
Coriander & Mint Chutney
A fresh green chutney made from coriander and mint blended with chilli, ginger, garlic, lemon and oil. It is bright, herbal and sharp, with a smooth spoonable texture.
Ingredients
Method
- Put 1000 g coriander leaves (stems and leaves), 500 g mint leaf, 24 g green chilli, fresh ginger root to taste, 6 g garlic and 76.5 g lemon juice into a blender.
- Blend until the herbs and aromatics are finely chopped.
- With the motor running, pour in 183 g vegetable oil in a slow stream.
- Continue blending until the mixture is smooth.
- Season with caster sugar to taste and sea salt to taste, then pulse briefly to mix.
- Pack into sterilised jars and refrigerate for up to 1 week; freeze any surplus.
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Coriander leaves

Coriander (cilantro) or basilUse the same weight, choosing the coriander element if available. If only basil is available, expect a sweeter, more aniseed flavour.
Basil leavesUse the same weight. Basil is sweeter and more aromatic in a different way; add near the end so it keeps its perfume.
Coriander pasteUse 1.5 times the weight and reduce other liquid slightly; it is less fresh and more concentrated, so taste before adding more.

Mint leaf

Mint leavesUse the same weight; identical herb, just the plural listing.
Dried mintUse 25% of the fresh weight, about 1 g dried for 4 g fresh; crush between fingers. Flavour is stronger and slightly hay-like.
Coriander leafUse the same weight; it gives a fresh green note but not true mint flavour.

Green chilli

Chilli powderUse 10 to 15% of the weight (about 1/4 teaspoon per chilli); imparts dry pungent heat and reddens the dish without the grassy crunch.
Dried red chilliUse 1 dried pod per fresh green chilli; snap in half and temper in hot oil for a deeper, toastier heat.

Fresh ginger

Ginger pasteUse equal weight. Sauté in hot fat until the raw allium smell disappears; slightly wetter, but provides identical warmth and pungency.
Ground gingerUse 20% to 25% of the weight (1 g for every 4 to 5 g fresh). Stir into the gravy; adds peppery heat and warmth, though it misses the crisp, zesty kick of raw root.

Garlic

Garlic pasteUse equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.
Garlic powderUse 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.
ShallotUse 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.

Lemon juice

Lime juiceUse equal volume or weight; delivers almost identical sharp acidity with a faintly more aromatic, bitter-edged profile.
Dried mango powderUse 25% of the weight (about 1 g amchoor for 4 g juice); provides clean fruity tartness without thinning the sauce.
White vinegarUse 75% of the volume; gives direct sourness without any citrus floral fragrance.

Vegetable oil

Peanut oilUse 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
GheeUse 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oilUse 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Caster sugar

Granulated sugarUse the same weight. It is slightly coarser, so stir a little longer to dissolve; in baking, grind briefly if a fine texture matters.
Demerara sugarUse the same weight, but dissolve it earlier as it is coarser. It adds a light caramel note and a little colour.
Ground jaggery or soft brown sugarUse the same weight; crush or grate jaggery first. It darkens the dish and adds molasses flavour, so reduce other liquid slightly.
Similar dishes

- Same: Coriander Chutney shares coriander leaves, vegetable oil, ginger, garlic, green chilli, lemon juice, sugar and salt with this dish, and both are blended green chutneys.
- Different: Coriander Chutney omits mint, uses half the coriander, has more garlic, less green chilli and more lemon juice than this dish.

- Same: Mint and Coriander Chutney shares with this dish a fresh green base of mint and coriander blended with chilli and ginger into a smooth chutney.
- Different: Mint and Coriander Chutney uses cashew nut and lime and has no garlic, lemon juice, vegetable oil or caster sugar, while this dish blends coriander and mint with garlic, lemon juice, oil and sugar.

- Same: Wild Garlic Chutney shares coriander, green chilli, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, vegetable oil, sugar and salt with this dish, and both are blended green chutneys loosened with oil.
- Different: Wild Garlic Chutney uses 500 g wild garlic leaf and 500 g coriander instead of this dish's 1000 g coriander and 500 g mint, so it lacks mint and has a stronger wild garlic component.

- Same: Jal Jeera shares coriander, mint, green chilli and ginger with this dish, and both use sugar and salt to season the mix.
- Different: Jal Jeera is a chilled drink soured with tamarind and spiced with cumin, black peppercorn, fennel, black salt and dried mango powder, and it includes boondi; it lacks this dish's garlic, lemon juice and vegetable oil and is not a blended spoonable chutney.






















