Zero Wastage Recipes
This recipe is another quick garden-to-table dish that you can whip up in just a few minutes. That too, with zero wastage. One of my favorite aunts (she’s actually my friend’s mom) made this chutney for me. We were floored by the wonderful flavors of this dish. I’ve been making this chutney several times this year and we literally lick the bottle clean!
Cilantro Mint Chutney with my Dinner
Lalitha Aunty (Indians usually address people older to them not by their name but by a suffix) and I share the same birthday – fellow Sagittarians! We are separated by more than 3 decades in age, but isn’t age just a number? She is the kind of person that you aspire to be.
She has gone through a lot of strife in life, but that has not broken her spirit one bit. In fact, it has made her kinder, stronger, more resilient and spiritual. I find it amazing that I can talk and listen to her for hours on end and come out feeling a little wiser than before. Do you have such a person in your life?
Lalitha Aunty hates wasting food (and to a fault, as her daughter will tell you) and finds creative ways to make delicious dishes with what people normally discard. In this recipe, she uses the stems of cilantro which people normally throw away. The result is an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G multi-use chutney that is sure to become your kitchen staple.
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- The chutney recipe giver with my dog Chutney
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- My lively aunt…
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- …and the bounty she creates
Let’s talk about growing mint and cilantro…
Growing Mint
No matter what part of the world you live in, it is super easy to grow this herb. In fact, in warm regions like US Zone 8a/8b, where I live, mint or pudina grows aggressively if planted on the ground. It can literally take over your garden beds and your lawn. I grow it in a large pot and it serves me well for all my needs throughout the year. There is no need to even bring the mint indoors, unless there is a frost danger. Keep the pot close to your kitchen, so you can run out and snip out a few sprigs to add to your dals, salads, rice dishes or soups.
Mint doesn’t grow from seed, as far as I know. Get a sapling from a friend, neighbor or your local nursery. Plant it in soil that has a good mix of compost and potting soil and provide it with 6-8 hours of sun. I use a water meter to test the wetness of the soil and water accordingly. Ensure the soil/pot has good drainage. And voila! You will have mint serving your culinary needs for the next several years.
My Mint Pot
Growing Cilantro
Coriander or dhaniya (as it is called in a few Indian languages) is a cool weather herb. Fall and spring are the best time to grow cilantro. I buy organic cilantro/coriander seeds from my Indian grocery store. Soak the seeds in water for an hour or so. Drain out the water. Prepare your soil, similar to that of mint. Cilantro can tolerate some afternoon shade but needs at least 6 hours of sunshine.
Mix a cupful of soil into the soaked seeds. Scatter the dirt/seeds on your prepared bed. Cover the sowed area with 1/4 inch of good quality potting soil. Water lightly based on how dry the soil feels (best to use a water meter). You will see seedling push their heads through the soil in a week or two. If you have planted the seedlings too close to one another, you can gently snip off the tops of the weaker plants, so as to allow the stronger ones to have space.
Cilantro Harvest
You can allow the herb to bolt (another word for flowering) and go to seed. Collect the seeds for next season’s sowing.
Chutney Recipes
Chutneys are versatile. You can smear them on tacos, on toast or eat them with rice or roti. They also work great as a side, with almost any Indian meal. Check out some of our favs:
- Yellow Mung Raw Onion Chutney
- Cranberry Chutney with a South Indian Twist
- Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Chutney
- Tomato Chutney
- Raw Mango Fenugreek Salsa
- Ridge Gourd Chutney
- Malabar Chutney
- Coconut Tomato Chutney
- Coconut Chutney
- Fresh Vegetarian Italian Basil Pesto
- Smoky Eggplant Chutney
- Zero Waste Butternut Squash Peel (Sippe) Chutney
- Raw Green Tomato Chutney
- Doddapatre Tambuli (Karpooravalli Thayir Pachadi)
- Superfood Moring Leaf Chutney
Traditionally, cilantro has been used to ease symptoms of indigestion, including spasm, flatulence and abdominal distension. Mint produces notable relaxing effects on the gut and can help to relieve indigestion, nausea, gas and cramping. Clinical trials have verified therapeutic effect of the herb on many of the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), including diarrhea, constipation, bloating and abdominal pain.
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Flavorful Cilantro-Mint Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 Teaspoon Urad Dal
- 3 Green Chili Pepper - Or to taste
- 3 Dry Red Chili - Or to taste
- 1 Cup Cilantro - Tightly Packed. Stalks and/or leaves.
- 1 Cup Mint Leaves - Destemmed
- 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt - Or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Tamarind - Freshly squeezed juice extracted by soaking tamarind in warm water
Tempering
- 1/2 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 Teaspoon Urad Dal
- 2 Dry Red Chili
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add tempering of mustard seeds, urad dal, green and red chili and stir until the mustard crackles and the chilies are crisp.
- Add cilantro stalks and cook for 2 minutes until the stalks wilt. Add mint leaves (if you have extra cilantro leaves, add them at this point) and lightly cook for 1 minute until the leaves gently wilt.
- Add salt and turmeric powder and mix well. Turn off the heat.
- Add tamarind juice and greens to the blender.
- Pulse until everything is coarsely blended.
Tempering
- For additional tempering, heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds, add urad dal and red chilies and stir for 30 seconds. Add tempering to blended chutney, mix and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
