Often referred to as green chutney or cilantro chutney, the coriander chutney is a key condiment in many Indian houses. It goes with everything even just sandwiched in some buttered white bread with cheese and crisps. Spread some of this cilantro chutney to a plain masala dosa with some cheese and enjoy every bite because it is delightful.
The chutney is slightly spicy, citruses, herby and addictive. It is one of the trio ones that is used for masala dosas too.
What coriander chutney made of
The coriander chutney base is the same and includes fresh coriander, fresh chillies, lemon juice, garlic, cumin powder and salt.
To make it creamy you can add in nuts (cashews and peanuts) or Ghatia which is an Indian snack made with gram flour. We never add mint to ours because it changes the taste however many do.
In some cases, if you want a sauce to drizzle on that has all the flavours of the chutney, add in some yoghurt to the mixture. We love this yoghurt green chutney on corn ribs.
How long does the chutney last
The coriander chutney will last 2-3 days in the fridge. You will notice it gets darker due to oxidisation. It is an easy condiment to prepare and best enjoyed fresh.
Making the chutney without a food chopper
Getting a very smooth consistency will be difficult without a blender however it is doable. You can use a mortar and pestle. The key is to add course salt which helps cut into the herbs and garlic. If you are using a mortar and pestle, chop your coriander, garlic and chillies before making the paste to make the process easier.
I use the kitchen aid mini food chopper because I prefer the chutney to be slightly bitty. However you can use a blender to get that extra smooth chutney.
Coriander Chutney
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 green chilli
- 1/2 juice of lemon
- 1 cup washed fresh coriander leave the stalks on – just take the roots off
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 2-4 tsp cold water (adjust for consistency)
- 3-4 cashew nuts (presoaked) Optional extra
- 1/2 cup thick yoghurt Optional extra
Instructions
- Roughly chop your coriander
- Depending on the consistency you may need to add a bit more cold water
- If you want to add in nuts, make sure you soak them in water before hand so they are soft and easier to blend
- To make this with yoghurt, just add some thick yoghurt to the above ingredients when blitzing together or if you want both, split the mixture in half and add yogurt to one half
Want more inspiration on where you can use this dhaniya (coriander) chutney? How about Aloo Chana Chaat in pastry boats?
[…] (coriander/cilantro) chutney: This is our family recipe and it works all the […]