Green Chutney (Cilantro Mint Chutney)

Name: Green Chutney (Cilantro Mint Chutney)
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 2 min
Ingredients: 2 cups mint leaves (loosely packed); 1 cup fresh coriander (with tender stems); 3-4 green chilies; 1 1/2 tsp cumin powder; 3/4 tsp black salt; 3 tbsp lemon juice

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Bursting with freshness, this Green Chutney is a staple condiment in Pakistani and Indian cuisine. It’s made with fresh cilantro (coriander), mint and green chilies and is an easy, no-fuss recipe with minimal ingredients to preserve the vibrant green hue of this refreshing dip.

Green chutney in a bowl with green chili and mint around it and lemon and black salt at the back.

Cilantro Mint Chutney effortlessly combines tanginess from the lemon, spiciness from the chilies and freshness from the green herbs with a hint of sugar to create a balanced condiment that pairs wonderfully with South Asian dishes.

Whether you're dipping crispy vegetable pakoras, slathering it on the bun kababs, pouring it over your chana chaat, using it as a meat marinade (like my Chicken Malai Boti), or eating alongside some chapli kabab, this spicy Green Chutney will surely elevate any meal.

In Urdu or Hindi, it’s called Hari Chutney where hari means 'green'. Or dhaniya pudina chutney which translates to 'coriander mint chutney'.

It is such a versatile sauce that is made in 2 minutes only. Chuck all the ingredients in a blender and voila!

Picking up green chutney in a spoon from the bowl.

Another great thing about this green chutney recipe is that you can make it in advance and freeze, especially during the month of Ramadan it pairs wonderfully with so many Iftar items.

I love having this mint chutney as it is but feel free to add yogurt to it and serve as a raita.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

My version of green chutney is very minimalistic yet flavourful and refreshing. You don't need numerous seasonings to bring out the flavours of the fresh herbs.
It is a fuss-free, 2 minute recipe!
This spicy condiment is perfectly freezer-friendly! Just make it in bulk and freeze in ice cube trays for convenience.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here's what you'll need:

Mint - is one of the main ingredient. Use fresh mint leaves without the mint stems as they tend to have a bitter taste.
Cilantro - also called coriander, is the second star of this recipe and has to be fresh. Powder or seeds won’t work. Use the cilantro with its tender stems as they contain so much flavour.
Green Chilies - use whatever green peppers that you have at hand or prefer like Serrano, Thai or Cayenne.
Black Salt - aka kala namak, adds an umami-like depth of flavour. I highly recommend adding it. However, you can substitute with Himalayan pink salt. Or just a pinch of sea salt if you have nothing else at hand.
Cumin - freshly roasted cumin seeds impart the best flavour to this cilantro mint chutney recipe. But you can totally swap with ground cumin.
Lemon Juice - adds tanginess and also preserves the colour. You can also experiment with tamarind juice in its place.

See recipe card for quantities.

How To Make Green Chutney

Step by step of instructions for green chutney.

Add all the ingredients to a mini blender jar or food processor along with a few tablespoons of water to help everything blend well. Pulse till smooth!
Pour the fresh green chutney in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Before serving, add in some yogurt if preferred. The chutney will last longer if you add yogurt before using it, instead of in the beginning.

Expert Tips

Blend green chutney with an ice cube which prevents the heat of the blades from darkening the color of the fresh herbs, especially of mint.
Make sure you open the blender a couple of times to scrape the sides.
Don’t add to much water! Start with just one tablespoon and go from there.

Serving Suggestions

As I mentioned above, this cilantro mint chutney is an extremely versatile recipe and can be served in countless ways. Some of my favourite pairings are:

Add yogurt to this green chutney recipe and serve it alongside any Pakistani rice dish like biryani or pulao, or pair with my delicious keema naan.
This coriander mint chutney is the perfect accompaniment to aloo tikki, lahori fried fish, shami kabab, chapli kabab or seekh kabab!
Any kind of chaat is incomplete without a killer Green Chutney! Some great examples are Chana Chaat, Sev Puri, Bhel Puri, Samosa Chaat and Papri Chaat.
Piping hot pakoras or samosas with this dipping sauce is a match made in heavens!
This chutney is also an essential component of the paratha roll (also called kathi roll or frankie).
You can also use this mint cilantro chutney as a marinade and even more so if you mess up some ingredient and the taste is now how you want it. Malai Chicken Boti and Hariyali Chicken both use a very similar green marinade. For vegetarian meal add this to Paneer Tikka.

Variations

Turn this chutney into a raita by whisking yogurt into it.
Now and then, I love adding dried pomegranate seeds to this recipe. They add such a unique fruity, tangy flavour.
Tamarind also adds a delightful sourness to this condiment. Check out my Green Tamarind Chutney.
If you like, fresh ginger, garlic cloves or onion can also be added.

Green chutney in a bowl on two coasters surrounded by its ingredients.

FAQs

Can I freeze green chutney?

Absolutely! This cilantro mint chutney recipe freezes so well. Prepare the chutney in bulk and freeze in ice cube trays for up to 3 months. This way you can just pop out a few ice cubes, defrost and use.
Although I’d like to mention freezing darkens the color of this chutney but the taste remains the same.

How to store this chutney?

Store it an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks. Don’t add yogurt to this chutney while storing as that will decrease its shelf life. Mix in yogurt just before serving.

Video

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