Coriander Mint Chutney, also known as Green Chutney, Dhaniya Pudina Chutney, is a quick, easy accompaniment recipe that goes with every Indian snack and chaat. It is used in Indian chats, like bhel puri, sev puri, samosa, ragda patties, or as a spread for sandwiches, wraps, rolls, etc.
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What is Green Chutney?
Green Chutney is a spicy Indian condiment made with coriander, mint, ginger, garlic, green chili, lemon juice, and a few spices. It is also known as Hari Chutney, where 'Hari' means 'Green' or Dhaniya Pudina Chutney, 'Dhaniya' is 'Coriander', and 'Pudhina' is 'Mint' in India.
This chutney is a versatile dip served with snacks like khaman dhokla, samosa, aloo pakoda, and more. It’s also a key ingredient in chaats such as bhel puri, sev puri, dahi papdi chaat, aloo tikki chaat, often paired with sweet tamarind chutney, for a perfect balance of flavors.
Every household in India has its own ratio for making this green chutney. I like to use a 1:2 mint and coriander leaves ratio in the coriander mint chutney recipe.
This green chutney freezes very well. I buy large quantities of fresh coriander and mint, make a large batch of this chutney, and freeze them in ice cube trays. The next day I take out the frozen chutney cubes and put them into a ziplock bag.
These come in handy when you have sudden guests at home or have chaat cravings.
You can either thaw by keeping frozen cubes in the refrigerator overnight or microwave for 30 seconds. I regularly use it as a sandwich spread for cucumber chutney sandwich, avocado chutney sandwich for my kids school lunch box.
Ingredients
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh coriander (cilantro) and mint leaves (pudina) are the key ingredients for making this green chutney. You can use tender coriander stalks as they add a lot of flavors. But discard mint stems as they make the chutney bitter. Do not use dried mint powder.
- Green Chilli: I used Indian chili peppers for spiciness. You can also use Jalapeno or any other green chili variety to make this chutney.
- Ginger & Garlic: Use fresh, roughly chopped ginger and garlic. It adds great flavor. You can skip garlic if you don't like it.
- Cumin: Use roasted cumin seeds (or roasted cumin powder). It adds an earthy flavor to the chutney.
- Sugar: Adding sugar is optional, but it balances the spiciness and adds a subtle sweetness to the chutney. Honey can be used instead of sugar.
- Lime Juice: Use freshly squeezed lime/lemon juice for the best result. It gives a tangy taste to the chutney. You can also substitute it with dry mango powder (amchur).
- Ice Cubes: Adding 1-2 ice cubes while blending will keep the vibrant green color of the chutney because the heat from the blender causes herbs to turn darker.
How to Make Green Chutney Recipe
Firstly wash 2 cups of coriander leaves and 1 cup of mint leaves 2-3 times under water until it's clean.
In a blender jar, add coriander leaves, mint leaves, 2-3 green chilies, ½ inch ginger, 2-3 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon roasted jeera powder, 1 tablespoon lime juice, black salt, ½ teaspoon sugar (optional) and two ice cubes.
Blend with 2-3 tablespoons of cold water (or as needed) until you get a thick, smooth paste.
Transfer to a bowl and serve with snacks or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this versatile green chutney with several Indian dishes. Here are some ideas.
- As a dipping sauce with Indian appetizers like samosa, paneer tikka, tandoori gobi, roasted veggies, onion pakoras, kebabs, and beetroot cutlets. You can also serve with main courses like veg biryani, veg pulao, or paratha.
- You can drizzle the chutney over Indian chaats like bhel puri, corn bhel, dahi puri, samosa chaat, aloo tikki chaat, khaman dhokla, dahi vada, etc.
- You can also spread the green chutney on the bread slices to make cucumber chutney sandwich, avocado chutney sandwich, or slather it on kathi rolls or wraps.
Storage Suggestions
To Refrigerate: Mint coriander chutney stays fresh for up to 2-3 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. After that, it changes its color to dark green and loses its taste.
To Freeze: It freezes well for up to 3 months. You can freeze the leftover chutney in small freezer-safe containers or ice trays. Once frozen, transfer them to a ziplock bag.
Before serving, either thaw desired chutney cubes using a ‘frozen vegetable’ setting in your microwave or at room temperature for a few hours or thaw them overnight in the fridge.
Tips to Keep the Chutney Green
Here are a few tips for retaining the green color of the chutney.
