If you have ever been to an Indian restaurant, you have tried a variation of green chutney. Packed with fresh mint leaves, cooling yogurt, and the right amount of spice from green chilies, this chutney is the perfect accompaniment to all of your favorite Indian snacks or main dishes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Enjoy it right away: While you can make this chutney ahead of time, it still tastes delicious if you serve it right away. The yogurt helps meld the flavors together and rounds everything out without any resting time.
- Authentic recipe: This mint chutney, otherwise known as pudina chutney in Hindi and Punjabi, is the real deal. There is some disagreement on whether mint and yogurt chutney should be called mint raita instead of a chutney, the flavors in this recipe are traditional to Indian cuisine.
- Easily customizable: There are tons of customizations that you can make to this base yogurt mint chutney recipe. From extra spicy to mild, or thick to thin consistency, you can make this recipe to your taste and preference. This recipe has 2 methods to prepare the chutney, but there are unlimited options!
Ingredient Notes
Get Your Pantry Ready to Cook!
For more detailed information on many of the ingredients used in this recipe, check out this guide to 20 pantry staple ingredients in Indian cooking!
- Greek yogurt: I recommend using Greek yogurt for this chutney recipe, as this thick yogurt has the excess liquid strained out. This allows you to keep the chutney a thicker consistency if you'd like, or it can easily be thinned out if preferred.
- Fresh mint: You will most commonly find spearmint being sold at your regular grocery store. If your store sells peppermint, that is fine. The mint flavor in spearmint is more subtle, whereas peppermint is sharper. You may want to reduce the amount of mint if using peppermint.
- Jalapeño pepper: Jalapeño peppers have the perfect amount of heat to make this a slightly spicy chutney without being overwhelmingly spicy. To make things even more mild, you can remove the seeds and membrane from the jalapeño pepper.
- Chaat masala: Chaat masala is a mix of spices Indian spices, including mango powder, dried pomegranate, and black salt. It is a great way to burst flavor without having to use individual ground spices.
- Cumin: Cumin powder (jeera powder) works best for this quick chutney so that you do not have any pieces of whole cumin seeds throughout.
- Honey: Honey adds a needed hint of sweetness that balances out the tanginess of the yogurt, and the spice of the jalapeño. Honey is the perfect sweetener for this delicious chutney because it does not need to dissolve as granulated sugar does.
- Lime: Fresh lime juice works best for this recipe. It adds a bright citrus note that adds some depth to the acid of plain yogurt.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
Substitutions
- Greek yogurt: Any unflavored yogurt can be used in place of Greek yogurt. If using plain yogurt, keep in mind that yogurt mint chutney consistency will be on the thinner side.
- Jalapeño pepper: For extra spice, finger green chilies can be used in place of jalapeño peppers.
- Honey: Whole dates are a perfect substitute for honey in this tasty chutney. They can blend into a smooth paste with the fresh herbs.
- Lime: Fresh lemon juice is a suitable substitute for fresh lime juice.
Variations
- Cilantro mint chutney: Many Indian mint sauce recipes include fresh cilantro, and this is entirely up to your personal preference. If you'd like this to be a mint cilantro chutney for some extra herbiness, add some fresh coriander leaves to the recipe.
- Fresh ginger: To make your taste buds dance even more, add a small piece of ginger to the spice paste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all ingredients: This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Prep the mint: Remove the mint leaves from the stems, and set aside.
Add all of the chutney ingredients to a blender jar or food processor, along with the dried spices. [photo 1]
Pulse the blender or food processor until the mint and jalapeño are completely blended with the yogurt. [photo 2]
Taste test the chutney for salt and sweetness. If needed, season with more salt or add more honey if the chutney is still sour.
Transfer to a jar or a bowl, and serve right away or keep refrigerated.
Another Way to Make Pudina Dahi Chutney
Add all the ingredients for the chutney to a blender or food processor, leaving the yogurt out.
