Cilantro-Mint Chutney

This vibrant green chutney from Maneet Chauhan’s “Chaat” (Clarkson Potter, 2020) is as easy to make as it is versatile. The combination of mint, cilantro, green chiles and lime juice makes for a fresh and bright sauce, but the mango pulp is especially key, giving the chutney a slightly creamy texture and a subtly sweet flavor. This chutney has a lot of uses in Indian cuisine — a building block for chaat, or a dipping sauce for pakora, for example — and it can also be used as a sandwich spread or marinade. It lasts up to two weeks, refrigerated, in an airtight container, but it will start to lose its vibrancy and flavor after a week — best to make it one batch at a time to enjoy that day. —Priya Krishna

Ingredients

• 1

  cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

• 1

  cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves

• ¼

  cup mango pulp (from 1 small mango, or from a can)

• ¼

  cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 large limes), plus more to taste

• 5

  serrano chiles, halved and seeded

• Kosher salt

Preparation

1. In a food processor or blender, combine the cilantro, mint, mango pulp, lime juice and chiles, and blend at high speed until smooth. Season with salt to taste, then add water as needed, pulsing to combine, to achieve a thick and slightly chunky consistency. Adjust the seasoning with lime juice and salt as needed.
2. 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.