- Avoid Oxidation: Green Chutney turns black when exposed to air for a longer duration due to oxidation. So refrigerate or freeze this chutney to stop the oxidation.
- Avoid over-blending: Do not grind the chutney too long in the electric blender, as the heat can cause the chutney to turn black.
- Add Ice Cubes: Adding 1-2 ice cubes while blending will prevent the heat generated by the blender from turning the green chutney black.
- Add Lemon Juice: Add Lemon juice before or after blending the chutney to maintain its vibrant green color.
- Ratio: The ratio of mint leaves to coriander leaves should be correct. I always use 1 part of mint for 2 parts of coriander leaves.
Variations
- Yogurt: Many restaurants serve mint coriander chutney with yogurt (also known as mint yogurt chutney) as a dip with Indian appetizers. Simply whisk ½ cup of plain thick yogurt with green chutney. If you are vegan, replace it with vegan yogurt.
- Coconut: Add freshly grated coconut to this green chutney to serve with South Indian breakfasts like idli, dosa, or vada.
- Roasted Peanuts: If your cilantro mint chutney is thin or watery, you can thicken it by adding roasted peanuts while blending.
- Raw Mangoes: You can add a few slices of mangoes if they are in season for a tangy green chutney recipe. You can reduce the quantity of lime juice.
- Green Chilies: You can increase or reduce chilies according to your preference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do not grind the chutney too long in the electric blender as the oil in the mint starts to turn rancid and releases the bitter juice. Also, do not add the woody stems of mint and cilantro while blending.
Add some more cilantro, mint leaves, and lemon juice to the chutney and blend. You may also add some yogurt or roasted peanuts to remove the bitterness.
Mint coriander chutney tastes best when consumed as soon as it is made. However, due to oxidation, it turns dark, so either refrigerate or freeze it.
Secondly, do not over blend, the heat from the blending can cause greens to turn dark.
More Indian Chutney Recipes
Coriander Mint Chutney Recipe (Indian Green Chutney)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups coriander leaves (cilantro) (tightly packed)
- 1 cup pudina leaves (mint) (tightly packed)
- 2-3 green chilies (adjust according to your taste)
- 2-3 cloves garlic (optional)
- ½ inch ginger (roughly chopped)
- 1 teaspoon roasted jeera (cumin) powder
- ½ teaspoon sugar to taste, optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt (or black salt), to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons water for grinding or add as required
- 1-2 ice cubes
Instructions
- Firstly wash the coriander and mint leaves 2-3 times under water until it's clean.
- In a blender jar, add coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilies, ginger, garlic, roasted jeera powder, lime juice, black salt, sugar (optional) and two ice cubes.Blend with 2-3 tablespoons of cold water (or as needed) until you get a thick, smooth paste.
- Transfer to a bowl and serve with snacks or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Tips to Keep the Chutney Green
Here are a few tips for retaining the green color of the chutney.
- Avoid Oxidation: Green Chutney turns black when exposed to air for a longer duration due to oxidation. So refrigerate or freeze this chutney to stop the oxidation.
- Avoid over blending: Do not grind the chutney too long in the electric blender, as the heat can cause the chutney to turn black.
- Add Ice Cubes: Adding 1-2 ice cubes while blending will prevent the heat generated from the blender from turning the green chutney black.
- Add Lemon Juice: Add Lemon juice before or after blending the chutney to maintain its vibrant green color.
- Ratio: The ratio of mint leaves to coriander leaves should be correct. I always use 1 part of mint for 2 parts of coriander leaves.
Variations
- Yogurt: Many restaurants serve mint coriander chutney with yogurt (also known as Yogurt Chutney) as a dip with Indian appetizers. Simply whisk ½ cup of plain thick yogurt with green chutney. If you are vegan, replace it with vegan yogurt.
- Coconut: Add freshly grated coconut to this green chutney to serve with South Indian breakfast like idli, dosa, or vada.
- Roasted Peanuts - If your cilantro mint chutney is thin or watery, you can thicken it by adding roasted peanuts while blending.
- Raw Mangoes: You can add a few slices of mangoes if they are in season for a tangy green chutney recipe. You can reduce the quantity of lime juice.
- Green Chilies: You can increase or reduce chilies according to your preference.
Nutrition
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Sharon Madonna
Amazing recipe. I adjusted according to my liking. Used it severally 🥵🥵🌶️🌶️