Ingredients

1. Curry leaves – 1 cup
2. Garlic cloves (big) – 2
3. Fresh coconut (grated) – 1/3 to 1/4 cup
4. Dry red chillies (hot) – 4
5. Dry tamarind – small lemon size
6. Salt - as per taste
7. Water - 1/2 cup

Garnishing

8. Onion (small, sliced) – 1/2

Method

1. Soak dry tamarind in hot water for few minutes, when softens, remove the seed and add the tamarind (instead of squeezing pulp) directly into a mixer.
2. Wash curry leaves with water to remove dirt and soil and strain it well. Allow it to dry on a wide plate or kitchen towel for a few minutes.
3. Take a pan (tawa) or any vessel and heat it. Add curry leaves and roast until all the water is absorbed.
4. It will become crispy and dry. There should not be any water as you can see in the picture.
5. After roasting, remove and keep it aside. Dry roast the remaining ingredients (chilli and garlic) except tamarind paste and fresh coconut on a low flame.
6. If you want you can roast curry leaves, garlic and dry chillies at a time, but first roast curry leaves until moisture is absorbed and place garlic and chillies , roast until roasted colour comes.
7. I have used fresh frozen coconut. Roast in a separate or same dry pan (non-stick pan) on low flame for few minutes until light golden colour comes or the moisture has absorbed or just 2 to 3minutes, Keep stirring in between. Transfer to a plate.
8. Add curry leaves, garlic and dry chillies in a mixer and little water to grind to a paste.
9. Add coconut, water to loosen as per the requirement and grind to a smooth consistency paste.
10. Add remaining all ingredients in a mixer or grinder, by adding little water first and salt, grind. It will be thick coarse paste.
11. To loosen, add the remaining water and salt. Grind further to a smooth paste or very lightly coarse consistency.
12. Transfer the curry leaves chutney to a serving dish.
13. At last you can add the sliced onion in the chutney and mix it well.
14. Serve curry leaves chutney with plain hot rice or any breakfast dish with drizzle of ghee.

Notes

1. You can increase or decrease the spiciness of the chutney. You can also remove the seeds of few chillies to reduce the heat. You can use any Indian dry chillies. Use chillies as per its hotness not as per the numbers.
2. If you want to use fresh green chillies, you can substitute 2 green chillies instead of the dry red ones.
3. If using dry tamarind, soak in warm water and squeeze it. Use its juice or pulp for chutney. The sourness can be adjusted according to your taste.
4. Sometimes, I do roast with all the ingredients except tamarind to save some time and to be quick. However, you need to be a little careful not to burn the garlic and chillies.
5. If you are using store bought tamarind paste (concentrated), use 3/4 to 1 tsp.
6. I have not used any oil while roasting.
7. This curry leaves chutney can be eaten with idli or dosa also.
8. If you are using fresh coconut pieces, roast them first as it is until brown or you get a light charred colour. Grind it to coarse paste. Then add the other remaining ingredients and grind to a paste.
9. You can increase the quantity of coconut if you want more quantity (coconut should not dominate over curry leaves), but the taste will change when we change the quantities.
10. You can prepare bread sandwich with it as well. Apply the curry leaves chutney on the bread, put some sliced onion, boiled potato, cucumber and tomato. Serve.
11. You can refrigerate the chutney for 4 to 5 days. When serving, do not reheat. You can serve immediately or bring to room temperature and serve.
12. Drizzle ghee on hot food.