One of the wonderful elements of Indian cuisine is the presence of pickles, relishes and chutneys! Having any of these on your plate can elevate even the simplest of all meals into something extraordinary! Indian pickles are quite different from their western counterpart in that these are sour and spicy in addition to being salty. One small tiny speck of it on your tongue can send all your taste buds in a dancing frenzy and you are fully ready to enjoy your meal. Now pickles take a long time to make and then you need to also give them additional time for them to really ferment. Except for some instant pickles like the Instant lemon pickle that I posted a few months back.
Now chutneys offer the same culinary experience as pickles plus the sky is the limit when it comes to combining different ingredients. Different parts of India have their own unique varieties of chutneys based on whatever vegetable or fruit is in abundance and in season. Raw (green) mango is a favorite and one of my all time favorite chutneys is the green mango coconut chutney. which is very popular in kerala in the summer months when green mangoes appear everywhere.
This past week I decided to replace the mangoes with cranberries as I was making chutney for idlis. Turned out so good! It was actually quite similar in taste to the mango coconut chutney. I am so glad I tried this combination since cranberries are so good for you! They are rich in phytonutrients which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They are also rich in antioxidants, Vitamin C and other nutrients like manganese1.
On my Paleo/AIP diet, I love to use chutneys as a sauce when I grill fish or chicken. Chutneys are also so easy to make. All you need is some imagination and a food processor 🙂 This cranberry coconut chutney paired with grilled salmon makes a particularly tasty and satisfying dish. You can also serve this chutney as a dip with some multi grain or yuccan (for paleo) crackers!
Sharing this recipe at the Paleo/AIP recipe roundtable this week hosted by Phoenix Helix. 
- 1 cup freshly grated coconut (or frozen grated coconut that has been thawed or shredded coconut)
- ½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ inch by ½ inch piece of fresh ginger
- ½ tsp kashmiri chilli powder (omit for AIP)
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup warm water
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- ¼ tsp mustard seeds (omit for AIP)
- 4-6 fresh curry leaves
- Blend all the ingredients for the chutney in a blender or food processor until you get a fine textured paste. Check for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
- In a small seasoning pan , heat the coconut oil and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the curry leaves and stir for 30 secs. Turn heat off. Pour this seasoned oil on top of the chutney.
If using shredded coconut instead of fresh or frozen coconut, use hot water for blending instead of warm water. But make sure you use a large blender or food processor jar and exercise caution since hot liquids tend to cause an explosion in the food processor!
[…] Cranberry Coconut Chutney @ Cook 2 Nourish follow AIP notes […]