Pudina chutney recipe – There are 3 ways a mint chutney is made in Indian cuisine and I have shared all the 3 in this post. The first one is to serve as a side with Snacks like samosa, pakora and Sandwiches & is also used for chaats. The second one is to serve with kebabs & tandoori snacks. The third version is the south Indian style pudina chutney for idli, dosa, vada, masala vada or any other Indian breakfast.
Fresh pudina or mint is a herb that ignites the digestive fire and aids in digestion. So it is widely served with most Indian breakfasts, snacks and appetizers like kebabs & tikkis.
All the 3 variations of this mint chutney taste different due to the use of different ingredients. Lemon and green chilies are the 2 ingredients used in common.
Lemon helps to preserve the green color of the chutney to some extent so it is good to use it in any of these.
Fresh made pudina chutney tastes the best as it is full of flavors. You can also make this and refrigerate up to 48 hours. Here are the 3 kinds I have shared
1. Mint chutney recipe for snacks
This chutney goes so well with any snacks like tikkis, cutlets, samosas & pakoras. I make use of this in so many ways – to spread it over the sandwiches, wraps or kathi rolls.
This pudina chutney is very flavorful so I also use it for my pani puri, bhel puri or sev puri.
If using for chaats you can also add a handful of coriander leaves. What I have shared in this post has no coriander leaves. I have shared another similar recipe of green chutney here which I follow if making the chutney exclusively for chaats.
But this recipe is an all-in-one which I use in so many ways as I mentioned above. To keep the pudina chutney thick I sometimes add a tbsp of fried gram or roasted gram or roasted peanuts.
These add texture and helps to keep the color slightly brighter.
2. Yogurt mint chutney
North Indian Restaurants serve a mint chutney or kabab chutney with tandoori appetizers. I got to taste a few different ones. Some taste so bad with no flavor and taste. But some good restaurants serve really good mint chutney that tastes out of the world.
A little research with the chefs led me to this recipe. The best tasting mint chutney will have a creamy texture with almost no prominent sour taste but has slight tang which actually enhances the taste of the chutney.
So using good fresh made curd is the key to this amazing flavorful chutney. Some restaurants even add some fresh malai if the curd is sour to balance the sourness.
This mint chutney for kababs and tandoori appetizers is made with little curd or yogurt. The recipe shared here comes close to the one served with kababs and grills in a good standard North Indian restaurant.
3. South Indian pudina chutney
This can be served not only with idli, dosa, uttapam, pongal, vada but can also be used as a spread to sandwiches, wraps or rolls. It is also a multipurpose chutney.
In South India, pudina chutney is made in different ways. My mom adds a handful of fresh mint leaves with most chutneys she makes like tomato chutney, peanut chutney, mango chutney and even with coconut chutney.
Since they have the mint plants in their back yard, she is so much used to adding the fresh leaves in chutneys. Most of her chutneys have either slightly sauteed pudina or fresh ones.
I always wonder how well mint can enhance the aroma of any chutneys.
The third pudina chutney recipe I have shared in this post is with coconut which I often make for our south Indian breakfasts. I have also given substitutes for coconut in the recipe card.
Step-by-step photos
Preparation – recipe 3
1. Wash pudina in a pot filled with clean water. Repeat the wash a few times and drain them in a colander.
2. Dry roast ¾ tbsp each of chana dal and urad dal on a low flame until golden. Add ½ tsp cumin to the hot pan and switch off. Cool these. If using bhuna chana skip roasting. You can also saute pudina in oil for 2 to 3 mins first and use. You can also use peanuts. Just roast the peanuts until aromatic and golden.
How to make
3. Add ½ cup chopped coconut, 2 to 3 green chilies, ½ inch ginger or 2 small garlic cloves, pudina, roasted dal, cumin and salt. You can also add a tsp of tamarind paste if you like the tang.
4. Blend them all together first for pudina chutney.
5. Add water as needed and blend to a smooth or coarse chatni to suit your liking. I prefer to use lemon juice now. Transfer the pudina chutney to a serving bowl.
6. Pudina chutney can be served without tempering too. To temper heat a small pan with little oil on a low flame. Add red chili, ¼ tsp mustard and ½ tsp urad dal. When the dal turns golden, add hing and switch off the stove. Pour this to the chutney. Mix well.
