Coriander Chutney – the Versatile Condiment

Coriander Chutney is a popular condiment in the northern and western parts of India. You can use it in a variety of ways – put it as sauce in a sandwich, use it as a dip with pakoras or enjoy it as a relish with Dal Rice. Most households will always have a jar of chutney in the fridge. With readymade chutney available in the supermarkets, nowadays many people prefer to buy it instead of making their own.  With this simple and easy recipe you can make your own chutney in 5 minutes using only 3 ingredients – coriander, green chilli and lemon.

Ingredients

• 1 small bunch of fresh coriander(dhaniya)
• 1/2 lemon or lime
• 3-4 green chillies
• Salt as required

Method

1. Cut off the stems closer to the roots from the coriander bunch. There is no need to pluck the leaves. Just wash them thoroughly using a colander.
2. Remove the stems from green chillies. Usually the chutney tastes better when it is hot (with more chillies) but add more or less depending on how much heat you can handle.
3. Blend the coriander and chillies adding little water if required. The consistency should be smooth and thick but pouring.
4. Add salt and lemon juice to taste. Adding lemon will suppress the heat from the chillies slightly.
5. Refrigerate in a glass jar. The chutney can stay in the fridge for 7-10 days but generally you will finish it earlier!!! Never use a metal bowl or jar to store/serve any chutneys or pickles as the metal can react with the acids present in the food.

Different variants of this chutney can be made by adding:

1. Mint, onion and ginger for mint chutney
2. Anardana*dried pomegranate seeds instead of lemon for sourness
3. Handful of peanuts and yoghurt
4. Yoghurt and mint to make a dip to go with tandoori delicacies