Green Chile Chutney

In her cookbook, “Chaat” (Clarkson Potter, 2020), the chef Maneet Chauhan refers to this bright, spicy chutney as a “workhorse staple in the Indian pantry.” She uses it primarily in chaat, but also drizzles it on top of roasted vegetables, dollops it onto soups and spoons it over scrambled eggs. This chutney “makes virtually any Indian recipe taste better,” she said, with its harmony of lively, complex flavors, such as chaat masala and asafetida. Like a lot of chutneys, it also includes toasted dal, which brings nuttiness and a little texture. —Priya Krishna

Ingredients

• 2

  tablespoons chana dal

• 1

  cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

• ½

  cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves

• 1

  (3-inch) knob fresh ginger, peeled with a spoon and coarsely chopped

• 3

  garlic cloves

• 3

  serrano chiles, halved and seeded

• 1

  tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

• 1

  teaspoon chaat masala

• ½

  teaspoon roasted ground cumin

• ½

  teaspoon granulated sugar

• ½

  teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• Pinch of hing (asafetida)

Preparation

1. Heat a small cast-iron skillet over high until nearly smoking. Add the dal and toast, swirling the pan the entire time, until it takes on a light golden-brown color, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer the dal to a bowl or plate to prevent it from overtoasting.
2. In a food processor, combine the toasted dal and the rest of the ingredients and blend until quite smooth. (It will still be a little chunky.) Blend in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve a thick consistency that holds together on a spoon and is not runny. Season with additional salt and lemon juice to taste.
3. This chutney will keep refrigerated in a covered container for up to 1 week. After that, the vivid green color will begin to lose its vibrancy, though the chutney will still taste delicious for a full 2 weeks.