What is ‘Chutney’?
A chutney is a refreshing Indian dipping sauce or a side dish. There are hundreds of chutney recipes followed across India. No Indian street food fare is complete without some spicy, flavorsome array of chutneys. Mint Chutney is one of the most popular Indian chutney varieties. It is a fresh herb blend and perhaps the most common way of using mint and coriander in an everyday Indian meal. Mint Chutney is bold, delicious, and refreshing at the same time. Reasons To LOVE Mint Chutney easy to make and store vegan and vegetarian gluten-free dip Mint Chutney is rich in antioxidants. As per various medical journals, fresh mint chutney is good for your skin and aids in digestion. If you are on a detox diet then pudina chutney is an excellent side dish or dip to include in your meal plan.
Ingredients Required
Mint Leaves: Fresh mint leaves are the key ingredient for making this green chutney. Do not use dried mint leaves or mint powder. Coriander Leaves: Coriander balance the bitterness of mint leaves. Do not throw away coriander stalks as they add a lot of flavor to the chutney. Green Chilli: It adds spiciness. Jalapeno or any other mildly spicy green chili works for making chutney. Ginger & Garlic: I love the flavor of garlic and ginger in my chutney. Skip adding garlic if you are allergic or do not like it. Cumin Powder: Use either roasted cumin seeds or powder. It gives an earthy, roasted flavor to the chutney. Mango Powder: It gives a sour, lip-smacking taste to the chutney. You can use lemon or lime juice, rock salt, Himalayan Pink Salt, or a tablespoon of sour cream to get the same taste. Sugar: A teaspoon of granulated white sugar balances the spiciness and gives a subtle sweet taste to the chutney making it perfectly umami.
How To Avoid Black and Bitter Mint Chutney
The biggest challenge with the mint chutney is at times – it turns black and bitter. I am sharing a few tips and tricks to avoid black and bitter green chutney: 1) Green Chutney turns black when exposed to air for a longer duration due to oxidation. 2) Often mint chutney tastes bitter. Usually, there are two reasons responsible for the same. First, the chutney is blended for too long leading to the release of bitter juices of mint leaves. Second, the ratio of mint leaves to other ingredients is not correct.
Serving Suggestion
The versatility of green chutney is indispensable – they lend themselves to so many interpretations. With a jar full of mint chutney the possibilities are endless. From an enticing dip to a finger-licking side dish for Indian main course dishes, a pudina chutney can be many things. It is a quintessential part of an Indian thali. A teaspoon of green chutney on aloo tikki chaat and suddenly it turns into a tantalizing appetizer. Served on the side of tandoori prawns or paneer tikka with onion rings and you have the perfect Indian appetizer platter. You can layer the green chutney as a spread on bread slices to make Indian Style Cheese Chutney Sandwich.
Storage Suggestion
It is always best to store green chutney in a clean, airtight container in the fridge. It remains fresh in the fridge for 3 – 5 days. But after a few hours, the mint chutney starts changing its color from bright green to dark green. Hence, it is best to consume it within a day or two.
More Indian Chutney Recipes
Apple Raisin Chutney Roasted Tomato Chutney Coconut Coriander Chutney Sweet Raw Mango Chutney Subscribe to our weekly newsletter or follow us on Youtube for video recipes.
