Cilantro Chutney

When Palak Patel, a food blogger and author of The Chutney Life, was growing up and cooking and thought something didn’t taste quite right, she would turn to her mom's chutney. “I was known for adding a spoonful of my mom’s chutney to improve most any dish,” she recalls. “Hers was the best, hands down. Not too watery, not too thick, not too tart. It was spicy, garlicky and so potent that a little bit went a long way.” These days, Palak mixes the chutney with mayo for a delicious sandwich spread or adds a spoonful to her toddler’s chicken noodle soup for an instant adult-friendly upgrade. She’ll also serve the chutney during Diwali, the five-day Festival of Lights, one of the biggest celebrations in India.

This recipe makes a large batch, and instead of letting the chutney sit in the fridge for a few days, Palak usually freezes most of it in ice cube trays. Then she pops out the frozen cubes, puts them into a resealable plastic bag and stores them in the freezer. Whenever she wants some chutney, she defrosts as many cubes as needed.

Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves with 2 inches (5 cm) of the stems (about 4 cups) (5 1/4 oz./160 g)
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1/2-inch (12-mm) piece fresh ginger
  • 3 or 4 serrano chiles
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 3 Tbs. raw peanuts
  • 3/4 tsp. salt, plus more as needed
  • 1 to 2 Tbs. water

Directions:

In a small food processor or blender, combine the cilantro, garlic, ginger, serranos, cumin, lime juice, peanuts and salt and blend until smooth.

Add the water, 1 Tbs. at a time, scraping down the sides of the blender with a spatula, until the chutney moves easily in the blender. Taste for spice, adding more chiles and salt as needed. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze. Makes 1 1/4 cups (10 fl. oz./300 ml).

Adapted from The Chutney Life by Palak Patel (Abrams, 2023)