Mint Chutney

By Manali Singh

4.84 from 6 votes

Jun 08, 2022

This easy homemade Mint Chutney makes the perfect accompaniment to Indian snacks. It is also great on sandwiches, wraps and more. You need only 15 minutes to make this!

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This quick and easy Mint Chutney is easy to make at home and makes a great dip for a variety of Indian snacks like samosa, pakora etc. It’s also great as a spread for sandwiches, wraps. You only need 15 minutes to make this chutney which is also vegan!

green color chutney served in a copper bowl with mint leaves, cilantro scattered in the background

I have often talked about how important chutneys are in Indian cuisine. I grew up with having some sort of chutney on our lunch table everyday. The kind of chutney that was there on our table varied from season to season. There was raw mango chutney in summers, amla (Indian gooseberry) chutney in winters but it was always there.

The most common chutney we ate was of course the cilantro chutney. Mom made it using silbatta (traditional stone grinder). By the way, if you have never tasted chutney made on silbatta then you are missing out. Somehow, chutney made the traditional way on the stone grinder tastes 10 times better than the one made in a blender. I definitely miss having it here.

Its close counterpart, mint chutney was also pretty common but was made specifically for eating snacks like samosa and pakoras. I don’t know how mom made her mint chutney, but I am sharing a version that I make often and enjoy.

This Mint Chutney

  • is vegan and gluten-free.
  • uses minimal ingredients.
  • can be made ahead.
  • adds flavor to anything you add it to.
  • greats on wraps and sandwiches.
  • makes the perfect accompaniment to Indian snacks.

Ingredients

ingredients for mint chutney arranged on a board

Mint: since this is mint chutney, we of course use a lot of fresh mint. I use only the mint leaves for this chutney, so discard all the stems.

Cilantro: there’s also some cilantro in the chutney as it helps in balancing flavors and cutting down on the sharpness of the mint.

Ginger-garlic-chili: as with most chutney recipes, this one also uses ginger, garlic and green chilies (thai chilies or you can use serrano pepper). You can skip the garlic if you like, I would really not skip the ginger since that’s my favorite here. The amount of chilies can be adjusted to preference.

Cashews: to the make the chutney thick and creamy, I have used some cashews here. You can soak them in warm water for 10 minutes so that they can blend easily but it’s not essential if you have a high speed blender.

Lemon juice: I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice in this recipe, you can also use lime juice. Do not skip lemon juice in this chutney, it brightens it up.

Step by Step Instructions

1- Discard all the stems from the mint, we will be using only mint leaves for the chutney. Wash the mint leaves (2 cups, loosely packed, around 30 grams) and then transfer them to a blender.

2- To the same blender, now add:

  • 1 cup loosely packed cilantro (leaves only, around 15 grams)
  • 1 small clove of garlic
  • 1/2-inch ginger
  • 1 green chili (or use 1/2 for less spicy chutney or more for spicier chutney)
  • 8-10 cashews (raw)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 3/4 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

3- Now, add 1 to 1 & 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 to 3 tablespoons ice cold water (as needed, depending on the consistency of chutney you prefer).

4- Blend until everything is well combined and you have a smooth chutney.

step by step picture collage of making mint chutney

Storage & Freezing

Store the chutney in a glass container in the refrigerator and it should last you a week. If you want to make it last longer, you should freeze it.

A great way to freeze this mint chutney is to add it to an ice cube tray and freeze. That way, you can take out and defrost only the amount of chutney that you need. I do this often and it saves me time on busy days.

Serving Suggestions

There’s no end to the ways you can use and enjoy this chutney, I mean really the options are endless!

a spoon digging into a bowl of green color chutney

Useful Tips

  • You can make the chutney less or more spicy depending on your taste and preference. Add 2 green chilies for a spicier chutney and 1/2 of a green chili for a less spicy chutney.
  • If you don’t want to add cashews, you can add some yogurt in place. Cashews make it thick and give it a nice consistency and so I like using it. You can also use some thick sev to thicken the chutney.
  • For this recipe, use only the leaves of mint and cilantro and discard all the stems. The approximate weight of the herbs mentioned in the recipe is the weight of the leaves only (after stems were discarded).
  • Use ice cold water to blend the chutney, this will keep the color of the chutney green.
  • You may skip the sugar but it helps in balancing the flavors.
  • This mint chutney recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

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This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in Feb 2015.

Mint Chutney

4.84 from 6 votes
By Manali Singh
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 0.5 cup
green color chutney served in a copper bowl with mint leaves, cilantro scattered in the background
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This easy homemade Mint Chutney makes the perfect accompaniment to Indian snacks. It is also great on sandwiches, wraps and more. You need only 15 minutes to make this!