Serve pudina chutney with south Indian breakfasts like
idli
dosa
evening snacks
The day I make this chutney for breakfast, I use the same for the kids kathi rolls and sandwiches.
Tips to make the best pudina chutney
- Ensure you use fresh mint or pudina as it is the star of the recipe.
- Do not use stalks or stems of the mint. Most times the stalks end up making the pudina chutney bitter or taste pungent.
- You can make the mint chutney ahead of time and refrigerate. But the chutney will discolor with in few minutes due to the nature of the pudina or mint.
- Adding few tsps of lemon juice can help to preserve the color for a while. But still the mint chutney will discolor over time.
- If you plan to make pudina chutney for parties, then just keep all the ingredients ready the previous night. All you need to do is just blend them and use it as needed.
Benefits of mint
Pudina or mint leaves have numerous health benefits especially when used fresh & in raw form without cooking. So all the pudina chutney recipes I have shared in this post will have the same health benefits that are equal to eating them raw.
1.Mint leaves have one of the highest antioxidants & benefits the body to fight the free radicals.
2.Pudina is a herb that helps to calm & sooth the upset digestive system. It helps in digesting heavy foods so it is great to serve with any snacks & appetizers.
3.The leaves of pudina are a good source of iron, folate & many other nutrient. You can easily convince your kids to enjoy mint this way in a pudina chutney.
More Chutney recipes
Tomato chutney
Coconut chutney
Onion chutney
Peanut chutney
Recipe
Pudina chutney
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
Recipe 1 – mint chutney for snacks, chaats, sandwiches
- 1½ cup mint leaves (pudina) (tightly packed)
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder (jeera powder)
- ½ inch ginger
- 1 to 2 green chilies
- salt as needed
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon chaat masala (adjust to taste)
- 1 to 2 tablespoon water or as needed
- 1 tablespoon fried gram or roasted peanuts (skip if making for chaats)
Recipe 2 – Ingredients (for kebab chutney)
- 1 cup mint leaves
- ¼ cup coriander leaves (cilantro (optional)
- 2 teaspoons onions chopped (skip if not serving fresh)
- ½ teaspoon roasted jeera powder or cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 small garlic clove
- 2 green chilies deseeded
- 1 cup yogurt (thick curd)
Recipe 3 – Ingredients for pudina chutney
- ½ cup coconut fresh chopped or 1 cup grated
- ¼ to ½ cup pudina or mint (loosely packed, do not use stalks) (as desired)
- 1 tablespoon fried gram (roasted gram (or ¾ tbsp each chana dal, urad dal)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ½ inch ginger (or 1 to 2 garlic cloves)
- salt as needed
- 2 to 3 green chilies
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- 1 dried red chili broken
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon urad dal
- 1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
Instructions
Preparation
- Pluck the mint leaves from the stalks or stems. Rinse them well in a large bowl of water a few times. Drain them completely to a colander.
Recipe 1 – mint chutney for snacks & chaats
- To a blender jar, add mint leaves, roasted cumin powder,ginger, green chilies, chaat masala and salt as needed.
- You can also add some roasted fried gram or roasted peanuts if you prefer the chutney thick & smooth.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice. Blend them well adding 1 to 2 tbsps water as needed.
- Make a fine smooth chutney.
Recipe 2 – mint chutney for kebabs
- Add mint, coriander leaves, salt, ginger, garlic, onion, green chilies, roasted cumin powder, sugar, salt and 1 tbsp yogurt to a blender jar.
- Blend to a fine paste. Whisk yogurt to smooth consistency and add the blended paste.
- Mix well and adjust salt, chili and lemon juice as needed. Serve with kebabs.
Recipe 3 – South Indian pudina chutney
- If using chana dal and urad dal dry roast them until golden in a pan. Add cumin seeds and roast lightly. Turn off and cool.
- Optional – You can also saute pudina in oil for 2 to 3 mins first and use.
- Add green chili, coconut, fried gram or dal, salt, ginger or garlic and mint to the blender jar. You can also skip coconut and use roasted peanuts.
- Blend everything well. Add water little by little scrape off the sides.
- Blend again until it reaches a desired texture. If adding lemon juice, add it now. Adjust salt and chili as needed.
- Heat a pan with oil to temper pudina chutney. Next add red chili, mustard and dals. Fry until dal turns golden. Add hing and switch off.
