A cool, spicy and tangy green chutney. This no-cook mint cilantro chutney is a must try accompaniment to Indian food such as samosa, chaat, kebabs and sandwiches. This Indian green sauce is so versatile, and can be varied with simple ingredients!

Indian green mint cilantro chutney in a white bowl
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Indian food is incomplete without chutneys.  If you have been to an Indian buffet, you will always find a green cilantro mint chutney and a tamarind chutney.  

This chutney goes well with all kinds of Indian food, appetizers such as samosas, pakoras, dhokla, chaat, on kebabs, in sandwiches and frankie, or as a side with your dinner, or as a dip for roasted veggies.  This chutney can be used as a cilantro salad dressing too.

What is Green Chutney?

Green Chutney is the indian green sauce made with the star ingredients cilantro and mint, and spiced with green chili, ginger, garlic and spices.

This green chutney is cool, spicy and tangy at the same time….so FLAVORFUL!  In hindi, we call this Hari Chutney, where Hari means green. It is Dhaniya Pudhina Chutney.  Dhaniya is cilantro and Pudhina is mint. Cilantro is called Coriander in India, so this chutney is also called Coriander Mint Chutney.

This is another of those recipes where every family has it’s own recipe. I will share my family’s recipe, where I have combined all the good parts of my mom and mom-in-laws recipe. I use both mint and cilantro to make this chutney.  You can also make it with just cilantro. You can also vary this chutney by adding yogurt or coconut.

This chutney is vegetarian, gluten-free and oil-free. Another great thing about this chutney is that you can make it in bulk and freeze it. Yes, it stays perfectly good in the freezer for months. So you can always have it ready too enjoy!

I remember growing up we used to enjoy green chutney sandwiches.  They were made with white bread, butter, a good slather of green chutney and stuffed with tomato, onion, cucumber slices.  Oh so yummy!  There were specific food stalls we would visit (similar to food trucks), just because the chutney at one was better than the other 😂

Ingredients for Cilantro Mint Chutney

  • Cilantro – Fresh cilantro leaves are one of the main ingredient of this chutney.
  • Mint – The second main ingredient is fresh mint leaves. You can make this chutney with just cilantro too.
  • Green Chili – I add 2 Thai green chilis to this chutney. But feel free to up the spice by adding more
  • Garlic – The chutney tastes so good with the addition of just 2-3 cloves of garlic. Make sure to not add too much.
  • Ginger – Similar to garlic, ginger gives a great flavor to the chutney.
  • Roasted Cumin powder – In my opinion, this is a must add to this chutney. You can use store bought or use this linked recipe to make homemade cumin powder.
  • Lime juice or Tamarind juice – These add tanginess to the chutney. I started using tamarind juice recently, and I must say it is so good in this chutney.
  • Salt and Sugar – Sugar balances the flavors in this chutney. You can also use black salt in this recipe.

How to Make Green Chutney?

Start with prepping the ingredients. Remove the hard stems of the cilantro and mint. It is okay to add tender cilantro stems when making chutney.  I don’t recommend adding mint stems as they are too thick and change the taste of the chutney.

If using tamarind, soak it in 1/4 cup hot water for 10 minutes. Run it through a sieve to get the tamarind juice.

Add all the ingredients to a blender.

Ingredients such as cilantro cumin powder, salt in a Vitamix blender

I use my Vitamix to make these chutneys and many other things, such as smoothies and idli/dosa batter.  You could very well use the blender you have in your kitchen.

Green mint cilantro chutney in a blender

The chutney is ready for you to enjoy. I always have this chutney along with tamarind chutney in the refrigerator. It is wonderful with so many indian appetizers, and chaats.

I have seen many questions about maintaining the bright green color of this chutney. The first way is to enjoy it fresh as soon as it is made. However I understand that is not always possible. The color gets darker when this chutney is stored in the refrigerator. Note: even if the color darkens, the taste is just as good.

The darker green color in some cases is due to the mint added in this chutney. You can always reduce the amount of mint or skip it if you like. We also add lime juice or tamarind which help to maintain the color.

Another way to get the brighter color is by adding yogurt to the chutney when serving. I always like to add in the yogurt when serving this chutney with any appetizers.

Green mint chutney in a white bowl and in a glass jar to store

How to Store Mint Chutney?

This chutney can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days in an air tight container. It also freezes well.  You can make it in bulk and store in small containers or ice cube trays in the freezer. Defrost one at a time and enjoy.  

Mint cilantro chutney stored in ice-cube trays and in a glass container

Variations of Green Chutney

Let’s talk about variations for this green chutney. The above is the most basic version and the most popular in indian homes. But I want to share some popular variations you get in restaurants or the indian food stalls/trucks

  • Yogurt – In restaurants, mostly you always see the yogurt version of this chutney. I love to add it as well. It reduces the spiciness and adds a refreshing touch to the chutney. However if you plan to store this chutney for longer or freeze it, I would skip the yogurt initially and then add when using the chutney. I would suggest to add 1/3 cup yogurt to this recipe.
  • Grated Coconut – This adds a thick texture to the chutney. If you want to use the chutney to make sandwiches, coconut is a great addition.
  • Onion – In North India, it is common to add a little onion to the chutney. In this quantity, I would add 1/4 cup of chopped onion.
  • Roasted Peanuts – These are added to make the chutney thicker. I love peanuts in chutney, and this South Indian peanut chutney is our family favorite. You can add about 1/4 cup peanuts to this recipe.
Green cilantro mint chutney in two bowls and a glass jar.