Toss in 1 ice cube with the mint, and blend until the mint mixture has formed a paste, almost like a chutney on its own.
Mix the base mint chutney into a bowl of Greek yogurt until everything is combined, and serve.
Expert Tips
Start with less water: It is easier to add more water to thin the consistency of the chutney out than it is to thicken a chutney that is too thin.
Keep the color vibrant: Do not blend the chutney for too long at a time, as the heat from the blades can discolor the mint.
Remove the stems: It may seem like an extra step, but mint stems are bitter. To avoid overpowering the chutney with bitterness, take the time to pick the leaves off of the thick stems.
Make Ahead & Storage
This yogurt chutney can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge, and use as needed.
The yogurt sauce will still be good to use after 3 days, but there is a chance that the mint will discolor and darken which is not visually appealing.
You may find that some liquid will collect at the top of the chutney as it sits in the fridge, which is fine. Give it a good stir before serving.
Be sure to serve this mint chutney as cold as possible. Because of the dairy, you do not want the chutney to come to room temperature.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken: This chutney makes the perfect dipping sauce or accompaniment for Indian chicken recipes like tandoori chicken tikka, chicken kathi rolls, afghani malai tikka, or chicken seekh kebabs.
Indian snacks: A drizzle of this yogurt mint chutney will amp up any appetizer, like aloo tikki chaat, chaat masala fries, seekh kebabs, or keema naan.
Rice dishes: Chicken yakhni pulao and fried onion pulao always go perfectly with a drizzle of yogurt mixed in.
Recipe FAQs
If you find that your mint chutney is on the bitter side, you can balance it out by adding additional sweetness. Honey or a whole date will round out the flavors of the yogurt dip.
If you find that your chutney is too thin, add some more Greek yogurt to the mixture. You may need to adjust with some more salt and sweetness to keep the flavors rounded out.
More Sauce Recipes
Indian Mint Chutney with Yogurt (Without Cilantro)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ cups Fresh mint
- 1 Jalapeño pepper
- 1 tablespoon Chaat masala
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon Sea salt - adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- ½ Lime - juiced
- ¼ cup Water - as needed
Instructions
- Add all of the chutney ingredients to a blender jar or food processor, along with the dried spices.2 cups Greek yogurt, 1 ½ cups Fresh mint, 1 Jalapeño pepper, 1 tablespoon Chaat masala, 1 teaspoon Cumin powder, 2 teaspoon Sea salt, 2 tablespoon Honey, ½ Lime
- Pulse the blender or food processor until the mint and jalapeño are completely blended with the yogurt.¼ cup Water
- Taste test the chutney for salt and sweetness. If needed, season with more salt or add more honey if the chutney is still sour.
- Transfer to a jar or a bowl, and serve right away or keep refrigerated.
Alternate Method
- Add all the ingredients for the chutney to a blender or food processor, leaving the yogurt out.1 ½ cups Fresh mint, 1 Jalapeño pepper, 1 tablespoon Chaat masala, 1 teaspoon Cumin powder, 2 teaspoon Sea salt, 2 tablespoon Honey, ½ Lime
- Toss in 1 ice cube with the mint, and blend until the mint mixture has formed a paste, almost like a chutney on its own.
- Mix the base mint chutney into a bowl of Greek yogurt until everything is combined, and serve.2 cups Greek yogurt, ¼ cup Water
✱Recipe Notes
- Start with less water: It is easier to add more water to thin the consistency of the chutney out than it is to thicken a chutney that is too thin.
- Keep the color vibrant: Do not blend the chutney for too long at a time, as the heat from the blades can discolor the mint.
- Remove the stems: It may seem like an extra step, but mint stems are bitter. To avoid overpowering the chutney with bitterness, take the time to pick the leaves off of the thick stems.
Aman says
I also do not like cilantro so this recipe was just what I needed. So good!!
susan says
it was really awesome the mint chutney
Sunena Anand says
That is so great to hear, Susan!