I almost wanted to pick a few pudina plants to grow indoors when the growing season was coming to an end. But we already have so many tropical plants that come indoors during the winter months. So I didn’t want to add anymore to it. It would be just a matter for 4 months and we will have mint growing back again. Pudina or mint is one of the first plants that comes back very early in the spring and stays till hard frost hits. This year we were lucky that I was able to harvest mint almost until mid November.
More mint / pudina recipes
This recipe for pudina chutney is pretty similar to regular coconut chutney except it has mint in it. Most of the times I make my coconut chutney with pudina or cilantro. So my boys are used to eating green coconut chutney.
This pudina chutney with coconut is one of the best side dish to serve with Ven Pongal. The flavor of mint works very well with savory pongal. Last week I made this with Thinai Ven Pongal (finger millet Pongal) and it was delicious.
Why make coconut chutney with mint?
Instead of making plain coconut chutney, adding mint brings a different flavor to the chutney. Great way to use greens in a recipe. Adding more nutrition to the chutney. Great recipe to use garden fresh produce. In my case, it is kid approved. They love the beautiful green color of the chutney.
Ingredients and substitutes
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes. Coconut - I use frozen grated coconut for most of my recipes. We can either grate whole coconut and keep them frozen or use store bought grated coconut. I would recommend using the fresh or frozen coconut for the chutney. I don’t like using desiccated coconut. Mint / Pudina - Use fresh mint leaves for the recipe. We could substitute cilantro for mint or use a little of both as well for a different flavor. Pottu kadalai / Roasted Gram / Dalia Green chilies and Ginger Salt Seasoning - Coconut oil, mustard seeds, urad dal / ullutham paruppu, curry leaves, asafetida and curry leaves.
Step by step process
Remove the mint leaves from the stem and clean it well.
Add a few drops of oil in a pan and saute the mint leaves until it wilts a little. Make sure that the pudina does not change color. It takes only 2 to 3 minutes. Remove it on a plate and cool it a little.
In the meantime, add the grated coconut, green chilies, ginger and dalia (roasted gram) in a blender jar.
Tip - Make sure to thaw the frozen coconut before grinding to make chutney. We can thaw the coconut overnight in the refrigerator or leave it outside for couple of hours. For quick thawing, we can microwave the frozen coconut as well.
Grind them using little water. Adding more water in the beginning will make it hard to grind the chutney smoothly. So use little water as you grind.
Now add the sauteed mint leaves and grind it further. Add salt needed and also a little water to bring the pudina coconut chutney to the desired consistency.
Pour the ground mint chutney in to a bowl. Add a little water in the mixer jar and clean the sides of the jar and pour it into the bowl as well.
Heat a small pan and add coconut oil. When the oil heats up, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, asafetida and curry leaves. Add the seasoning to the pudina chutney and mix well.
Serve coconut mint chutney with Idli, dosai or Pongal.
Serving suggestions
Chutney is the best side dish with South Indian tiffin. Some of our favorites that we love to serve this chutney is - Ven Pongal / Savory Pongal Rava Kichdi Idli and dosai varieties Arisi Upma
Expert tips
Thawing the coconut and bringing it to room temperature is an essential process. If the coconut is not thawed properly, the consistency of the pudina chutney will not be proper. Grind the chutney with less water. This allows us to be able to grind the chutney smoothly. Clean the mint leaves well. Mint grows closer to the ground and hence has a lot of dirt in the leaves. Season with coconut oil. This makes the pudina chutney more flavorful. Use more or less green chilies depending on your liking. This recipe yields medium spicy chutney.
Frequently asked questions
More chutney recipes
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