
Hari Mirch Ki Chutney
A hot, tangy green chutney made from bird's-eye chillies, coriander, apple and lime, with cumin and sugar rounding out the heat. It is smooth and sharp, with a fresh chilli kick.
Crushed cumin
2.1 gAdded to the blender with the other ingredients (step 2)Everything else
Method
- Crush 2.1 g cumin seed coarsely.
- Put 14 g green bird's-eye chilli (use 5 g for a milder chutney), 30 g coriander leaf, 150 g granny smith apple, 3 g garlic, salt to taste, 16.8 g caster sugar and 100 g lime juice into a blender.
- Add the crushed cumin.
- Blend to a smooth paste without adding water, scraping down the sides as needed.
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Green bird's eye chilli

Bird's eye green chilliUse the same weight; heat and flavour are very close.
Green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; deseed for less heat. Larger chillies are more watery.
Fresh green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; chop finely and adjust heat by tasting.

Coriander leaf


Green apple

AppleUse the same weight, peeled and diced; slightly less tart.
PearUse the same weight, firm and diced; softer and sweeter.
Raw green mangoUse the same weight, peeled and diced; much more sour, so adjust sugar.

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.

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.

Lime

LemonUse the same weight; sharper and less floral, so reduce any extra souring slightly.
Lemon juiceUse about 30 g juice per lime (2 tbsp), strain pips; add at the end for fresh sourness.
Dried mango powderUse 1 g amchoor for about 15 g lime juice; add early with spices; gives dry mango sourness, not citrus aroma.

Cumin seed

Ground cuminUse 70% of the weight; add with ground spices or sauce bases rather than hot oil tempering, where it scorches quickly and turns bitter.
Black cumin seedsUse equal weight for oil tempering. Delivers an earthy profile with an additional musky, smoky, and slightly bitter edge.
Fennel seedUse 60% of the weight for tempering; offers comparable warm aroma, but leans sweet and liquorice-like rather than savoury and earthy.
Similar dishes

- Same: Sirkewalla Mirch Aur Dhania shares green bird's-eye chilli, coriander leaf, caster sugar and salt with this dish.
- Different: It uses white wine vinegar and water instead of lime and apple, includes coriander stem, and lacks garlic, cumin and apple; it is loosened with water and rested, while this dish is blended smooth with apple and lime.

- Same: Banta Soda shares lime, cumin and caster sugar with this dish.
- Different: Banta Soda adds black salt, black pepper, Sprite and ice, and it lacks this dish's green bird's-eye chilli, coriander, apple and garlic, so it is a fizzy drink rather than a blended chutney.

- Same: Maharashtrian Thecha shares green bird's-eye chilli, cumin seed, coriander leaf and salt with this dish.
- Different: Maharashtrian Thecha adds garlic, roasted peanuts and vegetable oil and is pounded coarse after blistering the chillies, while this dish blends apple, lime and caster sugar into a smooth chutney and has no peanuts or oil.

- Same: Nimboo ka Achar shares lime, garlic, salt and cumin seed with this dish, and both are sharp Indian condiments.
- Different: Nimboo ka Achar is a sun-cured lime pickle made with quartered limes, chilli powder, mustard seed, asafoetida and vegetable oil, while this dish is a fresh blended chutney with coriander, apple, bird's-eye chilli and caster sugar.



















