Pepper Coconut Chutney

If you love idli, you cannot say no to this terrific combo of delicious, super healthy ragi idlis and the lip-smacking pepper coconut chutney.

When I say I love most food, that’s not an overstatement! As a kid, I was never a fussy eater! I believe my mom didn’t have to discipline me much to eat the healthy kind of food. But there is one particular food that always had me on the fence. That’s idli, the Indian rice cake made by steaming a fermented batter of rice and dehusked black gram (urad dal).

I used to think that idli is boring, and dosa is cool! Well, of course, you had to pledge your allegiance to one of them!! Two things changed that perspective – one is, the realisation that idlis are healthier; and two, more importantly, the fact that idlis are gratifying when paired with a great sambhar or chutney!!

This new found respect had me explore idlis and their accompaniments more. The possibilities with the shape and ingredients are endless – thatte idli, rava idli, ragi idli, it is quite a long list. And the accompaniments – sambhar, dosa, gunpowder (yes, the savoury one!), aloo masala, sagu, coriander chutney, mint chutney, coconut chutney, etc. etc.

About this Pepper Coconut Chutney recipe

This post is about ragi idli and an exotic, bursting with flavours six pepper medley coconut chutney. The hero ingredient, Six Pepper Medley from Sprig, is a “symphony of peppercorn flavours”. It has got white pepper with its mild heat, black peppercorns with its bold flavours, and perfectly balanced by the aromatic bite of green peppers. And there is more to it – the refreshingly unique fruity pink pepper, then Sichuan peppers used in the Chinese five-spice powder, and rounded off by the full-bodied “Cubeb peppercorns”.

The Six Pepper Medley comes in a beautifully designed ceramic-glass grinder bottle, which makes it very convenient to add the pepper flavours directly.

Read on for the ragi idli and the pepper coconut chutney recipes. It is all super simple to make. The only time-consuming steps are soaking the grains before you make the idli batter, and the fermenting the batter before you can steam the idlis, none of which fortunately requires your constant monitoring!

This post is sponsored by Sprig Gourmet. 

Looking for traditional Indian breakfast options? Check out the following recipes as well.

• Masala Omelette
• Egg Bhurji
• Mutton Stew

Print Recipe

Pepper Coconut Chutney

If you love idli, you cannot say no to this terrific combo of delicious, super healthy ragi idlis and the lip-smacking pepper coconut chutney. You have a perfect breakfast when you pair these soft, fluffy idlis with this fantastic, one-of-a-kind, six pepper medley coconut chutney.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine: South Indian

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

For Ragi Idli

• 1/2 cup urad dal
• 1/2 cup idli rice
• 1/2 cup whole ragi grain
• 1 1/2 + 1/2 cup water
• salt

For Pepper Coconut Chutney

• 2 cup grated coconut
• 1-2 green chillies
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seed
• 2-3 dry red chillies
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 5 medium shallots
• 1 tablespoon six pepper medley coarsely ground
• 2 sprig curry leaves
• salt
• 2 tablespoon oil

Instructions

Ragi Idli

• Wash and drain urad dal, idli rice, and ragi, and soak in 1 1/2 cups of water.
• Soak for 4-5 hrs, and grind to a batter.
• Leave the batter to ferment for 6-8 hours (or overnight) depending on the temperature. Add 1/2 cup water, salt and mix well.
  
• Grease the idli moulds with a little oil.
• Pour the batter into the moulds and steam cook in the idli cooker
• 10-15 mins of steam should cook the idlis. A skewer should come out clean when inserted.
  

Pepper Coconut Chutney

• In a food processor or mixer, grind together the grated coconut, green chillies, and cumin seeds to a medium coarse paste adding a little water (use 1 cup) at a time.
  
• Add salt and mix well. Finely slice the shallots.
  
• Heat some oil in a pan and pop the mustard seeds.
• Lower the flame and add the finely sliced shallots and curry leaves.
  
• Once the shallot starts turning brown, add the dry red chillies and fry for a few more seconds.
  
• Add the Six Pepper Medley, mix well, and switch off. We want to retain the flavours of the pepper medley without overcooking them.
  
• Empty the ground coconut paste to the pan and mix well.
• Add more salt if required.
• Enjoy the six pepper medley coconut chutney with some hot, steaming ragi idlis.