The above image has cilantro chutney with coconut on the left. You can see it is much thicker, and perfect for sandwiches such as this avocado chutney sandwich.

The one on the right is chutney with yogurt, like a cilantro yogurt sauce. This is much smoother and mild in flavor. Perfect to dip samosa or drizzle over kebabs.

Green mint cilantro chutney in a spoon over a glass jar

I love to try variations each time I make green chutney.  I hope you enjoy them too!

Here are other favorite dips and sauces you might enjoy –

4.89 from 76 votes

Mint Cilantro Chutney Recipe (Indian Green Chutney)

A cool, spicy and tangy green chutney. This no-cook mint cilantro chutney is a must try accompaniment to Indian food such as samosa, chaat, kebabs and sandwiches.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 5

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups Cilantro leaves (Dhaniya), packed, hard stems removed, washed and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup Mint leaves (Pudhina), packed, stems removed, washed
  • 2 Green Chili Pepper, I used thai, adjust to taste
  • 1" inch Ginger , or 1 tablespoon grated
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 2 teaspoon Roasted Cumin Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Salt , you can also use black salt, adjust to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar , optional, adjust to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Lime juice or Tamarind juice , see notes
  • 1/2 cup Water

Instructions 

  • Add all the ingredients to the blender.  
  • Blend at low speed until the ingredients start to mix, then increase the speed and blend to a smooth paste. You might have to stop and stir the ingredients couple of times.  
  • Chutney is ready.  Enjoy right away or freeze for later.

Video

Notes

Tamarind: If using tamarind, soak in 1/4 cup hot water for 10 minutes. Run it through a sieve to filter out the juice. 
Water: Use water sparingly, as you don’t want the chutney to be watery. 
Green Chili Pepper: I typically use Thai, Birdeye or Serrano Chili Pepper in my recipes. Don’t forget to adjust to your taste. 
Variations:
  • Yogurt – In restaurants, mostly you always see the yogurt version of this chutney. It reduces the spiciness and adds a refreshing touch to the chutney. I would suggest to add 1/3 cup yogurt to this recipe.
  • Grated Coconut or Roasted Peanuts– This adds a thick texture to the chutney. If you want to use the chutney to make sandwiches, coconut is a great addition. Add 1/3 cup of either to this recipe. 
  • Onion – In North India, it is common to add a little onion to the chutney. In this quantity, I would add 1/4 cup of chopped onion.
Storing: Store in refrigerator up to 4 days in an air tight container. You can also store in small containers or ice cube trays in the freezer. Defrost one at a time in the refrigerator and enjoy.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 23kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 534mgPotassium: 106mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 824IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian, North Indian
Diet: Gluten-free, Vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Mention @pipingpotcurry or tag #pipingpotcurry!

Note: This recipe has been updated from the recipe archives. Originally published in August 2017.

About Meeta

I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. My passion is to share easy, healthy, and wholesome recipes made using Instant Pot & Air Fryer, that are well tested, so you can cook with confidence.

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32 Comments

  1. this is awesome delicious easy to make
    used over brown rice and pork strips first indian
    dish ever five stars and two thumbs 👍👍 thankfully I’ll make more
    of your recipices I also
    added garlic slivers
    I read in comments
    thanks again 👍👍

  2. Easy. Tasty. Versatile. I will make it often since cilantro and mint are two of my favorites and I often have these on hand.

  3. Had lots of fresh cilantro and dill and found this recipe. Easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing! Will definitely make it again.

  4. Easy, straightforward, well balanced–it’ll be so good with the samosas. Thank you for this recipe, the video, and the additional hints! I love all foods and really love Indian dishes.

  5. Mine was also bitter. From what I can taste, it seems to be from the mint, and maybe a little too much garlic and lime juice. I’ll play around with those next time, and add some coconut. Thank you for the recipe. We had this sauce at an Indian restaurant and really liked it, so I’m glad I can duplicate it at home.

    1. Hi Stacey – I agree that mint can add some bitterness at times. Make sure to only use mint leaves and no stems. Coconut adds a nice sweetness to the chutney and works really well. Glad that you want to make this chutney again!

      1. Hi Meeta
        Thank you for the wonderful recipes. I intend to try them during my leave.
        I love to surprise my family with new ideas.
        So keep those delectable recipes rolling.
        I wish you and your family a fabulous festive Season and a prosperous 2023

        Regards
        Anita

      2. Hi Anita – So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing your review. And wishing you and your family Happy Holidays 🙂

    2. if you allow the garlic to steep in lemon juice for at least 10 minutes the acid from the lemon juice will ‘cook’ the sharp bitter flavor of garlic out of it. Also if your garlic has a dark green root running inside the clove, remove it. It is also bitter.