Spicy Mint-Cilantro Chutney

Name: Spicy Mint-Cilantro Chutney
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients: 3 to 6 serrano chiles or jalapeños, halved, stemmed and seeded (if desired to mitigate spiciness), then chopped; 2 teaspoons granulated sugar; Salt; 1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped; 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from 3 to 4 limes)

By Von Diaz

Updated March 26, 2024

Spicy Mint-Cilantro Chutney — Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 15 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Rating: 5(53)
Comments: Read comments

Tangy and spicy, with a touch of sweetness, this fresh, herbaceous chutney is incredibly adaptable, and will brighten up curries, stews, fritters, and grilled seafood and chicken. Adapted from “Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking” by Von Diaz (Chronicle Books, 2024), this no-cook, blended chutney hails from Mauritius, but similar chutneys can be found across Indian Ocean nations. Drizzle it and other dynamic sauces on top of spicy Trinidadian doubles.

Featured in: Why Doubles Remain Trinidad’s Most Popular Food

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Ingredients

Yield:1 cup

3 to 6serrano chiles or jalapeños, halved, stemmed and seeded (if desired to mitigate spiciness), then chopped
2teaspoons granulated sugar
Salt
1cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
½cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
½cup fresh lime juice (from 3 to 4 limes)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a mini food processor or blender, combine the chiles, sugar and ½ teaspoon salt; pulse several times to finely chop.
Step 2
Add the mint, cilantro and lime juice; process to a paste. For a looser chutney, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Step 3
Season to taste with additional salt. This sauce is best served fresh, though you can store any remaining sauce in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Ratings

5 out of 5

53 user ratings

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Comments

Sandy1 year ago

Some chutneys are long-cooked; others are fresh. Coriander chutneys similar to this one are found all over India.

Kenna1088 months ago

@Lydia Sugarman In India, most chutney are not jam like at all. Tamarind, peanut, coconut are fresh just like this one. Others are cooked and jarred like mango chutney which is nothing like what we use here. It consists of green mango (a variety of mango) which is tart and mixed with spice as are all chutneys. Thin chutneys like this one are made to accompany dosa, or idli. One thing is for sure, is that food from Indian is delightfully complex and flavorful

Lydia Sugarman1 year ago

This is not a chutney; it is a sauce or marinade akin to chimichurri. Chutneys are cooked, thickened, jammy. This is none of those.

Jenny K3 months ago

Insanely delicious. I would drink this. I need to make it every day. So simple, but so so bright and perfect. Made it for the doubles recipe but would put on any and everything.

Zumzuma8 months ago

All over India and many other countries, millions of people call freshly made accompaniments 'chutneys'. This mint- coriander chutney is very common. So are coconut chutney, sesame chutney, tomato chutney and others. The word also covers cooked sweet,sour accompaniments.

Byrne1 year ago

According to an article in the Times this past year, the seeds of peppers contain no capsaicin. Any heat found in them is from contact with the pepper’s flesh.

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