Mint Chutney

Indian food has always been on my “favorites” list and that includes the main dishes, the naan, the condiments…..you name it. Chutneys are so easy and quick to prepare and they can be raw so, unless I decide to go back to consuming cooked legumes or grains, an occasional side dish is what’s left for me.
Like all the dishes in India, I’m sure this has dozens of variations to it as well. Every family has their own recipes for preparing dhal and condiments, and whether something is made in the northern half of the country or down south, will further enhance the uniqueness of the plate. My dear friend from India says just to make sure to include something sour and something spicy! This recipe is a simple one with more common ingredients but you could use tamarind paste instead of lemon juice, you could add ginger for an extra kick, and if you must leave out the garlic, I suppose you could use onions.

Mint Chutney
Ingredients:
(Makes ~¾ cup)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 large bunch of cilantro (aka coriander)
few leaves/handful of fresh mint
1 sliced serrano pepper
2 cloves peeled garlic
sea salt to taste
ground cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy)
splash of water (to help the blender get going)

Directions:
Cut up the cilantro into smaller pieces and place everything in a blender. Process the ingredients until the mixture becomes smooth and no chunks of veggies are left.

Serve it as a dip with chips or crackers, or as a side dish to go with dinner. If you eat fish, this would be a good condiment to have on the table because cilantro has very powerful chelating properties. Seafood can contain high levels of mercury and other heavy metals, which coriander can help excrete from your body.
What do I do? I'm sure you know by now that I keep it simple…I just grab a pile of my favorite crackers and scoop it all up in a minute! It is such a yummy, spicy, and green snack!
 

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