, because it is usually served with rice or packed in banana leaf for long travels. Keralites make an amazing pothichoru which is a banana leaf wrapped lunch when travelling. This chammanthi is added in that. So making it without water prevents the chutney from getting spoiled. Some recipes uses green chillies, but I prefer dry red chillies. I like to use few kashmiri red chillies which gives me the colour without making it too spicy. The chammanthi is so flavourful with shallots, ginger, curry leaves and coconut oil, so you don’t need much. Just a small portion of the chammanthi mixed with rice is enough. Traditionally served with rice, kanji, it taste good with idli or dosa. Also check coconut chutney and tomato chutney.
More Chutney Recipes
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Watch Chammanthi Video
Thengai Chammanthi Ingredients
Fresh Coconut - coconut is one of the most important ingredient in chammanthi. It is best to use freshly grated coconut because of the natural moistness in the coconut makes this chutney tasty. If you only have frozen coconut or dry coconut, check below for instructions. Shallots - even though you can use onions in this. Shallots also known as chinna ulli, ulli or sambar onion is preferred for their flavour. Ginger - fresh ginger adds a earthy aroma to the chammanthi and also helps with digestion. Curry Leaves - main flavouring for this raw chammanthi is curry leaves. When ground with coconut it adds a the earthy flavour to the dish. Dry Red chillies - I used a mix of dry red chillies and kashmiri red chillies for colour. In some recipe green chillies is also used. But using red chillies gives the bright colour. Tamarind - fresh tamarind is ground with the chutney to add a zingy taste to the chammanthi. Don’t use too much just a small piece goes a long way. Instead of tamarind, you can use chopped piece of sour raw mango or store bought tamarind paste. Coconut oil - this chammanthi doesn’t uses water when grinding. So a final drizzle of coconut oil will bring this whole dish together and also preserves it longer.
How to Make Thengai Chammanthi
Pre-preparation - Peel shallots, grate coconut, peel and chop ginger, chillies can be used as needed. Grinding - Take all ingredients in a blender except coconut, salt and oil. Pulse few times. Add coconut and salt. Grind to a mixture without adding water. Remove to a plate. Serving - Add coconut oil and shape it into ball. Serve with rice or kanji.
Fresh, Dry or Frozen Coconut for Making Chammanthi
Freshly grated coconut has the moist texture which is essential for the texture. The moistness in the coconut helps with the grinding. But if you don’t have access to fresh coconut you can use dry or frozen. Dry coconut - also known as desicaated coconut. Follow the recipe as it is, you might need to add 1-2 extra shallots. Once the dry coconut is blended with the chammanthi, it may looks slightly coarse. Add some oil and mix well to form a thick mix. Chammanthi made with dry coconut stays fresh longer. Frozen coconut - thaw the frozen coconut in fridge for few hours before grinding for even texture.
How to Make Chammanthi (Stepwise Pictures)
Grinding Shallots
1)Take peeled shallots, ginger, tamarind in a blender jar. If you prefer to use garlic in the chammanthi, you can add a small cloves of garlic. Also instead of shallots you can use quarter of a small onion. 2)Now add in chillies. You can add more or less depending on the spice level you can handle. I used a combination of dry red chillies and kashmiri dry red chillies. 3)Add in curry leaves. This is one of the important ingredient which adds flavour to the chutney. 4)Grind this mixture to a coarse mix. Don’t add water when grinding. You can use a spatula to scrape the sides of the blender jar when grinding.
Add in Coconut
5)Once the shallots chilli mix is ground coarse. Add in freshly grated coconut. 6)Add in salt to taste. 7)Now lets grind the coconut mix coarse. 8)Don’t add in water when grinding coconut. The moistness from the coconut is enough to make the chammanthi. If you use water when grinding then it will spoil fast. 9)You have to grind the chammanthi in this texture. It has to be thick, yet coarsely ground. Taste at this point and add in salt, tamarind or more chillies.
Serving Chammanthi
10)Take the ground chammanthi in a plate. You can serve it just like this or drizzle some coconut oil over the coconut mixture and mix well. Pro Tip: Use only best quality coconut oil. Don’t add any other oil. 11)Coconut oil helps preserve the chutney longer and also adds flavour. 12)Shape the chutney into a ball. You can break small portion from this and serve with rice.
Expert Tips
Don’t add water when grinding the chutney. The moistness from the coconut and shallots is enough to bring the chutney together. This chutney is supposed to be thick. Adding coconut oil enhances the taste of the chutney. You can add some garlic if you want garlic flavoured chutney.
What do we call chammanthi in English?
Chammanthi, it is nothing but chutney or thogayal. Thengai chammanthi is a popular Kerala side dish for rice.
What is Chammanthi Made of?
This is an easy recipe made with coconut, shallots, tamarind coconut oil, chillies, curry leaves, ginger. The texture of the chammanthi has to be thick without any water content.
What is the difference between chutney and chammanthi?
Chutney usually has water added and it is more pourable in consistency while chammanthi is thick and doesn’t have water added. Check my chutney recipes.
What is the shelf life of chammanthi?
Chammanthi stays good for few hours to a day. If you want to store longer, you can keep in fridge for 2 days. Since it is made with fresh coconut it may spoil fast.
Can I use dry coconut or Frozen Coconut for chammanthi?
Yes you can use dry coconut or frozen coconut for making chammanthi. Chammanthi made with dry coconut stays fresh longer.
More Thogayal or Chammanthi Recipes to Try
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