There is always a good stock of coconut at home & if cooking South Indian food which is almost every single day :-) we never ever cook without Coconuts and making a Chutney without using a good amount of Coconut is probably unheard of in our household. 

But, Unlike my other family members, I can survive without coconut & sometimes I skip adding coconut because I am lazy to grate them

Roughly chop the onion & tomatoes & set aside. In a large bottomed pan, heat a tsp of oil. Add the onions, Garlic & tomatoes & saute for about 5 - 7  minutes until it is well cooked & soft. Set aside for it to cool slightly.

In a smaller pan, heat about 1/2 a tsp of oil. Roast Chana Dal, Urad Dal & Red chilies. Roast on low flame until the dals turn slightly golden & aromatic. Transfer this to a mixie jar & grind into a powder. Add the cooked onion & tomatoes & add some salt. Grind into a smooth paste without adding any water. Transfer into a bowl

Heat the remaining oil & splutter mustard seeds & asafoetida. Pour over the chutney & mix well. Add some chopped coriander & serve with Idlis/dosas or Upma

If you are a coconut lover like my family, I would say that you are definitely going to miss the flavor of coconut in it. Otherwise it tastes pretty good. I also like to use this as a spread on a slice of crisp toast