Recipe: Mint Chutney

This is a recipe from my Mom. I grew up eating this but for never bothered to learn how to make it as I used to get a frozen version from Indian Stores. But the frozen versions contain yogurt in them so aren't lactose free. Recently when my Mom was visiting I made this with her and jotted down the secret recipe. I think this recipe is a Godsend for me so I am going to share it with you all too.

Takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. You can make this in big batch and freeze the majority. At regular refrigeration (not frozen) it stays fresh for up to 1-2 weeks. Frozen it can say fresh for months.

 
On the left you see the picture of exactly what I made. 

In case you are wondering. The green stuff in the picture is the chutney we will be making. The other thing is called a Somosa. It's an Indian stuffed pastry. The one in the picture happens to be from Whole Foods' buffet section. This one is vegan and is stuffed with potatoes and peas.



 
What do you need?

- Fresh Coriander (2 bunches)
- Fresh Mint (1 small bunch)
- Garlic (2-3 cloves)
- Red Onion (One)
- Tomatoes (Two medium sized)
- Lemon (one)
- Basic spices (salt, chile pepper, etc)
- Green Chile (one)
- And a blender!

How to go about this?

I am a fan of simple. I don't like to work too hard to make good food :) So this process is very much to my liking.

1) Wash your coriander and mint leaves thoroughly

2) Separate out the coriander leaves from the stems. You don't have to be precise but just take out the bulk of the stems.

3) Do the same with the Mint leaves. Mint leaves are easier to separate as the leaves are a bit larger in size.

4) Blending time! Throw in the coriander leaves and mint leaves in the blender. You have may to do these in batch depending on the number of bunches you are using.

5) Blend till it becomes puree-like.

6) Throw in big slices of onions and tomatoes. And blend again till its puree like and until all chunks blended.

7) Peel and dice garlic.

8) Dice one green chile pepper.

9) Throw in garlic, green chile, salt (1 tbsp) and a dash of red chile powder.

10) Run the blender so it mixes up well.

That's all folks!

Quick tip: At this point the chutney is done. If you made a big batch, then I would suggest you store some in the freezer. For the part that you are not freezing, squeeze in a whole fresh lemon and mix it well. Adding lemon juice reduces the longevity of the chutney adds flavor to it.

There are variety of ways you can enjoy this chutney. This is a great summer side food. I use the chutney instead of mustard or ketchup when making sandwiches.

Enjoy!