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups mint leaves loosely packed, leaves only (around 30 grams)
  • 1 cup cilantro loosely packed, leaves only (around 15 grams)
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 1/2 inch ginger
  • 1 green chili use 2 for spicier chutney or 1/2 for less spicy chutney
  • 8-10 whole cashews you can soak them in warm water for 10 minutes before using
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 3/4 teaspoon sugar or to taste
  • 1-1&1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2-3 tablespoons water ice cold, 30-45 ml (as needed)
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Instructions 

  • Discard all the stems from the mint, we will be using only mint leaves for the chutney. Wash the mint leaves and then transfer them to a blender.
  • To the same blender, now add: cilantro (leaves only), garlic, ginger, green chili, cashews, salt and sugar.
  • Then add lemon juice and 2 to 3 tablespoons ice cold water (as needed, depending on the consistency of chutney you prefer).
  • Blend until everything is well combined and you have a smooth chutney. The chutney is now ready to be served with your favorite snacks!

Notes

  • You can make the chutney less or more spicy depending on your taste and preference. Add 2 green chilies for a spicier chutney and 1/2 of a green chili for a less spicy chutney.
  • If you don’t want to add cashews, you can add some yogurt in place. Cashews make it thick and give it a nice consistency and so I like using it. You can also use some thick sev to thicken the chutney.
  • For this recipe, use only the leaves of mint and cilantro and discard all the stems. The approximate weight of the herbs mentioned in the recipe is the weight of the leaves only (after stems were discarded).
  • Use ice cold water to blend the chutney, this will keep the color of the chutney green.
  • You may skip the sugar but it helps in balancing the flavors.
  • This mint chutney recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
  • Nutritional value is an estimate only and is for the entire 1/2 cup that the recipe makes.

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 770mg, Potassium: 683mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 4904IU, Vitamin C: 42mg, Calcium: 240mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dip, Sides
Cuisine: Indian
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Recipe Rating




28 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made this exactly as the recipe indicates and it was amazing. Served it at a large dinner party and everyone complimented.

    Reply

  2. Finally! I love mint chutney with samosas or pakora! I no longer have to find a bottled one. I have to omit the cashews because if a nut allergy though. Any nut-free substitutes?

    Reply

    1. cashews are to thicken the chutney, you can skip it. We also use “sev” (which is a fried Indian snack) or even white bread to thicken the chutney. so you can try one of those.

      Reply

  4. Delicious! I left the cumin almost completely out, had no green pepper so used 3/4th of a red Jalapeño pepper. It turned out a bit watery so I added a handful of almonds since I remembered I read it somewhere else. It worked!
    Yesterday I made your Aloo Gobi and used a bit more potatoes the cauliflower fell apart but the taste of the dish was lovely. I also made a dahl of yellow split beans lots of garlic and fine chopped Brinjal or eggplant and onion, plenty cumin, curry massala powder, tarka with musterd seed curryleaves, finished with cilantro. Ate it with rice and a bit of yoghurt. There is still some left so I made this chutney to go with it. It was a heavenly meal! I like simple things but am not afraid of complexity. Your site looks very clean, well organised with great photo’s too. I just had to say thank you Manali! I’ll be back for more!
    Jim

    Reply

  5. 4 stars
    You write:
    “To make cilantro mint chutney is extremely busy.”

    Perhaps you meant ‘easy’, because this recipe certainly is!

    I’m trying to reproduce a cilantro-mint sauce for fish from a Middle Eastern restaurant in the SF Bay Area, which has no heat.

    Your version adds ginger, of which I approve: the masala for my chai is always top-heavy with ginger. Many anglos have no idea just how hot ginger can be!

    I want to try this, once I round up the black salt and chat masala.

    Reply

  10. I hope your knee is doing better. I know how it is, I spend the entire last week nursing my calf muscle. I’m so happy to see you post this recipe. My hubby and I love the cilantro chutney and every time we order from our favorite restaurant I ask for extras. So good.

    Reply

    1. Thanks Kathy! knee is not really better, I’m still struggling. Anyway I hope your calf muscles are better now, seriously it’s so annoying!

      Reply

  11. Yei!!! Finally cilantro mint chutney! I have been waiting for this recipe, in Mexico we used a lot cilantro in our salsas and sauces, that’s why I was interested in this chutney. It seems that the two of us had a bad weekend! I hope you feel better now, I hate taking drugs.

    Reply

    1. Oh yes that’s why I always say that Indian and Mexican cuisines are so similar, we use cilantro all the time! Oh no, you had a bad weekend too? Hope things are better now? Take care!

      Reply

  14. Vanessa..you can easily find chat masala online [http://www.amazon.com/Shan-Chaat-Masala-Seasoning-100g/dp/B000MSS6CO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1424710465&sr=8-2&keywords=chat+masala] or in any Indian grocery store. It’s a mix of spices and I love it, adds a little tangy flavor! Hope you like the recipe!

    Reply