Is it just me, or does the colour green make you feel cool and fresh too? It is the perfect antidote to the summer heat. Obviously, eating or drinking something green and cool is better than just looking at a green curtain! So when I came across bunches of fresh, green mint at the vegetable vendor, I just couldn’t help grabbing a big bunch for myself. Having made a few mojitos, some lemonade and dunked the fresh leaves into curd for raita, I still had much more left than I could consume fresh. The cruel Delhi summer saps the life out of them and nothing can make the leaves stay fresh and green for more than a day.
So I found myself some kairi (raw mangoes) in my vegetable drawer and whipped up this raw mango & mint chutney – green and refreshing, with a hint of spicy heat that creeps up on you unexpectedly, almost like an after-taste.
Here’s what I used for about 1-1/2 cups of chutney:
3 raw mangoes (approx 400 gms)
2 cups loosely packed mint leaves, picked and washed
4-5 green chillies (or as per your spice threshold)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp roasted jeera (cumin) powder
Here’s how I made it:
I got all the ingredients together – washed and prepped the mangoes, mint and chillies
Wow. I just realised how many greens there are in this post! Anyhow, I peeled and roughly chopped the mango flesh, discarding the seed, and placed it in the blender.
Adding the rest of the ingredients, I blended it until it was a smooth-ish chutney. You can leave it as chunky as you like, but the problem with that is that the green chillies also remain chunky and that can be too much heat for any one bite. Personally, I prefer the finer consistency.
Transferring the chutney to a clean glass jar, I stored it in the refrigerator.
Since there isn’t an abundance of preservative ingredients in this chutney, it is best to keep it for a maximum of 1-2 weeks, refrigerated, with lid always shut tight.
Here’s how I like to have this chutney:
- As an accompaniment to an Indian meal like dal chawal or roti & sabzi – just like I would have pickle
- As a spread for sandwiches in which I might add thinly sliced cucumber, tomato or boiled egg
- As a dip for chips or crackers
- As a flavour for raita – add 1 heaped tbsp of the chutney per cup of curd and you will have a zingy raita base ready. Then just add grated cucumber, or boondi, or boiled potato – whatever works for you!