Pudina Chutney | Mint Chutney: 3 Powerful benefits

Hey food lovers, do you want to spice up your palate? I am sure you want to, okay tell me honestly, don’t you occasionally crave for a side dish which can enhance your meal to the next level.

One of the best refreshing sides to your breakfast or lunch is ‘Pudina Chutney / Mint chutney’.

On the off chance that you know nothing about this dish, be with me for a while and I will make you fall in love with this heavenly side dish.

Mint is widely known as Pudina in india. This side dip is not only paired with Indian snacks (crisp gobi, potato fry, Bajji or samosa) but also with afternoon meal. In south India, it is used in morning breakfast and often served with Idli, Dosa and Uttapam. I like to have this with potato fry or Ghatia (made with chickpea/gram flour).  In India, this side dish is also served with plain rice/pulao and curry.

Traditionally any chutney in India is made with spices and herbs. There are several ways Pudina/Mint Chutney is made but I am using a simple method with step-by-step instruction to make it super easy for you. 

To make this side dip, you would just need some of the basic ingredients such as ginger, garlic, green chillies, coconut, raw mango and of course fresh mint leaves. You can optionally include or exclude couple of ingredients depending on your taste. But one of the most necessary ingredients to make this aromatic chutney is raw mango. Not many people use this ingredient but I always use this to give sourness to the dish. In case raw mango is unavailable in your pantry, you may replace it with yogurt too.

Pro tip: Use raw mango to make tangy mint chutney and add coriander leaves as one of the ingredients while grinding if available in your pantry. It gives nice aroma to this side dip.

Pudina/mint is indeed used in dishes for flavor but it is also widely used as an herb in India since ancient times. It is packed with antioxidants and promotes digestion.

Ingredients: To make Pudina Chutney

• 2 cups mint leaves

• 1 cup coriander leaves

• 4-5 garlic cloves

• 1 inch ginger

• 3 green chillies

• 1 slice of dry Mango / 1 teaspoon dry mango powder

• 2 tbsp water (to help mixing ingredients)

Steps: How to make Pudina Chutney/Mint Chutney

Step 1: Rinse approximately 2 cups packed fresh mint leaves in a large bowl of water. Rinse a few times until they are cleaned.

Pro tips: Use vibrant green color mint leaves but avoid dark leaves as they may taste bitter when blended.

Step 2: Also take 1 cup fresh coriander leaves and rinse them well.

Step 3: Add Mint leaves and coriander leaves in a blender jar along with 3 slit green chillies, 1 inch peeled and cleaned ginger and 4-5 garlic cloves.

Step 4: Now add in roughly chopped raw mango to the jar. You may optionally add amchur powder or chaat masala if raw mango is not available in your pantry.

Step 5: Add salt to taste and finally add roughly 2-3 tbsp water which will give the mixture a smooth texture.

Step 6: Blend them to a smooth consistency. I would recommend not to add water afterwards because you need little thick consistency of Pudina chutney similar to a fine paste.

Step 7: Pour the delicious chutney in a serving bowl and garnish with Mint leaves and drops of mustard oil.

Benefits of Mint/Pudina leaves

Mint is an aromatic healing herb that also contains nutritional values. Mint leaves have the potential to adjust all the imbalances in the body.

• Mint leaves are packed with antioxidants and iron.

• It improves the digestive system.

• It is useful to mask bad odour and breath

Expert Notes

If you want vibrant green color in chutney, add 1 tsp of lemon juice to it. It will also help ‘pudina chutney’ retain the green color for some time. The other benefit of adding lemon juice is it prevents the chutney from discoloration and increases the shelf life.

Avoid using stalks or stems of mint because they are strong in flavor. Always use fresh mint leaves as they impart refreshing flavor to the chutney.

It is important to select fresh mint leaves and not stale or wilted.

Be mindful of adding adequate water while grinding/blending as too much water can give you thin/watery consistency.

If you want to store mint leaves, just pluck the leaves from stem and store without rinsing.

Storage instruction

Pudina chutney can be refrigerated well for 1-2 days in an airtight steel container.

If refrigerated for a longer period, the color of the chutney starts changing. Lemon juice can prevent it from discoloration but it’s recommended to store the chutney for 1-2 days only.

Do not freeze the chutney as the taste may change.

Try other Side Dishes too.

Pudina Chutney variations

Yogurt can be added to make ‘yogurt mint chutney’. You can optionally make this chutney without adding coconuts to it. 

To give south Indian flavor to this side dip, add 1tbsp chana dal, 1tbsp oil, 2 dry red chillies and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds to a pan. Saute them for some time till they get roasted. Grind/blend them with other ingredients to give the chutney a fine paste.

FAQ

Is Pudina chutney healthy?

It plays a vital role in soothing the stomach and improving digestion hence adding pudina chutney in your regular diet is a good idea.

What is pudina chutney made of?

Pudina chutney is also called as Mint chutney and is a widely used side dip in India. This chutney is made of spices and herbs such as garlic, ginger, chillies, dry mango and of course mint leaves.

Does Pudina Chutney cause gas/acidity?

Mint improves digestion hence good for stomach.

Can we eat pudina chutney daily?

To improve digestion, it can be added in regular diet. It soothes the stomach and improves appetite.

Generic QnA

What is the best way to consume mint leaves?

• Can be added in fruit salads to spice up the flavor.
• Can be used to make mint chutney.
• It can also be used in garnishing desserts.
• It can be added to vegetables.
• Can be used to prepare mint tea.