A bright, fresh, herbaceous cold chutney blended with fresh cilantro, mint, green chili, ginger, lime, and spices. Serve it as a condiment with samosas, pakoras, kebabs, chaats, Indian breads, or rice dishes.
Ingredients
- 80 g a bunch of fresh cilantro
- 40 g a bunch of fresh mint
- 2 pieces fresh Indian green chilies
- 10 g fresh ginger
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 30 ml fresh lime juice
- 45 ml cold water
- 4 g fine salt
- 4 g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp toasted ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala
Method
- Rinse the cilantro and mint thoroughly in a large bowl of cold water. Lift the herbs out rather than pouring off the water so the sand stays at the bottom. Drain, then dry in a clean towel or salad spinner: the herbs should be fresh but not waterlogged.
- Prepare the herbs: keep the thin, highly aromatic cilantro stems, but remove the large tough stems. For the mint, use mostly the leaves and the most tender stems, since thick stems can add a vegetal bitterness.
- Prepare the aromatics: trim the green chilies, scrape or peel the ginger, then peel the garlic. For a milder chutney, remove some of the chili seeds; for a more traditional, vivid flavor, leave them in.
- Put the chilies, ginger, garlic, salt, sugar, toasted ground cumin, chaat masala, and lime juice in the blender. Blend these ingredients first into a coarse paste: the base should clearly smell of lime, fresh chili, and ginger.
- Add the cilantro and mint by the handful, pressing them down lightly. Pour in only part of the cold water, then pulse. Scrape down the sides as soon as the herbs rise or stick: the goal is to grind quickly without heating the mixture.
- Continue blending, adding just enough cold water for the blades to catch. Stop as soon as the texture becomes a thick, green, supple, slightly coarse sauce. It must not become foamy or runny; you should still perceive the fine herb pulp.
- Taste and adjust without changing the chutney's character: add a little salt if the herbs seem flat, lime if the color looks dull or the flavor feels heavy, or a touch of sugar if the mint's bitterness dominates. Blend very briefly after each adjustment.
- Transfer to a bowl or small clean jar. Cover the surface directly if possible and chill before serving: a short rest rounds out the heat while preserving the herbs' fresh aroma.
- Serve cold, in small amounts, with fried Indian snacks, tandoori grilled foods, chaats, dosa, parathas, or a rice dish. Stir before serving: the surface should remain glossy, green, and thick, with no separated puddle of water.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 19.7 kcal
- Protein
- 1.23 g
- Carbohydrate
- 3.65 g
- Fat
- 0.37 g
- Fibre
- 1.23 g
- Calcium
- 177.39 mg
- Iron
- 4.99 mg
- Magnesium
- 79.84 mg
