Cilantro-Mint Chutney (Vegan!)

My first Indian recipe for Vegephant! My whole family comes from South India, so my mom shows me different recipes to make all the time. This morning, she asked me to make a chutney (sauce) using the ton of cilantro and mint we had at home, so I created this one with my sister.

This chutney is EXTREMELY versatile! You can use it as a sandwich spread, a chip/veggie dip, or pair it up with traditional Indian dishes. In high school, my mom used to put this kind of chutney on the sandwiches I'd take to school to spice it up. This chutney can also store well for like... a month, so make a lot and save it! It's a bit on the spicy side, so use less chilies to lower the heat.

Ingredients:
***Use these measurements to make about 2 cups of chutney***

• 1 large bunch/bundle of cilantro leaves
• 2/3 of the above amount of mint leaves (3:2 ratio of cilantro to mint)
• 1 jalapeno/green chili pepper – chopped
• ¼ of a ginger – chopped
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 sprinkle of asafoetida/hing powder (easily found at Indian/Middle Eastern grocery stores) OR garlic powder (the tastes will be pretty different depending on what you choose; I used asafoetida in this recipe, which is more traditional)
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Method:

1. Put all ingredients, except for mint and cilantro, into the blender. Blend into a fine paste; the cumin seeds might not be totally crushed, and that is okay.
2. Individually take mint leaves off stem and add all to blender. Blend until mixture is a paste again.
3. Chop up the cilantro stalk, trying to get as least of the stem as possible, and add into blender in batches. If mixture becomes too dry, add some water (be careful though; too much water will make it runny!)
4. Blend all the cilantro in until a sauce-like consistency is formed. Try out the chutney; add more salt, lemon juice, or chili, if needed, and blend until smooth.

It was a lot of cilantro...

...and about 2/3 the amount of mint. This creates an awesome subtle spicy and minty meld.

This is the amount of chili pepper I used, for reference.

The ingredients in the blender. (I thought this would be an interesting image... I was wrong.)

 I was originally going to take the cilantro leaves off the stems individually... until my sister showed me this method of just cutting them and including minimal stem. So thanks to her! This is her showing the cutting.

The final product! It's a beautiful color that you can use with virtually any food and store for weeks!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Did you try this recipe out?

Please let me know in the comments!