What is chutney? Chutney usually contains some mixture of spice, vegetable, and/or fruit. Chutneys may be either wet or dry, and can have a coarse to a fine texture. If you are an Indian, you will understand and know that all the snacks are accompanied with chutney. We just can’t have snacks without chutney-it is like a necessity. Serve daal pakodas (lentil fritters) to us without chutney and you will see only frowns. So be it Bombay sandwich, aloo tikki or dhokla we need chutney.Green chutney also known as Hari Chutney (dhaniya ki chutney) and is the most preferred one. I have posted two other green chutneys before, one with raw mango (kacha aam/kairi/ambi) and lastly the one with the Indian gooseberries (amla). Today’s chutney is the mint version- made with coriander leaves, mint, green chillies and some spices.
Mint Chutney or Pudhine Ki Chutney is my most chosen one for summers. Mint and summers go hand in hand for me. The menthol (minty) cold taste is something you crave for hot days and that’s what makes this chutney even more summery and special. If you will Google the recipe for Pudhine ki chutney you will find a complicated recipe with long ingridents list like peanuts, coconut and garlic; but my recipe is a simpler one with few things.Just handful of ingredients and this chutney gets ready in jiffy. The best way to serve (I believe) this chutney is with hot snack/meals. For instance I wouldn’t recommend this chutney for chaats or cold snacks –like bhel puri, dahi vada or sev puri. But instead it would compliment and balance a hot meal really well, think- tava pulav, veg kebab, spinach muthiya or any kind of paratha.
Ingridents:1 cup mint leaves/pudhina1 cup corineder leaves/dhaniya1 inch ginger/adrak3 green chillies/hari mirchi1 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera2 tablespoons yogurt/dahiSalt to taste1 teaspoon lemon juice/nimbu ka ras1/2 teaspoon black salt/kala namakWater as needed
Method:Wash and chop coriander leaves and mint leaves.In blender or grinder, add coriander leaves, mint leaves, ginger, cumin, green chillies and blend.Mix in yogurt, lemon juice, salt and black salt. Blend again. Add water if needed. The consistency should be fine.Put in a airtight container. This will remain fine for 1 week in the fridge.
Notes:
You can add more green chillies for a spicer version.Add salt carefully, as you are using two types of salt.Make sure not to use any stalks/stems of mint. Stalks will make the chutney bitter.
