Recipe: Chutneys, including Cilantro and Mint Chutney

the appetizer:

Anjum's New Indian by Anjum Anand includes recipes like Cilantro and Mint Chutney; Black Maharashtran-style Chicken; and Gujarati Undhiyo.

Cilantro and Mint Chutney

Top right: Radish and Yogurt Chutney
Top left: Cucumber and Carrot Koshimbir
Below: Cilantro and Mint Chutney

Serves 6 with snacks

We Punjabis eat this chutney with most of our snacks and appetizers and even spread it in sandwiches. It is absolutely delicious and really simple to make. It is fresh and herby and great with grilled foods too. It is best eaten soon after it has been made as the color will fade, but it can be kept in the fridge for a few days.

2 oz fresh cilantro stems and leaves
2-1/2 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste
1-2 green chiles, seeded if you prefer
Small handful of mint leaves
1-1/2 tbsp pistachio nuts (roasted is fine)
Salt, to taste
4 tbsp water

Blend all the ingredients together with 2 tablespoons of water to make a smooth puree. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon juice to taste.

Cucumber and Carrot Koshimbir

Serves 4

Koshimbir is a salad of chopped raw vegetables, powdered peanuts and a mustard seed tarka. It is a subtle combination of sweet, salty and a little sour and spicy, adding freshness and texture to a meal.

I love to mix it with yogurt for creaminess instead of the more traditional lemon juice—if you are intolerant to yogurt, you can add lemon juice to taste. This dish is not as loose as a raita but you can add extra yogurt if you wish.

8 oz cucumber, peeled, seeds scraped out with a spoon and flesh finely chopped
1 medium-large carrot, peeled and chopped to the same size as the cucumber
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 long, thin, green chile, seeds removed and finely chopped (optional)
1-1/4 tsp sugar, or to taste
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds

Mix together the cucumber, carrot, yogurt, fresh cilantro, green chile, sugar, salt and peanuts. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan and add the mustard seeds. Once they start popping, turn off the heat. When they have finished popping, stir into the vegetables. Serve cold.

Radish and Yogurt Chutney

Serves 4

The recipe for this simple chutney may read more like one for a raita, but in Kashmir it is used as a chutney and mostly eaten with lamb. It works on a similar principle to that of cutting the richness of beef with horseradish, except the red radish is milder and more delicate. It goes well with any meat, from a Kashmiri kebab to barbecued lamb chops. It is also great served as a dip with naan or pitta bread.