Dhania Chutney (Cilantro Chutney)

Photo taken at a local Indian store featuring different types of ready made Chutneys.

In Indian cuisine an appetizer is considered incomplete without Chutney. India is famous for its delicious street food. It’s amazing to see the speed with which the vendors prep, fry and serve snacks like Chat, Kabab, Kofta, Pakoras etc.. With these snacks they serve different types of complimentary chutneys. Indians have bold taste buds and we love hot and spicy food and the chutney enhances the taste. The most common chutney sold by the street vendors is a simple paste of cilantro, tamarind and green chilies. It is a burst of flavors on the taste buds - spicy, tangy everything coming together with the hot snack. Yum! Now for those who have never had chutney before, believe me you have actually missed an important condiment. Chutney is like a thick sauce or dip and is served not only with Pakoras but also with meat and fish. I serve it with Tandoori chicken and sometimes use it as a marinade as well. Once you get a hang of it there is no turning back. You are bound to fall in love with it. 

Chutneys can be sweet or sour, spicy or mild depending on its ingredients and are prepared with a variety of herbs, vegetables or fruits.  My grandma used to make Sweet Tomato Chutney and I used to eat it with Parathas all the time. This traditional Chutney is a favorite in the Bengali households. During the bhog (food offered to the goddess) of Durga Pooja (the most important religious convention for the Bengalis) this chutney is served with the other special items, which include and is not limited to Pulao, Luchi, Paneer Curry, different Bhajas and other yummy Torkaris, Sweets and Payesh. It’s marvelous that this simple chutney plays such an important part in completing the meal, which is being offered to our Goddess Durga.

In India, even Mc Donald’s serve their world famous McChicken burger with a layer of Mint Chutney on top of the chicken patty  which tastes heavenly. This chutney consists of Mint, Cilantro, Green Chili and Yogurt. Wait wait! You don’t have to go to India to try this amazing burger, just make the chutney and add it to a chicken burger and enjoy!

There are many dishes that are paired with special chutneys. Have you ever had Dosa or Idli? I love them. They are the classic South Indian dishes and are available at almost all the Indian restaurants or Chat cafes in the US. These dishes are served with a special Coconut chutney, which is prepared by tampering lots of Spices and adding it to the ground Coconut, Lentils, Green Chili and Ginger. You can also have this mild chutney with a Cheela (savory pancake) or Vada (fritter).

I took the first photo at a local Indian store; it shows different sorts of ready-made chutneys available. There is Mint, Coriander (Cilantro), Red Chili Garlic and hot and sweet Mango chutneys in the photo. Personally I never buy readymade chutneys from the stores because preparing the chutney at home literally takes 5 minutes and tastes way better. Another benefit of making fresh chutney is that you can adjust the ingredients according to your taste. Make it hotter, milder or tangier as you like. However, it is  useful to have readymade chutneys from tried and tested brands at home as It provides some instant options and saves time.

The recipe is of Cilantro chutney and is usually prepared by Debarshi at home. With its garlicky taste and fresh Cilantro flavor it takes the pakoras to a different level of flavor pallet. I think this chutney goes very well with the Onion Pakoras. It’s simple to prepare and tastes awesome (The 2nd photo features the Cilantro chutney with Mathri). The secret trick is to roast the garlic and chili peppers on a grill before throwing them in the blender to add a smoky flavor and aroma to the chutney.

A chutney should be prepared using fresh herbs only and grinded very smooth so we use the Nutri bullet for this purpose although I think any smoothie maker or wet grinder should work. In older days before the age of household electric blenders chutneys were prepared in a Mortar Pestle. However, I will not recommend it. My suggestion is to enjoy the advantages of modern machinery on this one. Mortar Pestle is handy for many things but it will take a lot of time and energy to grind the ingredients. I always store the chutneys in a plastic container or glass bowl because its taste may change upon keeping it in a reactive metal bowl.

I will soon add the recipe for the other two chutneys but in the meantime try the Cilantro chutney and don’t forget the yummy Pakoras.

As I say, “Add some spice to your life with a Chutney”.

Dhania Chutney (Cilantro Chutney) with Mathri (fried savory biscuits).

Ingredients:

• Cilantro - 1 large bunch, fresh, washed and roughly chopped
• Garlic – 4-5 big cloves (optional)
• Lime juice – 1-2 teaspoon
• Salt – 1/8 teaspoon or Black Salt - ½ teaspoon
• Serrano pepper or Green chili - 2

Directions:

• Take your blender or Nutri bullet and add all the ingredients in it with about 1⁄4 cup of water.
• Blend all the ingredients till smooth.
• Check the seasoning, if you want to add some more Salt or Lime juice add it and give it a whirl again.
• Serve the chutney with Pakoras, Samosas or even with Biryani.

Tip:

• This chutney can be stored in the refrigerator for at least 4-5 days. I just put it in an airtight container and use it whenever required. It’s served at room temperature with hot snacks.

Change the chutney into a dip:

• Sometimes I use the same ingredients and change the chutney to a dip or sauce. I then serve this with fish or meat. For this, I simply use yogurt or buttermilk instead of water. That gives it a thicker consistency.

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