Classic Green Mint Chutney

I know that some of you may be a little surprised to see something here today that is not sweet.  Most posts on my blog seem to revolve around baked goods, but the truth is that I also need to eat.  Recently I was invited by Hippocrene Books to a blog cook-off for the release of Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors by Rinku Bhattacharya, and given my love for Indian food I immediately accepted.
My copy of Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors arrived during the week and I immediately started flipping through the pages.  Everything looks amazing and I will be doing a full review of the book soon.  Let me just say for now that this is one book you need to have.

One thing I loved about this author is her approach to sustainability, and how the she describes herself as "practical and flexible". Sometimes we can be very hard on ourselves when we don't follow something to the letter, and as much as we try to embrace sustainability we need to give ourselves a pass if here are roadblocks, so to speak.  For example I made sure that I went to the Farmer's Market for my fresh herbs, but I cannot walk to it and need to drive there, hence I am using gas.  However, I do it because I know that everything is so fresh and I would much rather put my money directly into the farmers hand.

The recipe we were asked to make is a Classic Green Mint Chutney which has both cilantro and mint in it.  This recipe was a breeze to put together, and the flavor was just so clean and fresh. I decided that I wanted to pair it with crackers, cheese, and some pepper jelly - simple I know, but the flavors were amazing together and I am planning on enjoying what little is leftover as I relax outside this afternoon. In hindsight I think I made a mistake by substituting the Serrano chilies for Jalapeño chilies, but I knew that it may be a little spicy for my girls.  Next time I would definitely stick to the recipe as written because I think we would have enjoyed the additional punch of flavor - this was definitely my error and no reflection on the recipe itself.

The vibrant green color of the chutney was fantastic, and I am looking forward to trying it on some barbecued lamb soon, as I think this will be a great pairing for it too. Below I am listing a few of the other participants to give you a few other ideas for Classic Green Mint Chutney ~

Green Mint Chutney on Corn & Cauliflower Chaat - The Spiced Life
Classic Green Mint Chutney Rice Topped with Tomatoes and Nectarines - The Wimpy Vegetarian
Potatoes with Classic Green Mint Chutney - In Fine Balance

Remember to check back next week as I will be featuring another recipe from the book - although how I am going to pick just one is going to be agonizing as they are all calling out to me.  The week after that I will feature a full review of the book and do a giveaway of Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors to one lucky reader!


Classic Green Mint Chutney
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 bunch cilantro leaves (about 3 cups of leaves; tender stems can also be used in this recipe)
• 2 bunches mint leaves (about 1½ cups)
• 2 green Serrano chilies
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 teaspoon black salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons oil (such as mustard or canola)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Preparation

1. Place the cilantro, mint, green Serrano chilies, cumin powder, salt, black salt, sugar, oil, and lime juice in the bowl of a blender.
2. Grind mixture until smooth. This chutney will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, but the color will darken due to the lime.

Tips and Tricks

1. It is important to ensure that the mint leaves used for this chutney are tender or they tend to add a bitter taste to this condiment.
2. This chutney can be mellowed by adding 1½ tablespoons of yogurt or coconut milk as a vegan option. If adding yogurt you can skip the lime juice.
3. Another variation is to add some blanched peanuts or almonds.

Disclaimer ~ I was sent a free review copy of Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors by the publisher, but my opinions are my own, and I as not compensated for them.