Kobbari Pacchadi | Coconut Chutney for Rice

Today's recipe is not about the coconut chutney that we usually prepare for idli/dosa but a variety that is to be eaten with rice.In general,a south Indian meal would start with either a Pacchadi(Thogayal/chutney) or a kind of powder/pickle mixed with rice.While we make lots of vegetable pacchadis to go with rice-this is the simplest of all and hardly takes a few minutes to prepare. Coarsely ground coconut adds a nice taste to this pacchadi and when mixed with hot rice and ghee definitely takes it to another level.

Kobbari Pacchadi Recipe:
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh Coconut pieces
1 tbsp Urad dal
5-6 Red chillies
a big marble sized tamarind
1/2 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

to temper:
1-2 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Urad dal
8-10 Curry leaves
a pinch of Asafoetida or 3-4 crushed garlic pods(optional)
Method:

• Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a kadai and add urad dal and fry until it is red in color.Add red chillies and fry until they are red.Cool them.
• Grind urad dal,red chillies with salt to a coarse powder.
• Add coconut pieces and tamarind and add little water to a very coarse paste.Do not add more water,add just 1-2 tbsps of water.A stone mortar and pestle will do a better job for this kind of pacchadi as it adds a very special taste to it.
  
• Meanwhile heat 2tbsp oil in the same kadai and crackle mustard seeds.Add urad dal and fry until red.Add asafoetida or crushed garlic pods and curry leaves and fry for half a minute.I used asafoetida here.Pour this on to the pacchadi.

Serve it with hot rice and ghee,it tastes best when mixed in hot rice with lots of ghee and fryums on the side.
Notes:

• You can flavor the tempering with the addition of either hing or crushed garlic pods which adds a nice taste to the pacchadi.How ever it is optional to add any of these flavorings to the tempering and it tastes nice even with out them.
• You can replace red chillies with green chillies in the recipe,it gives a nice white color coconut chutney.
• You can even add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds while frying urad dal for an additional flavor.
• I like the coarse texture of coconut for this pacchadi as it is to be eaten with rice and hence I used coconut in pieces form.You can even use grated coconut in place of coconut pieces.
• It can be stored in refrigerator for 2 days.