My love affair with chutney goes far back into my childhood, the rhythmic sound of the khal and pathro grinding the herbs into a paste just before lunch, was the only way my grannies made chutney for lunch, and then with time, the age-old apparatus was replaced intermittently with a modern blender for convenience.  

Did you know, the word chutney comes from the Sanskrit word ‘chatni’, which means to lick. 

When it comes to chutneys this versatile green goddess of condiments is a must have for me in the fridge. If you enjoy chili-pepper heat, cilantro, and lime, then this chutney is for you!

It can be watered down slightly to make it pourable to use on chaats, idli-dosa or as a dip for chicken tikka, bhajiyas and samosas. Alternativly thickened with some sev or ghantiya or roasted chickpeas to use as a spread for chutney sandwiches, on grilled cheese sandwiches (I love spreading a sourdough bread with the chutney and topping it off with mozzarella and making toasties in the AIR FRYER or the sandwich maker), or as a base for Kati rolls.

I use it as a paste on fish, my Patra ni Macchi, or as a marinade for hariyali chicken.  

My MIL version is more of a thick paste, made by grinding the cilantro and chilies with a stone mortar pestle, then served as a condiment with roti and curries. 

This vibrant green is a slight variation of my mom’s most requested green chutney recipe (only variation is that I occasionally use garlic in mine). I use a Vitamix blender, but any high speed blender works to get a smooth consistency. While it is very easy enough to make, the vibrant green color fades very quickly over two or three days, my hack to make the chutney last longer and retain its vibrant green color is to add a couple of ice cubes whilst blending. 

Make this as mild or spicy as you like. The green chutney is completely vegetarian and vegan, and gluten-free too. 

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches cilantro, leaves, and stems chopped roughly (slightly trim the ends)
• 1-2 garlic cloves peeled (totally optional and add more of it if you like) 
• 3-4 green Thai hot chilis (more or less depending on spice level you can tolerate)
• 1 lemon or lime squeezed
• 3 tablespoons thin Gram flour Sev/ Ganthiya or roasted gram dal/dalia ( this helps thicken the chutney)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/4 cup cold water/or as needed
• 2 ice cubes

Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and mix until completely smooth. Stop in between to scrape down sides of the blender and add 1-2 tbsp of water at a time to help move things along in the blender.
2. Keep blending until blender is running smoothly and you have a thick chutney.
3. Taste for spice, salt and adjust as necessary.
   
   

*Dalia:  Roasted whole chickpea or chana dal, often found in the Indian store in the snack aisle. Often used in chutneys as a binding agent, because when crushed or blended, it has a chalky powdery texture is perfect to hold the liquid from the cilantro and green chilies together.

*Ganthiya/Sev is a popular, deep-fried Indian snack made from chickpea flour. They are soft and puffy, not crunchy, and are often served during teatime in Gujarati homes and across India. These along with Sev which are crunchy noodles made from chickpea and also served as a snack or topping are ideal as thickeners for this green chutney.