Chutneys are a staple in Indian households. Every meal must have some sort of a chutney as a condiment with the meal. Like tomato ketchup is to the western world, mint chutney is to Indians. It is made fresh and consumed on the day. Almost every Indian street food is served with the mint chutney, sometimes also referred to as the green chutney. There are various variations of it in different states of India, but the simplest one involves a few herbs, primarily mint leaves, coriander leaves and fresh green chillies crushed with lemon juice and salt. It is an absolute flavour explosion.
Served with snacks such as samosas, onion bhaji, zucchini cutlets and other fried and steamed snacks. The grain and legume rich snacks are accompanied with mint chutney to help neutralise the density of the snacks.
This chutney is quite a versatile mix that is not only used as a condiment but also to marinade tandoori dishes. For vegan dishes marinated tofu to barbecue and vegetable skewers smothered in mint chutney are common Indian uses.
Indian Inspired Zesty Mint Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro coriander,
- 1 ½ cups fresh mint leaves thick stalks removed
- 1 fresh green chilli +/-
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ tsp sugar or sweetener of choice
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 lemon juice
- ¼ cup water or as needed
Instructions
- Wash all herbs thoroughly.
- In a food processor, combine cilantro, mint leaves, green chilli, salt, onion and lemon juice.
- Process, adding water a bit at a time to allow leaves to puree into a medium thick batter like consistency.
- Store it in an airtight glass container.
- Serve with snacks such as vegetable kebabs or zucchini fritters.
