Indian · Authentic-ish Indian
Coconut Chutney
104 kcal a serving, against 159 for the traditional version. That is 55 kcal off, or 35%, with 5g of protein. Serves 8. 15 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A mountain of freshly grated coconut blended to a wet paste with a tiny bit of roasted dal, fresh green chilli and ginger. The whole thing is finished with a heavy slick of vegetable oil, sizzling with mustard seeds and fried curry leaves.
What changed, and what each change costs
250g of fresh coconut and 30g of vegetable oil for 80g of fresh coconut, 100g of chana dal and 150g of fat-free Greek yoghurt
Coconut is magnificent, but it's offering almost zero protein. By severely restricting the coconut to just a background note, you lose the massive fat load. Roasting a large handful of chana dal gives the blender something solid to grip onto, acting as a thickener. The yoghurt brings back the wet, milky consistency that the missing coconut meat would usually provide.
What it costs you. What you've got is a savoury lentil dip with a strong hint of coconut. A pure, sweet coconut chutney anymore is a different dish and you know where to find it. The texture is slightly chalkier because of the heavy dose of dal, and you lose that luxurious oily mouthfeel entirely.
30g of tempering oil reduced to a measly 5g
Tempering spices in a deep pool of hot oil is the classic way to finish this dish because fat carries flavour brilliantly across the tongue. You can extract those exact same aromatic oils from the mustard seeds and curry leaves using just a tiny splash of oil, provided you keep the pan moving constantly over a high heat.
What it costs you. You miss out on that beautiful spiced oil bleeding into the white chutney. The final bowl looks a bit matte and boring by comparison.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 159 | 104 |
| Protein | 1.8g | 5g |
| Fat | 14.6g | 5g |
| Saturated fat | 9.8g | 3.2g |
| Carbohydrate | 6.8g | 10.6g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 1.1g | 4.8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Indian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk, mustard.
The method is in the book
This is a massive compromise, and I completely accept that. You simply can't replicate the sheer joy of a full-fat coconut chutney without the fat. What you get here is a sharply spiced, highly savoury alternative that functions perfectly well as a dip for chicken or flatbreads. The roasted dal provides a brilliant nutty backbone, and the yoghurt brings the required tang. It lacks the rich finish of the original, but you can eat half the bowl on a Tuesday night without ruining your week.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Indian, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback