This recipe is for a basic mint chutney which is usually mixed with yogurt and eaten with Pulao, Biryani, Kebabs or any curry of your choice. With mint, coconut milk and yogurt on the list of ingredients it is light and refreshing, perfect for a hot summer day.
Chutney's are a type of condiment that date back to the year 500 BC in India. The word Chutney comes from the Urdu (Pakistan's native language) word "chaatna" which means "to lick". Whether sweet, salty, sour or spicy; their main purpose is to enhance the flavor of whatever you're eating
Whereas some of the more complex types of chutneys are cooked (for example, mango chutney or plum chutney) the majority are prepared by grinding a combination of fresh ingredients, traditionally in a mortar and pestle and nowadays in a food processor or blender. Some of the most commonly used ingredients in making these mouth watering condiments are mint, cilantro, tamarind, coconut, green chillies, limes, tomatoes, peanuts, mangoes and yogurt.
Mint Chutney
Equipment
- Knife
- measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- blender
Ingredients
- 2 cups mint
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ¼ cup pea shoots (OPTIONAL)
- 1 green chillies
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 tbsps desiccated coconut
- 2 tsps pomegranate seeds
- ¼ tsp garlic
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- 2 tbsps lemon juice
- yogurt as needed (OPTIONAL)
Instructions
- Wash and dry the mint and Cilantro and separate the leaves from the stems.
- Add all of your liquid (coconut milk and lemon juice) along with the leaves to your blender and pulse till shredded.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients and puree till you have a fine paste.
- Pour in an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, I remove the cubes and put them in a ziplock bag for use as needed.
- For 1 serving of the Chutney, I use 1 cube of the frozen concentrate and mix it with 1 cup yogurt (full fat or fat free) and serve.
Nutrition
NOTES:
- Pea Shoots are micro greens that are high in antioxidants and carotene. They are not a traditional part of this recipe but I add them for their health benefits (it's a great way to get some greens in and the finicky family members will be none the wiser).
- the chutney puree is made and in my case frozen for future use, the yogurt being added at the time of serving as explained in step 5 of the directions.
- It is important not to use the stems for this recipe as they have a high water content and can make the consistency of the chutney very runny.
- Add the liquid first to prevent the greens from getting stuck in the blender blades. You can use a food processor if you prefer, but I've found that my blender gives a finer consistency to my Chutney.
- this serves my family of 5 during a single meal. So you can use as many cubes as needed for your party as long as you keep the Chutney concentrate to yogurt ratio consistent.
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