Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Coriander & Mint Chutney
Coriander & Mint Chutney ()

Coriander & Mint Chutney

VegetarianMakes ABOUT 1.5 KG (3 LB 5 OZ)

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

01
1000 g
herb
03
24 g4 chillies
vegetable
04
piece
aromatic
05
6 g2 cloves
aromatic
06
76 g5 tablespoons
souring agent
07
183 g200 ml
oil/fat
08
to taste
sweetener
09
to taste
salt

Method

  1. 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.
  2. Blend until the herbs and aromatics are finely chopped.
  3. With the motor running, pour in 183 g vegetable oil in a slow stream.
  4. Continue blending until the mixture is smooth.
  5. Season with caster sugar to taste and sea salt to taste, then pulse briefly to mix.
  6. Pack into sterilised jars and refrigerate for up to 1 week; freeze any surplus.

Don't have something?

Coriander leaves
  • Coriander (cilantro) or basil

    Use the same weight, choosing the coriander element if available. If only basil is available, expect a sweeter, more aniseed flavour.

  • Basil leaves

    Use the same weight. Basil is sweeter and more aromatic in a different way; add near the end so it keeps its perfume.

  • Coriander paste

    Use 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 leaves

    Use the same weight; identical herb, just the plural listing.

  • Dried mint

    Use 25% of the fresh weight, about 1 g dried for 4 g fresh; crush between fingers. Flavour is stronger and slightly hay-like.

  • Coriander leaf

    Use the same weight; it gives a fresh green note but not true mint flavour.

Green chilli
  • Chilli powder

    Use 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 chilli

    Use 1 dried pod per fresh green chilli; snap in half and temper in hot oil for a deeper, toastier heat.

Fresh ginger
  • Ginger paste

    Use equal weight. Sauté in hot fat until the raw allium smell disappears; slightly wetter, but provides identical warmth and pungency.

  • Ground ginger

    Use 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 paste

    Use equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.

  • Garlic powder

    Use 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.

  • Shallot

    Use 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 juice

    Use equal volume or weight; delivers almost identical sharp acidity with a faintly more aromatic, bitter-edged profile.

  • Dried mango powder

    Use 25% of the weight (about 1 g amchoor for 4 g juice); provides clean fruity tartness without thinning the sauce.

  • White vinegar

    Use 75% of the volume; gives direct sourness without any citrus floral fragrance.

Vegetable oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.

  • Ghee

    Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.

  • Mustard oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Caster sugar
  • Granulated sugar

    Use the same weight. It is slightly coarser, so stir a little longer to dissolve; in baking, grind briefly if a fine texture matters.

  • Demerara sugar

    Use 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 sugar

    Use the same weight; crush or grate jaggery first. It darkens the dish and adds molasses flavour, so reduce other liquid slightly.

Similar dishes

Coriander Chutney
Coriander Chutney tastes fresh, hot and tangy, with a stronger garlic-lemon edge and no minty herbal note compared with this dish.
  • 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.
Mint and Coriander Chutney
Mint and Coriander Chutney is tangy and mildly hot and thick enough to dip, while this dish is brighter, sharper and more herbal with a spoonable texture.
  • 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.
Wild Garlic Chutney
Wild Garlic Chutney tastes fresh, pungent and gently hot from wild garlic, while this dish tastes brighter and more herbal from mint and coriander, with a sharp lemon bite.
  • 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.
Jal Jeera (Tandoori Home Cooking)
Spiced Tamarind Drink with Mint, Coriander, Ginger & Chilli
Jal Jeera tastes sour, sweet and savoury with gentle chilli warmth, while this dish is bright, herbal and sharp from lemon and oil.
  • 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.