HOW TO MAKE CHUTNEY POWDER - DRY FISH / UNAKKAMEEN CHAMMANTHI PODI

DRIED PRAWNS CHUTNEY POWDER

Chutney powder is a condiment like a pickle and is a great accompaniment to steamed rice or idli, dosa etc. There are many variations in chutney powder. Here am going to share the recipe for a chutney powder with dried prawns. Dry fish chutney powder/ dried prawns chutney powder/ Unakkameen chammanthi podi / Unakka chemmeen chammanti podi is a very aromatic chutney powder which is combined with coconut oil and served along with steamed rice. This condiment or chammanti podi is very popular in South India, especially in Kerala. Scraped coconut, dried red chilies, shallots, garlic, dried prawns, tamarind are dry roasted and powdered to make this aromatic treat. The shelf life of this powder is one month or more when stored in refrigerated. So let us see how to make this dry prawns recipe or unakkameen chammati podi.

INGREDIENTS 

Scraped coconut - 2 cups

Dried prawns/unakka chemmeen - 1 cup, leveled

Dried red chilies - 10 nos, can add less

Shallots     - 4 nos, chopped finely

Garlic cloves - 4 nos, chopped

Tamarind - a small lemon sized, do not add more, discard the seed.

Curry leaves - few

Salt to taste

PREPARATION

Please click on the below video for detailed recipe 

• Heat a pan and dry roast the dried prawns (unakka chemmeen) over a medium-low flame until it is roasted well (remove from flame when it turns slightly crisp). Transfer it to a plate.
• In the same pan, dry roast dried red chilies until it puffs up (add some salt while toasting ). It will take around 6 minutes over medium-low flame. Saute continuously. When done, transfer it to the plate.
• Again in the same pan add scraped coconut, curry leaves, chopped garlic and shallots, tamarind. Saute until the coconut is roasted well and turns crisp (over low flame). When done, add salt and transfer it to the plate. Let it cool slightly. Then powder it until fine or little coarse as per your preference.
• Once cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and keep refrigerated.
• You can use this chutney powder / chammanti podi for months when refrigerated. 
• While serving, take few teaspoons of this powder and mix it with some coconut oil.
• Or take few teaspoon of this powder and grind along with freshly scraped coconut for the freshly ground condiment or fresh chammanti. 

NOTE

• You can add less dried red chilies as per your preference to hotness.
• To avoid the difficulty while dry roasting the red chilies, add some salt to the chilies. If so, add less salt to the chutney powder.
• Add coconut and dried prawns in the given proportion only. 

Video showing how to make unakkachemmeen chammanthi podi .