Staple Corner: Yamuna Devi's Fresh Coriander Chutney

As my regular readers already know, Yamuna Devi's Lord Krishna's Cuisine is probably my favourite source of authentic and close-to-authentic Indian vegetarian recipes — the flavours in each of her dishes are always perfectly balanced and exquisitely rendered on the palatte. Her chutneys are no exception, and this fresh coriander chutney — dhaniya chatni — has long been one of my favourite dipping sauces for any kind of fried or baked Indian savoury like bhajis, samosas and koftas… or the egg pakoras I made for breakfast a while back. Fresh parsley can be substituted for the coriander if desired.

Fresh coriander chutney.

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 slightly packed cup fresh coriander, trimmed
3 hot green chillies, seeded and chopped
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped
1 tablespoon rapadura or brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons water

Place a frying pan over medium-low heat. When warm, toss in the cumin seeds, sesame seeds and coconut and dry-roast, stirring frequently, until the coconut darkens to a light golden brown.

Add the coconut and seed mixture to a blender or food processor along with all the other ingredients and blend until smooth and thick. If a thinner chutney is desired for dipping, add a little more water.

Transfer to a bowl for serving. To keep, cover well and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

This is also my entry to Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Kochtopf.