Easy, spicy, and tangy Cilantro Mint Chutney is a delicious condiment that is a must-try accompaniment to Indian food. It is the perfect dipping sauce for samosa, kebabs, tikka, dosa, chaat, or spread for sandwiches and wraps. All you need is 5 mins, a blender, and few fresh ingredients to make this simple and flavorful Mint Coriander Chutney.
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About Mint Cilantro Chutney
Easy and quick
Made using fresh ingredients
Spicy and tangy
Versatile and must have!
Mint Cilantro Chutney is one of the most popular Indian condiments. It is made with mint, cilantro as the main ingredients, flavored with onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and sugar.
In India, Cilantro is also known as Coriander or Dhaniya and Mint as Pudina so this chutney is also known as Mint Coriander Chutney or Dhaniya Pudina Chutney in Hindi.
This delicious Indian green sauce is commonly served as an accompaniment with many Indian appetizers, snacks, and Indian street food. It is also used as a spread for sandwiches, wraps, burgers, or as a side with Indian meals.
My mom mostly made the homemade green chutney with just cilantro without mint. I first tasted the green chutney with mint and cilantro at my aunt's (my mom's sister) house. My Aunt always adds onion to her chutney and it turns out so flavorful so that's how I make it too.
If you don't like mint, check out my cilantro chutney recipe which uses just cilantro without mint.
This chutney is really easy and the best part is you can make it in bulk and freeze it.
Without further ado, let's see how to make Cilantro Mint Chutney!!
Recipe Ingredients
Cilantro leaves: Also known as Coriander or Dhania. This is one of the main ingredients so use fresh green cilantro leaves for the best flavor. Tender cilantro stems can also be used. Discard the hard thick stems and any browned or spoilt leaves.
Mint leaves - Also known as Pudina. This is the next main ingredient. Use fresh mint leaves only for this recipe. Discard stems and any browned or spoilt mint leaves.
Onion: I used onion to give the chutney another layer of flavor. Onion is commonly used in North Indian or Punjabi-style green chutney recipes. Along with flavor it also helps thicken the chutney. You can also substitute it with peanuts or coconuts or skip it completely.
Ginger Garlic: Use fresh ginger and garlic for a great flavor. Don’t go overboard with garlic as it will dominate the flavor.
Green chili: I use Thai green chilies for this chutney but Serrano peppers or jalapeno can be used to spice up this chutney as per your taste.
Lemon juice: You can use lemon juice, lime juice, tamarind juice, or raw mango to add tanginess to the chutney. Amchur powder can be used as a substitute if fresh ingredients are not available.
Cumin seeds: They add a nice earthy flavor to the chutney. I use cumin seeds but roasted cumin powder can be used too
Salt and sugar - These two help balance all the favors of the chutney. Instead of plain salt black salt can also be used.
Step by Step Instructions
Prep the ingredients. Wash the mint leaves, cilantro leaves (and stems), ginger, green chilies, and pat dry. Peel the garlic cloves.
Roughly chop mint, cilantro, ginger, green chilies, onion. Gather the rest of the ingredients and keep them ready.
1 and 2 - Add all the ingredients to a blender including water and ice cubes.
3 and 4 - Blend until smooth consistency. Depending on the type of blender used, you may need extra 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.
Storage
Mint Coriander Chutney can be stored refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to a week. The chutney tends to get darker over time when stored due to the addition of mint but the taste is still good.
This chutney also freezes well. You can make it in bulk and keep one portion refrigerated and freeze the rest.
I prefer using 4oz mason jars to store and freeze my green chutney as this portion size works for us. You can also freeze it in silicone freezer trays. Thaw the frozen chutney in the refrigerator or room temperature before using.
Serving Suggestions
Cilantro Mint Chutney is very versatile and there are numerous ways to use it.
You can use this chutney to make tasty Indian Chaat like Ragda Pattice, Bhelpuri, Sevpuri, or healthy chaat salads like Arbi chaat and Kala chana chaat.
Use it as a dipping sauce with your favorite Indian appetizers like samosa, pakora, tandoori chicken, or Tandoori paneer, Cutlets, Tikki, etc.
It also tastes delicious. as a spread for your sandwiches, wraps, burgers, or serve it as a side to Biryani, paratha, or Indian meal.
