⏱ Prep: 10 min 🔥Cook: None 👤Makes: About 1 cup 🌿Diet: Vegan
Pudina chutney, mint chutney is the vivid green condiment that shows up on nearly every Indian table, blended from fresh mint and cilantro with ginger, garlic, green chili and a hit of lemon. It’s one of those staples that earns a permanent jar in the fridge, getting replenished every few days because there’s always something it’s good with. Ten minutes, one blender, endlessly useful.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mint leaves, tightly packed, leaves only, discard the stems, which are bitter
- ½ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems, tightly packed, cilantro stems are fine to use, unlike mint stems
- ¼ inch piece ginger
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1–2 green chilies, adjust to taste, remove seeds for a milder chutney
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala, or ¼ teaspoon amchur (dried mango powder) as a substitute, or simply more lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- 2–3 tablespoons water, as needed for blending
- 1 tablespoon thick yogurt, optional, for a creamier version
Step by step
- Rinse and pick the herbs. Rinse the mint and cilantro well in a few changes of water. Pluck the mint leaves off the stems and discard the stems, they’re bitter and woody. For the cilantro, the tender stems can stay in, they add flavor.
- Blend. Add the mint, cilantro, ginger, garlic, green chilies, cumin powder, chaat masala, lemon juice and salt to a blender. Add 2–3 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth.Don’t over-blend. Running the blender longer than necessary heats the leaves slightly and can make the chutney taste bitter. Blend just until smooth, then stop.
- Adjust and serve. Taste and adjust salt, chili or lemon juice as needed. If using yogurt, whisk it separately until smooth, then stir the blended chutney paste into it for a creamier version. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
The two things that keep it from turning bitter
Mint stems are the main culprit behind bitter chutney, always pluck the leaves and discard them. The second culprit is over-blending; the longer the leaves churn against hot blades, the more bitterness gets released. Blend just until smooth and stop there.
Make it your own
Claire’s note
Without yogurt, this chutney keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes well in ice cube trays for up to a couple of months, just add yogurt fresh at serving time if you want the creamy version, since dairy doesn’t freeze the same way. Some versions add a small chopped tomato for extra tang, or swap cilantro out entirely for a mint-forward chutney with no coriander at all, both are completely valid depending on which Indian household you ask.
Serve with
Pudina chutney is the classic pairing for samosas, pakoras, kebabs and tandoori snacks, and it’s also stirred into chaats like bhel puri and sev puri. For everything else on the table the complete Asian recipes collection has it all.
Add pudina chutney to your weekly meal planner, keep a jar in the fridge and it elevates almost any snack or meal. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.
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Pudina Chutney
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A vibrant green mint chutney that is a staple in Indian cuisine, perfect with snacks and meals.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mint leaves, tightly packed (leaves only)
- ½ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems, tightly packed
- ¼ inch piece ginger
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1–2 green chilies (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala (or ¼ teaspoon amchur)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- 2–3 tablespoons water (as needed for blending)
- 1 tablespoon thick yogurt (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse and pick the herbs. Rinse the mint and cilantro well in a few changes of water. Pluck the mint leaves off the stems and discard the stems. For the cilantro, the tender stems can stay in.
- Blend the mint, cilantro, ginger, garlic, green chilies, cumin powder, chaat masala, lemon juice, and salt in a blender. Add 2–3 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. Don’t over-blend.
- Adjust taste and adjust salt, chili, or lemon juice as needed. If using yogurt, whisk it until smooth, then stir it into the chutney for a creamier version. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Notes
Without yogurt, this chutney keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes well. Add yogurt fresh at serving time for a creamy version. Can also add tomato for extra tang.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 40
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
