My regular readers, my family and my friends know my love for CHUTNEYS. Though, I cannot pick one chutney as my favourite, this Pudina Kothamalli Thokku definitely will have a special place in my menu. I absolutely love the garden fresh herby aroma in the air…..I just love these greens!! Imagine the freshness of mint(pudina) and coriander(kothamalli) when combined with hot red chilies, with a touch of spices and dash of tang…..out of the world!! Mint and Coriander blend really well in this fresh and cooling chutney.
Pudina, Kothamalli Thokku, or as we also call it ‘Pudina Thogayal’ is a fresh, aromatic and flavoursome chutney, which is a perfect accompaniment to every Indian meal, be it rice, idli, dosa, roti etc. Take it to the next level to coat your pasta, slather it on your bread to make a sandwich or layer it on your chicken! This Pudina, Kothamalli Thokku will be a versatile favourite!! Once prepared, refrigerate in an air tight container to keep it fresh for one to two weeks or up to 3 days over the kitchen counter. This makes it a very good option while travelling. They also come handy when you do not find time to cook an elaborate meal.
There are tons of variations to this lovely chutney. Check out this version of green chutney to accompany snacks or as a marinade for tandoori recipes.
Without further ado, let’s jump into the recipe for Pudina Kothamalli Thokku!!
Easy steps to follow for Pudina Kothamalli Thokku:
- Get your mint and pluck off the leaves from the stem unless your stems are really fresh and green. I’m using the stems.
- With the coriander, I just like to chop the leaves along with the stem (leaving out the muddy ends) because the stem of coriander is always so flavourful, even more so than just the leaves.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and roast dry red chillies, coriander seeds, lentils (urad dal & chana dal), peeled garlic pods and tamarind till the lentils turn golden brown. Remove them to a plate and let them cool.
- In the same pan, add mint and coriander leaves and sauté them till soft. The leaves should retain the green colour. Remove them to a plate and let them cool.
- Sauté shallots till translucent in the same pan.
Let’s grind Pudina Kothamalli Thokku:
- In a blender, add the roasted spices & lentils from step 1, cumin seeds, required salt and grind to a coarse powder.
- Now add sautéed mint and coriander leaves and give it all a whizz, till it all comes together like a chutney. It will be a little coarse but thats completely fine.
- Add a few drops of water in case you are not able to run the blender. I have not added any water as the moisture from the leaves is just enough to grind the chutney (But, it will also depend on the power of your blender, so do not hesitate to add a few drops of water if required).
- Finally, add shallots and run the blender once. Do not grind it smoothly, you should be able to find chunks of shallots here and there.
Ta da!! Pudina Kothamalli Thokku is ready! How quick was that?!?! I love the fact that this comes together in no time at all. Majority of my time was spent on plucking the mint leaves. If your mint leaves are fresh, just chop off their leafy bits with stems and use it.
- Optionally, you can temper the chutney if you want to (I haven’t).
- Transfer the chutney to an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for longer shelf life (for about 2 weeks).
A Quick Summary:
Pudina Kothamalli Thokku (Thogayal) | South Indian Mint Chutney Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 6-8 Dry Red Chilies
- 2 Tablespoons Coriander Seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Chana dal
- 1 Tablespoon Urad dal
- 4 garlic pods peeled
- 2 inch piece of tamarind
- 1 Cup of Mint leaves
- 1 Cup of Coriander leaves
- 6 Small Onions or Shallots Chinna Vengayam
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and roast dry red chillies, coriander seeds, lentils (urad dal & channa dal), peeled garlic pods and tamarind till the lentils turn golden brown. Remove them to a plate and let them cool.
- In the same pan, add mint and coriander leaves and sauté them till soft retaining the green colour. Remove them to a plate and let them cool.
- Sauté shallots till translucent in the same pan.
- In a blender, add the roasted spices, cumin seeds, required salt and grind to a coarse powder.
- Now add sautéed mint and coriander leaves and grind to a smooth paste. Add a few drops of water in case you are not able to run the blender.
- Finally, add shallots and run the blender just to mix.
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for about 2 weeks.
- Serve with rice, idli, dosa etc.
My Notes:
- Adjust spice levels with red chillies to suit your taste.
- You can also add coconut to this recipe for another variation.
- Adjust the ratio of mint:coriander to suit your taste. If you want to reduce the strong flavour from mint, you can add a quarter cup less when compared to coriander leaves.
- Instead of red chilli, you can opt for green chilli. But, this gives a different flavour to the chutney.
- Try to avoid adding water while grinding. The moisture in the leaves will aid grinding. But if you are not able to grind, then add a few drops of water and grind.
- Skip onions if you are not going to refrigerate.
- Temper the chutney with a tablespoon of oil if you want to store it longer without refrigerating.
- You can dilute the consistency of chutney when using it with idli or dosa. For rice, thick consistency is preferred.
Check out other mouthwatering CHUTNEY RECIPES from blog!!
Many more to come!!…..STAY TUNED!!
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Happy Cooking 🙂
Cheers!!
Padma.
yummy thokku! can almost smell the flavours!!
Thanks dear 🙂