when I was in India I had a sort of coconut and coriander chutney. I beleive it was called a sambal and it wasn't dry as such and didn't look like a chutney but was served with chappatis and lime pickle. It tasted lovley but can't find anything similar anywhere. Sorry if this sounds vauge just wondering if you might know what I'm on about and had a recipe?

Sambal, as far as I know, is a spicy mix of chillies, salt and a few other things. Are you sure you are not taking about a coconut chutney, which is a speciality of South India. It is served with rice, dosa (rice and dal pancakes), idli (rice and dal dumplings) and many other things. I have two recipes on site:

http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10310 This one has coriander leaves.

and

http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10021

Take a look at the ingredients and see if it is similar to what you ate.

Meanwhile, I have written to my Nephew's South Indian wife in Delhi, she will be sure to know.

Mamta

Hi Mamta,

I think the OP was referring to Sambhar. A south indian dish dish.

Hope that helps

Ian

Hi Ian

It couldn't have been sambhar because it is described as a 'sort of coconut and ciriander chutney. Sambhar is made from lentil and vegetables. See http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10020.

Mamta

Hi,

Yes you're absolutely right, sorry. That said, I'm sure that somewhere I've read of a dish very much like the OP described with a name like Sambhar/Sambal! Not much liking "desecrated" or grated coconut, I never paid it much attention.

As you say, there's coconut chutney, which could correspond, if made a little more liquid and prepared with coriander (which is always possible).

ATB

Ian

This is what I have discovered about sambal:

Sambal is a chilli paste or a very hot relish containing vinegar, salt and a few other spices, or a chilli hot Malaysian/ Indonesian curry, served in small amounts to add heat to a meal. (6)

Mamta

This is a mail I have received from Thian

Sambal: Indonesian/Malay dishes made with chilli . There is no one single recipe.

Mamta

could this sambal be dhanya chatni?

No, this is Dhania Chutney http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10086. There can be of course individual variations to it.

Mamta

I have an old recipe for dhanya chatni [sic]that has these ingredients:

fresh lemon or lime juice

fresh coriander leaves

fresh coconut

onion

fresh ginger

fresh chilli green or red

sugar, salt, pepper

The fresh coconut made me think of the sambal requested in this thread. Do you think my recipe is really a coconut chuntney?

Well, it doesn't look like the standard coconut chutney, but there are so many variations, so it is difficult to say. I am printing it out and will try it soon. Thanks for sending it.

Mamta