- Add this to the chutney. Stir and serve pudina chutney with sandwich, idli, dosa or any other breakfast or snack.
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Notes
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Marietta Pereira says
Loved the mint chutneys . You classified them well.
Olga says
Thank you, Swasthi!
First time in my life mint chutney came out really good!
swasthi says
Hi Olga,
You are welcome! Glad you liked it. Thank you
Sarah fatima says
Thankyou for sharing this recipe
Mint chutney for kebab is outstanding I made it rest of the recipe is also very nice
swasthi says
Welcome Sarah!
Glad you liked it!
Thank you
Sarah says
Thankyou for sharing this recipe
Mint chutney for kebab is outstanding I made it rest of the recipe is also very nice
Mohan RV says
Came out very well. Thanks for the simplified recipe.
swasthi says
You are welcome!
Thank you!
Ms Meenakshi Sampath says
I tried your recepie the raw smell of the mint was so dominant. I think this recepie is good for marination and not for dosa or idli
swasthi says
Hi Ms Meenakshi,
My recipe says to saute the pudina for 2 to 3 mins optionally if making for idli or dosa. This removes the raw smell of mint. For marination we don’t make it with coconut and fried gram. A typical south indian pudina chutney is made this way. You may cut down the amount of leaves if you don’t like the flavor.
Love says
Oh!!!! your mint chutney for kebabs is outstanding. I made it with your chicken kebabs and saffron rice.Turned out fantastic.
swasthi says
Thank you Love!
Glad you liked them!
Kousar says
You are doing a great job… your recipes are very nice and helpful. Thank you!
swasthi says
Welcome Kousar.
Thank you so much
RK says
Thanks for sharing different types of mint chutneys. I appreciate your time & effort.
swasthi says
Welcome RK
🙂
G Angela says
thanks for sharing this recipe, appreciate you its so simple and easy to do.
swasthi says
Welcome Angela
Thanks for the comment
FARIDA BANU says
Your recipes are simple and delicious.
swasthi says
Thank you
Sravani says
Hi swasthi I’m your recipe lover. Can you suggest me , instead of coconut what can I use please response na
swasthi says
Hi Sravani
Thanks. You can add 3 to 4 tbsps roasted peanuts
Sravani says
Ok. Thanks dear.
Sreekanth says
So nice …..andi
swasthi says
Thanks Sreekanth garu
Padma says
Just made the chutney for dosa.. Very good. Used only half cup of mint for subtle mint flavor.
swasthi says
Thanks Padma
Nikita Oberoi says
Hi! Really want to try these chutney recipes. Jst one question: what’s the shelf life like? How to store it?
Thanks!
swasthi says
Welcome Nikita
Sorry for the late reply.
This chutney keeps good for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. The flavor of pudina is lost after that. You can store them in glass bottles or steel boxes, preferably air tight ones.
Mathangi says
I tried the pudhina chutney. It was not good to taste ? I feel the mint leaves should be sauté in a very low flame .. Usually I will sauté and do chutney it will be good . Since I wanted to try something different with pudina I tried it .Little disappointed
swasthi says
Hi Mathangi
This pudina chutney is made very often in my home and is one of the best in terms of taste, flavor and nutrition. Don’t know what went wrong with your trail. Pudina is sauteed if making a thogayal / thuvaiyal or pachadi which is served with rice. In this recipe, since the dals are roasted they lend a unique aroma along with pudina.
Kisha says
Hi there, looks like an amazing recipie, will try it now. How long can the chutney be kept if kept in fridge?
swasthi says
Hi Kisha
It keeps good for about 2 to 4 days in the fridge. I suggest making a fresh tadka, just before serving if you prefer to keep it for longer than 2 days.
Meenakshi says
Love your recipes. This one is no exception. very very tasty and the smell is too good.
swasthi says
Thanks Meenakshi
Narendra Wetkoli says
Awesome work, I like spicy chutney its very Informative post for all hungers.
swasthi says
Thank you
kavitha says
hi swathi can you share typical puliyogare recipe
swasthi says
Hi Kavitha,
I have this quick and simple pulihora, andhra style puliyogare
Anya says
Hy dr…
Ur recipies are really amazing i enjoy preparing
I needed the murg massalam recipe
Can u share this recipe plz
swasthi says
Hi Anya
Thanks . i will try to post it.
Ana says
Tandoor chiken