Red Coconut Chutney (Kerala Style)

ByDassana Amit Updated onApr 09, 2025

As I have mentioned earlier, our love for chutney in Indian cuisine is truly something special! We really can’t get enough of the innumerable varieties of this particular condiment that India has to offer. One such amazing Chutney creation is this Kerala style Red Coconut Chutney. Yes, red because of the dried red chilies in it, yet not something that is too spicy to handle! The flavor of this chutney is as beautiful as it looks. Thus, instantly becomes a great pair with Dosa, Idli, Medu Vada, Uttapam and Appe.

About Red Coconut Chutney

Get your chutney ingredients together and give them a blitz in the blender to a smooth chutney. Follow up with a basic South Indian tempering, pour it over the prepared chutney and give it a good mix. See, how simple, easy and quick this Red Coconut Chutney is!

In addition to the coconut, another typical ingredient that I add in this Kerala special Red Coconut Chutney recipe are pearl onion or sambar onions. These tiny onion variety are milder and sweeter.

red coconut chutney served in a green colored bowl placed on a green colored plate with folded dosas kept on the upper left side and text layovers.

Thus, bring in just the perfect balance in the chutney too. But don’t fret, if you can’t source them. You can use shallots or onions too, if you don’t have these.

For the tempering, there’s nothing fancy at all. You have your regular mustard seeds, curry leaves, urad dal (husked split black gram) and again some pearl onions.

The obvious choice of oil to keep the authenticity intact is coconut oil. I would totally suggest sticking to this only.

In case you want to tone down the raw taste of the red chilies in this Red Coconut Chutney, then you can either dry roast or roast lightly in some coconut oil before adding to the grinder jar.

Also, if you can’t imagine your food without garlic, go ahead add some in this chutney too.

However, while adding the water, take care. You don’t want to turn this gorgeous Red Coconut Chutney too thick or super runny.

The quantity that I have mentioned in my recipe list is good enough to result in the perfectly smooth, thickish chutney.

This Red Coconut Chutney is quick to prepare, if you have the grated coconut ready and handy. Besides adding the required bit of heat in this chutney, the dried red chilies also bring in a unique smoky flavor.

Like I said in the previous section, the pearl onions too also add their flavor and make the chutney special.

Usually, at my home, we all prefer a coconut chutney with roasted chana dal and coconut. However, to have a change and variety at times, I make this Kerala style Red Coconut Chutney too.

If you are looking for more variations of a chutney made with coconut, then make sure to not miss on these recipes of Red Chilli Chutney and this Coconut Chutney Recipe made in 2 ways.

Sometimes I also add green chilies, if I have them. Otherwise, there are the red chilies. Depending on the type of red chilies added, the taste may vary in pungency and spiciness. So, you can add the red chilies accordingly.

This Red Coconut Chutney made Kerala way is a fantastic accompaniment with South Indian tiffin snacks like rava idli, rava dosa, medu vada, Mysore bonda and even uttapams.

How to make Red Coconut Chutney

Blend Ingredients

1. In a chutney grinder or a small high speed blender, take the below listed ingredients:

½ cup tightly packed grated coconut
1 tablespoon chopped sambar onions/pearl onions (or chopped shallots or onions)
2 to 3 dried red chilies (halved or broken or chopped and deseeded)
1 inch peeled and chopped ginger

If you want to tone down the raw taste of red chilies, then just roast them lightly in a pan. You can also sauté them in a bit of coconut oil.

Apart from ginger, you can also add a few peeled garlic cloves.

grated fresh coconut, chopped shallots, dried red chilies and chopped ginger added in a grinder jar.

2. Add salt as required and ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon water. You can also add water as required, depending on your grinder and its speed.

3. Grind or blend to a fine consistency.

4. Take the chutney in a small steel bowl or pan and keep aside.

Temper Red Coconut Chutney

5. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a small pan. In the picture below, this is coconut oil which has solidified due to winters.

heating coconut oil in a small pan for tempering red coconut chutney.

6. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and allow them to crackle on low heat.

crackling mustard seeds in hot coconut oil.

7. Then, add ½ teaspoon urad dal (husked split black gram).

8. Stirring often, fry the urad dal till it turns maroonish golden.

9. Add 8 to 10 curry leaves and 1 tablespoon chopped sambar onions/pearl onions (or chopped shallots or onions).

curry leaves and chopped shallots added to hot coconut oil.

10. Sauté till the shallots are light golden.

sautéing till shallots turn light golden.

11. Add the tempering along with the oil to the Red Coconut Chutney.

12. Stir well to mix.

13. Serve the Kerala style Red Coconut Chutney with oats idli, dosa, medu vada or uttapam.

red coconut chutney served in a green colored bowl placed on a green colored plate with folded dosas kept on the left side.

Expert Tips

Dry roast or roast red chilies in some coconut oil before blending them for the chutney, to lessen the raw taste in them.
Depending on the spiciness and pungency in the red chillies, you can add less or more. If the chillies are too spicy or hot, add less of them.
You can also soak the dry red chillies in warm or hot water to soften them. This makes them easy to grind and blend.
If you feel like adding garlic to this chutney recipe, go ahead add it.
In case you don’t have pearl onions or sambar onions, use shallots. You can also use onions. If you do not prefer the raw flavor of pearl onions or shallots, do not add them or opt to sauté them in some oil until they soften.
It is best to use coconut oil for the tempering of this chutney recipe. It keeps the traditional touch intact.

Red Coconut Chutney from the archives was first published on January 2015.

Dassana Amit

I am Dassana Amit, a vegetarian chef and baker with decades of experience, professionally trained in Indian and continental cooking and baking. I’m also a certified pastry chef, trained at Le Cordon Bleu in plant-based patisserie. For over 16 years, I’ve shared trusted, strictly vegetarian recipes with step-by-step photos, expert tips, and practical guidance. Bringing together tradition, technique, and a love for honest, soulful vegetarian cooking.

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