Variations
Here are a few ingredients you can add to make variations of this Mint Cilantro Chutney.
Yogurt - coriander mint chutney with yogurt is one of the most popular restaurant-style variations where yogurt is added to the chutney. It gives it a light green color and smooth creamy texture. It also helps bring down the spice levels. Add about ¼ cup of yogurt or adjust to taste. You can add it while blending but I prefer to add it after blending since that way I can freeze the chutney if required.
Grated coconut - This adds a nice thick texture and slight coconut flavor to the chutney. Add ¼ to ½ cup of fresh or frozen grated coconut with the rest of the ingredients while blending. This coconut version tastes great with dosa and sandwiches.
Roasted peanuts - This is another ingredient that helps thicken the cilantro and mint chutney. Add about ¼ cup of roasted peanuts while blending.
Green Chaat Chutney - To make this chutney for chaat, make it spicy by adding more green chilies (I add about 4-5 total for the same recipe) and some black pepper powder as per taste.
Recipe Tips
For the best flavor, use fresh ingredients. Use best quality mint and coriander (cilantro) leaves. Tender cilantro stems can also be used but don’t use mint stems.
Use a blender (like Vitamix) for smoother texture and a food processor for chunkier chutney.
The amount of water required to blend the chutney can vary depending on the type of blender so start with less and increase 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to make a smooth chutney.
If your blender is not powerful, blend in batches. Blend the aromatics first then add the cilantro and finally add the mint. Over blending will cause the chutney to discolor and might turn bitter due to mint.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a few reasons why the chutney might taste bitter. Make sure to use fresh green mint and cilantro leaves, the quality of herbs can impact the taste. Use just the mint leaves and discard the stems as that can give a bitter taste to the chutney. Over grinding the mint leaves in a blender can cause the oils to become rancid which in turn makes the chutney bitter. Be careful with lemon juice and discard the lemon seeds as that is another factor that can cause bitter chutney.
Mint coriander chutney tends to turn dark green over time so it is best to consume it as soon as it is made or freeze it to maintain the green color. Alternately lemon juice, sugar, and ice cubes while blending are known to help maintain the vibrant green color.
More Chutney Recipes
Hope you enjoy this Cilantro Mint Chutney !! If you give this recipe a try, please rate by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️! You can also follow me on Facebook | Instagram to see what’s cooking in my kitchen!!
Recipe Card
Cilantro Mint Chutney
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup mint leaves pudina
- 2 cup cilantro coriander leaves, dhania
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- 1 inch ginger piece
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2-3 green chilies adjust to taste, using thai chili
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds or use roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or black salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2-3 tablespoon lemon juice lime juice Or ½ raw mango
- 3-4 tablespoon water adjust as needed
- 4 ice cubes
Instructions
Prep the ingredients.
- Wash the mint leaves, cilantro leaves (and stems), ginger, green chilies, and pat dry. Peel the garlic cloves.
- Roughly chop mint, cilantro, ginger, green chilies, onion. Gather the rest of the ingredients and keep them ready.
Make Cilantro Mint Chutney
- Add all the ingredients to a blender including water and ice cubes. Blend until smooth consistency.
- Depending on the type of blender used, you may need extra 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.
- Easy, spicy, and tangy Cilantro mint chutney is ready!! Store it refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to a week or freeze for longer use.
Video
Notes
- Yogurt - Add about ¼ cup of yogurt to the recipe. You can add it while blending but I prefer to add it after blending since that way I can freeze the chutney if required. This makes it creamy and helps bring down the spice levels. Grated coconut - This adds a nice thick texture and slight coconut flavor to the chutney. Add ¼ to ½ cup of fresh or frozen grated coconut with the rest of the ingredients while blending. This coconut version tastes great with dosa and sandwiches. Roasted peanuts - This is another ingredient that helps thicken the cilantro and mint chutney. Add about ¼ cup of roasted peanuts while blending. Green Chaat Chutney - To make this chutney for chaat, make it spicy by adding more green chilies (I add about 4-5 total for the same recipe) and some black pepper powder as per taste.
yummy and delicious chutney ..On going event at
http://savorindian.blogspot.com/2013/12/event-announcement-cooking-with-green.html
I am loving this chutney, it's got a ton of goodness going on..