Cilantro chutney or green chutney is a popular Indian condiment and green dipping sauce served with Indian snacks and appetizers. It is spicy and tangy in taste and at times can have a mint flavor when some mint leaves are added.
You don't have to limit yourself to enjoying green dipping sauce at Indian restaurants as it is very easy to make at home with a few ingredients. It can also be made ahead of time in bulk and stored in the fridge or the freezer for later use.
It is a perfect chutney for samosa, Indian snacks, and appetizers. You can also apply it on Indian-style sandwiches or serve it as a side with your meals.
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Ingredients
Cilantro chutney is made with very few ingredients. The main ingredient is fresh cilantro which is easily available in the grocery stores. It is best to avoid cilantro bunch with thick stems and choose the ones with thin stems. Otherwise, you can just chop off and discard the thick stems and use only the fresh leaves and thin stems.
Roasted chana dal, also known as dalia is added along with some ginger, serrano pepper, and salt. If you do not add roasted chana dal then after some time the water from the chutney will start separating, so it is used for binding.
Just ensure that the ginger is fresh, else it can make the chutney bitter in taste. Finally, add some lime juice after the chutney is ready to make it tangy as well as preserve its bright green color.
Instructions
It is really easy and effortless to make cilantro chutney at home. I have made it in Vitamix but it can be made in any other blender.
Before you make chutney, rinse the cilantro well with water and discard all the thick stems. Adding thick stems can make the chutney bitter in taste.
Put all the ingredients including cilantro, roasted chana dal, serrano pepper, salt, and chopped ginger in the blender jar. Pour a little bit of water, a tablespoon at a time, and blend it from medium to high speed until the chutney is of smooth consistency.
Taste the chutney once and adjust the salt and spiciness by adding more of it if needed and blend it once again. Transfer the chutney to a bowl and mix a few teaspoons of lime juice. The lime juice helps retain the bright green color of the chutney or else it will oxidize in sometime and turn dark green.
Variations
This vegan and gluten-free chutney is made with fresh cilantro and a handful of other ingredients. There are a few variations that can be done.
Spicy - add more serrano pepper or jalapeno pepper if you like the green chutney to be spicy. This recipe makes it mild in spiciness.
Peanuts - If you don't have roasted chana dal (dalia) then you can replace them with raw unsalted peanuts.
Lemon juice - you can use lemon juice or lime juice.
Mint - You can add a handful of fresh mint leaves to make cilantro-mint chutney.
Equipment
I have made this chutney recipe in the Vitamix 6300 blender. Any other powerful blender can be used. While blending just ensure that the chutney is blended to a smooth consistency and add water only as needed.
Serving suggestions
Cilantro chutney is a flavorful green color dip and condiment and goes well with a lot of Indian snacks or appetizers like fritters, kebabs, cutlets, chaat, and other finger foods. This green chutney is perfect to serve with samosas.
It is also applied to bread to make Indian-style sandwiches. It is also added to dal when serving dal bati. Paneer tikka is incomplete without this delicious green condiment.
Storage
It is best to consume the green chutney the day it is made. However, you can store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Just ensure that you add the lime juice or else it can get oxidised and turn dark in color.
If you want to store it longer it is best to store it in the freezer in ice cube trays. When you want some, you can grab a few cubes and thaw them in the microwave.
Top tip
- Use good quality cilantro which does not have thick stems and preferably organic cilantro to avoid bitterness.
- Adding lime juice retains the bright green color of the chutney which would otherwise turn dark due to oxidation.
FAQ
Why is my cilantro chutney bitter?
Cilantro chutney can end up having a bitter taste if a lot of thick cilantro stems are added while making the chutney. Just use fresh leaves and thin stems. Also, ensure that the ginger is fresh and do not use it in a large quantity else it can make the chutney bitter.
How do you make chutney less bitter?
If the cilantro chutney becomes bitter, add some lime juice and whisked yogurt. This will reduce the bitterness to a great extent.
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📖 Recipe
Cilantro Chutney
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 bunch Cilantro (100 grams, fresh)
- 2 tablespoon Roasted chana dal (dalia)
- ½ tablespoon Ginger
- ½ teaspoon Salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 tablespoon Serrano pepper (adjust to taste)
- ¼ cup Water (more if needed)
To be added later
- 2 teaspoon Lime juice (adjust to taste)
Instructions
- Discard the thick stems and use only the fresh cilantro leaves and thin stems.
- Rinse cilantro with water to get rid of any residue or dirt.
- Add all the ingredients except water and lime juice into the blender jar.
- Add little water and blend all the ingredients into a smooth paste.
- Add more water as needed and increase the speed from low to high while blending.
- Adjust salt and spiciness as needed and continue blending.
- Transfer the cilantro chutney to a bowl and mix lime juice.
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