'Hari' or green chutney is a herby, fresh and tangy chutney made with fresh coriander and mint. This chutney is perfect to dip samosas, pakoras and kebabs. It's also great as a spread for sandwiches and wraps. Often paired with sweet and sour tamarind chutney, this savoury, zesty and refreshing chutney is an important ingredient in North Indian street food and 'chaat'.
Variations
In this recipe, we share the classic go-to method for preparing this chutney at home. However, don't be afraid to experiment with the proportions or ingredients. There are several variations of this chutney that you can try out once you've mastered the basic version. You can try adding equal amounts of mint and coriander for more of a minty punch or add spices like cumin seeds or chaat masala to the blend. You can also try adding in a clove of garlic or some red onion for a twist. We used daria or roasted gram dal to thicken the chutney, however, you can also use boondi, roasted peanuts or even coconut for a change. The possibilities are endless!
- 1 or 70g bunch coriander
- 5-6 sprigs mint
- 25g ginger
- 2-3 green chillies
- 1/2 lime
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp daria or roasted chana dal* (optional)
- 2 or 60ml ice cubes
- Wash and roughly chop the coriander (including both leaves and stems) and mint (leaves only).
- Peel and slice the ginger and de-seed the green chillies.
- Add the chopped herbs, ginger and chillies to a blender jar followed by the juice of 1/2 lime.
- Add the seasonings to the blender jar as well - 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp daria.
- Before closing the jar, add the ice cubes. Instead of using water, we recommend using ice cubes as they prevent the herbs from heating up and cooking with the heat of the blender, thus maintaining the freshness and bright green colour of the chutney.
- Close the blender jar and blend till smooth.
- Serve immediately or transfer to a jar and store in the fridge.
*Daria: Also known as roasted gram or roasted chana dal, daria is a binding agent in this recipe. It is a roasted pulse that often makes an appearance in chutneys but can also be eaten as a snack. It has a chalky powdery texture with a slightly nutty taste and is thus perfect to bring together solids and liquids in a coherent mass. They don't alter the taste of the dish too much but help provide structural stability to the liquids. With green chutney, as with many salsas, the liquids often separate from the solids and the addition of daria helps hold everything together.
You can buy daria in most Indian stores sometimes also labelled as roasted gram or roasted chana dal. If you can't get your hands on daria, don't fret, your chutney will taste the same. The texture might be slightly different, however, that shouldn't keep you from trying out this recipe, which is why this is an optional ingredient.