Everyone needs a little chutney in their life right?? This post is slightly delayed due to an exceptionally busy week this week. We have some guests in town from Michigan, which is so fun! I love it when friends and family come to visit us in San Diego. We always have an amazing time and it gives me and Dave and excuse to go out to all the more semi “touristy” areas of San Diego that we don’t frequent on a daily basis. However, it also means I have been neglecting my blog somewhat.. So sorry blogosphere! I promise to do better in the future! (Maybe..)
Anyway, this post is really intended as an accompaniment post to go along with my Vegetarian Samosas recipe. You know what I’m talking about right? At the indian restaurants you always get samosas served with a little dose of tamarind and coridander chutneys, which just take the whole thing to the next level. These chutney recipes are pretty darn close to what I’ve had in restaurants. I’d highly recommend making both to go along with your samosas if you’re going through all the trouble already of samosa-making at home.
It’s time to treat yo’self!
Tamarind chutney is the sweet and tangy chutney that they always serve. It probably tends to be the more popular chutney. Tamarind is a fun ingredient and is used in many different ethnic cuisines- Thai, Indian, Mexican, etc. The fruit is very tart so you need to make sure to balance the tartness with other flavors. For this recipe I got a bottle of tamarind concentrate from the Asian store. I’d recommend going this route and not worrying about reconstituting it yourself from a large brick of tamarind (have done this before and it’s kind of a pain).
The green chutney is made of cilantro (coriander) and mint. It tends to be “overly minty” for Dave’s taste, so for this recipe I definitely reduced the quantity of mint and he was really into it. Compared with the tamarind chutney, this chutney offers more of a sharp, fresh taste that pairs very well with the samosas.
Coriander-Mint Chutney and Tamarind Chutney
Ingredients
- Ingredients for Cilantro-Mint Chutney
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup cilantro leaves stems are fine too
- 1/4 onion
- 1/4 inch ginger root peeled
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 green chile either jalepeno or serrano- serrano will be spicier
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water adjust depending on your preference for thick or thin sauce
- Salt to taste
- Ingredients for Tamarind Chutney
- 1/2 cup tamarind concentrate
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
Instructions
- Instructions for Coriander-Mint Chutney
- Add all ingredients in your blender except water in your blender. Puree until smooth. Gradually drizzle water as you continue to blend. Add enough water to achieve your desired consistency.
- Serve with indian samosas or other snack of your choice.
- May serve chilled or at room temperature.
Yummy!
Just great! Sounds totally delicious! And your pictures are just awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much Cecilia!
My allergy to cashews makes dining in indian restaurants risky business. I forgot how much I miss the chutneys. Thanks. I see samosas in my future!
Oh no! I think I would die if I developed an allergy that prevented me from going to indian restaurants 🙁
I have never tried to make Indian chutneys myself, but it”s good idea, you can adjust spiciness to suit your taste!:)
Exactly! Thanks for your comment, Mila!
Love the coriander and mint chutney! This would work on so many different things. Can’t wait to try it. I always love the tamarind style too – great recipes!
Totally agreed- they are excellent dipping sauces for lots of different types of recipes! Hope you enjoy 🙂
I’ve had my share of samosas and these look awesome! May I have some please?
Wow, I tried this over the weekend and it was incredible. Thanks for the recipe!!!!
Thank you so much! So glad you liked it!