MINT OR PUDINA CHUTNEY

Ingredients:

Mint leaves (discard all stems) – 3 cups
Raw or green mangoes – 500 grams
Sugar – 1 or one and a half cups
Salt – 1 or 2 tsp

Procedure:


Boil the mangoes as whole (do not cut the stems) in a vessel of water. The water should cover the mangoes. Put 1 tsp salt in the water. Lower the heat once the water starts boiling. Cover the vessel with a lid. After 10 minutes, insert a skewer into a mango to check if it is soft. If it is tender shut off the heat. When the mangoes are completely cool, peel them using your hands. Scoop out the boiled mango pulp from the peels and seeds. The pulp should be one and a half cups.

Pluck the mint leaves only from the stems. The leaves should amount to about 3 cups. Wash the leaves by immersing them in a bucket of water. Wash them very well so that there is no trace of dirt as leaves collect a lot of dirt. Shift the leaves on a colander, to drain the water.
In a large mixer jar put the mint leaves first and then the sugar, over the leaves. Run the mixer at high speed. Add a little water if needed. When they form a smooth paste add the boiled mangoes pulp. Run the mixer at high speed again. It should form a smooth paste. Store it in a glass container inside the fridge.
This mint chutney can be served as a dip to several Indian dishes. It can also be used to make a soft drink. Take 4 to 5 tsp of the chutney in a glass. Put in ice cubes and cold water. Stir well. You can also add powder of roasted cumin seeds and dry red chilly. This is a soft drink from India, popular during the summers.
The ratio of mint leaves: boiled mango pulp: sugar should be 2:1:1. The amount of sugar may vary according one’s own taste of wanting the chutney to be more or less sour. There is a rare variety of green mangoes that is not at all sour Never use this variety to make chutney as the chutney would not be sour and thus turn tasteless.

Posted by Keya