Spicy Bottle Gourd Coconut Chutney
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Description
This spicy South Indian chutney can be treated like hummus – spread it on anything and everything for some added flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 bottle gourd, peeled, cut into cubes (2 cups)
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp oil
- 2 pinches of hing or asafetida
- 1 tsp + 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp urad dal (white without black skin)
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 5 small green chillies or 1 jalapeño, stems removed (or to taste as chillies can vary in heat)
- 2 strands of curry leaves + 3 curry leaves
- 2 tbsp roasted chana dal
- half bunch of cilantro with some stalk
- 1/2 cup (50 g) of frozen grated fresh coconut
- 1 tsp tamarind concentrate (depending on concentration) or 2 tbsp tamarind pulp with no seeds or stems
- salt to taste
- water for blending
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil under medium heat with 1 pinch of hing or asafetida, 1 tsp of black mustard seeds and 1 tbsp of urad dal. When the black mustard seeds start to pop and the urad dal starts to brown. Turn the heat to medium low and add in the fenugreek seeds. When they start to turn golden brown (few seconds), add in the green chillies and the 2 strands of curry leaves. Let them sputter for a seconds and get coated in oil. Add in the chopped bottle gourd and mix well. Cook the squash and salt to taste under a low flame with the lid on for 30 minutes or until soft. Cool the bottle gourd.
- In a blender, first put in 2 tbsp of roasted chana dal and blend to a powder. Add to the blender the cilantro, coconut, tamarind, and cooked bottle gourd for blending. You may need to add a little water or stuff the contents of the blender down with a spoon periodically to get it blending. You want to have a consistency of a loose hummus and the flavor to have some heat from the chillies, sour for tamarind and sweet from the coconut and bottle gourd.
- Transfer the chutney to a bowl.
- In a small frying pan under medium heat, add 1 tsp of oil, pinch of hing, 1 tsp of mustards seeds, 1/2 tsp of urad dal. When the mustard seeds start to pop and the urad dal starts to brown, add in 3 curry leaves. Coat the leaves with oil and immediately pour over the chutney in the bowl. Add salt to taste.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Side
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 35
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is hing (asafetida) and what does it do in this chutney?
Hing, also called asafetida, is a pungent dried resin used in small pinches in South Indian cooking. Here it is added twice — once when sautéing the mustard seeds and urad dal for the bottle gourd, and once in the final tempering poured over the finished chutney. It provides a savory, onion-like depth that rounds out the tartness from the tamarind and heat from the green chillies.
Why does this recipe use two separate tempering (tadka) steps?
The first tempering — mustard seeds, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, green chillies, and curry leaves — cooks with the bottle gourd for 30 minutes to build the base flavor. The second tempering is made fresh and poured hot over the blended chutney; the fresh sizzle of mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil releases aromatic compounds that would be lost if cooked into the chutney the whole time.
What is bottle gourd and can I substitute another vegetable?
Bottle gourd (also called lauki or opo squash) is a mild, high-moisture gourd used in South Asian cooking. The recipe calls for about 2 cups of peeled, cubed bottle gourd. It provides the sweet, neutral base that balances the heat and sourness; zucchini is the closest widely-available substitute in terms of texture and mild flavor. 
