Mint Cilantro Chutney (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 samosas, chaat, kebabs, and sandwiches. This Indian green sauce is so versatile and can be varied with simple ingredients!

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, kebabs, in sandwiches and frankie, or as a side with your dinner, or as a dip for roasted veggies.  This chutney can also be used as a cilantro salad dressing.

Watch How to Make Mint Cilantro Chutney

What is Green Chutney?

Green Chutney is an Indian green sauce made with the star ingredients cilantro and mint, and spiced with green chili, ginger, garlic, and other 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 its own recipe. I will share my family’s recipe, where I have combined all the good parts of my mom’s and mom-in-law’s recipes. 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 to 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, and 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 ingredients of this chutney.
• Mint – The second main ingredient is fresh mint leaves. You can also make this chutney with just cilantro.
• 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 not to 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 make homemade cumin powder with my recipe.
• 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. Add a little ice-cold water to blend the chutney. Add more only as needed to make a smooth chutney.

I use my Vitamix or mini Secura blender 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.

If the chutney tastes a little bitter, it is usually due to mint stems or blending for too long. If it becomes too thin, blend in a handful of cilantro, coconut, or roasted peanuts. For a smaller batch, a mini blender works best so you don’t have to add too much water.

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.

Getting the Bright Green Color Chutney

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 it 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.

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

Adding ice-cold water or some ice cubes when blending the chutney helps to retain the bright green color. If adding ice cubes, skip or reduce the amount of water so the chutney does not get too runny.

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

How to Store Mint Chutney?

This chutney can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. It also freezes well.  

You can make a large batch of this chutney. I like to freeze chutney in ice cube trays, then transfer the cubes to a freezer-safe container. Thaw one cube in the refrigerator whenever you need fresh chutney for snacks, sandwiches, or dinner.

If you want to add yogurt, it is best to add it only after thawing for the creamy, restaurant-style version.

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 at restaurants, Indian food stalls, or food trucks.

• Yogurt – In restaurants, you mostly 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 it when using the chutney. I would suggest adding 1/4 cup of 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 of peanuts to this recipe.
• Sev or day-old white bread – Some people add thin sev to make the chutney thicker. Many sandwich shops add one of these, so the chutney is thick and spreadable without making the bread soggy.

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

The one on the right is chutney with yogurt, like a cilantro yogurt sauce. This is much smoother and milder in flavor. Perfect for dipping samosas or drizzling over kebabs.

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

More Dips You’ll Love

GFGluten-freeLCLow CarbVVegetarian

Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce

GFGluten-freeVVegetarian

Yogurt Dipping Sauce with Garlic & Herbs

GFGluten-freeVVegetarian

Basil Walnut Pesto

DFDairy-freeGFGluten-freeVVegetarian

Chilli Garlic Chutney

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