Thengai Podi is a delicious South Indian Dry Chutney or Condiment made with fresh grated Coconut, lentils, tamarind and dry red chilies. It is nutty, spicy, tangy and fragrant. Mix it with ghee or sesame oil and served as side or accompaniment with Idli, Dosa or Uttapam.
Thengai Podi is an easy way to use up leftover or excess coconut at home. Making coconut podi is quite simple. The ingredients are roasted and coarsely ground.
Most of the ingredients for the recipe are readily available in a South Indian pantry shelf. This is a Tam Brahm style thengai podi which does not use garlic.
Dry chutney such as thengai podi is quite convenient or handy for busy mornings. Once you grind a batch and stock, you don't have to worry for a week.
It is one of my favorite podi recipes as it uses a lot of coconut. You can use fresh or frozen coconut for making thengai podi. Do read notes in the recipe card for full details.
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Ingredients for Thengai Podi
Coconut - I have used Fresh Coconut for this recipe.
You can use frozen coconut. Thaw it completely before roasting.
You can use desiccated coconut or dry coconut if you don't have access to fresh coconut.
Taste check and use desiccated coconut. It may taste and smell rancid especially when stored for long.
Lentils - Urad Dal and Chana Dal
Tamarind - Use seedless tamarind. Saves time and effort.
Whole dry red Chilies - I have used a combination of Kashmiri Red chili and Pondi chilies (South Indian variety). The former is for color and latter for heat.
Feel free to use any variety, easily available in your nearest supermarket or grocery store.
Jaggery - It is added to balance heat from red chili and sourness from tamarind.
Hing or Asafoetida - A must for all lentil based podi or chutney recipes. Aids in digestion.
Sesame Oil to Roast lentils and chilies. Substitute with any neutral flavor cooking oil.
How to make Thengai Podi or Coconut Podi
Heat a pan, add oil. add urad Dal and Chana Dal. Sauté the lentils on medium-low flame and let it roast until fragrant.
To the lentils, add dry red chilies and saute until the lentils have browned / roasted and the chilies have crisped up (see pic below)
Remove on a plate / bowl and allow it to cool.
Place the pan back on the heat and add coconut. Saute until it appears light brown and fragrant. Note - It takes couple of minutes to roast fresh coconut. Ensure it does not burn.
Switch off the heat, remove roasted coconut onto a plate / bowl and let it cool.
Once cool, add the ingredients to a mixer grinder jar. Add tamarind, hing or asafoetida, salt to taste and jaggery.
Pulse the ingredients until it forms a coarse texture (see pic below)
Allow thengai podi to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with South Indian breakfast dishes.
Idli - Proso Millet Idli or Ragi Idli.
Adai - Quinoa Adai or Traditional Adai
Shelf life / Storage
Thengai Podi stays fresh for a week at room temperature.
Under refrigeration, it stays fresh for a month.
Use a clean, dry spoon to scoop the chutney from the jar.
More South Indian Chutney / Podi Recipes
Sundal Podi - Spiced lentil mix for Navratri Sundal (cooked legumes / beans)
Murungai Keerai Podi - Drumstick Leaves and lentil chutney powder (Moringa)
Kollu Podi or Spiced Horsegram Podi - Mix with steamed rice and ghee / sesame oil.
Ellu Podi - Sesame and Lentil Chutney powder to serve with idli, dosa and uttapam.
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Thengai Podi | Coconut Podi for Idli Dosa
Equipment
- Mixer Grinder
- Coconut Grater
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Fresh Grated Coconut
- 1/3 cup Urad Dal
- 1 tablespoon Chana Dal
- 15-16 Whole dry red chilies (combination of kashmiri red chilies and pondi chilies)
- ¼ teaspoon Hing or Asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 Marble Size Tamarind
- 1 tablespoon Jaggery
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a pan, add oil. add urad Dal and Chana Dal. Sauté the lentils on medium-low flame and let it roast until fragrant.
- To the lentils, add dry red chilies and saute until the lentils have browned / roasted and the chilies have crisped up.
- Remove on a plate / bowl and allow it to cool.
- Place the pan back on the heat and add coconut. Saute until it appears light brown and fragrant. Note - It takes couple of minutes to roast fresh coconut. Ensure it does not burn.
- Switch off the heat, remove roasted coconut onto a plate / bowl and let it cool.
- Once cool, add the ingredients to a mixer grinder jar. Add tamarind, hing or asafoetida, salt to taste and jaggery.
- Pulse the ingredients until it forms a coarse texture.
- Allow thengai podi to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan