Chutneys have been an integral part of our Indian food, since more than 2000 years. Originally the idea came from preserving seasonal fruits and vegetables. Chutney is a condiment made from cooking or dry roasting certain ingredients. Some chutneys are dry and in powder form, some are
wet and work as a sauce or marinade.
They come in all varieties and differ from State to State. For example, in Maharashtra (that is the western part of India) where peanuts are common, the chutney prepared uses peanuts and garlic. The chutney is called Thetcha - it has green chilies too and that gives it a fiercy(sharp and spicy)taste. In Kashmir (Northern part of the country) we have chutney prepared using apples and walnut.
In the Southern part we have coconut chutney that is popular.
In Gujarat, it is the chundda (sweet mango chutney) prepared with sour mangoes, spices , jaggery and sugar
Today let's prepare green chutney using fresh coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, lemon juice along with salt. It is popular with almost all snacks.
Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh coriander leaves
1 inch fresh ginger
2 to 3 cloves of fresh garlic
salt to taste
1/2 lemon juice
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp raw peanuts
2 green chilies
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| Green coriander chutney |
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| Blend all ingredients along with 1/4 cup water |
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| Green chutney |
Method:
1. Roughly chop the coriander leaves and wash them well.
2. In a grinder, add all the above and blend to a smooth paste.
3. Check for salt. Enjoy with food and snacks.
