The Good, The Bad And The Chutney: 8 Ways To Use This Coriander Condiment
Kind of sounds like a Bob's Burgers special, doesn't it? I've come to the conclusion that nobody knows what chutney is. The information available suggests that it's kind of a sweet or sour or spicy mushy sauce/condiment of moderately South Asian descent made from literally anything and rarely seen on menus as a buzzword anymore. So...are we still doing chutney or what? There's only one out there that means anything to me, and it's quite the secret weapon.
There is a jar of Indian coriander chutney in my fridge at all times. It's the kind of ingredient that makes something incredible out of nothing at all — definitely worth keeping around, since it more or less doesn't go bad. The ingredients are simple enough: coriander (also known as cilantro), salt, ginger, green chilis and a little freshly grated coconut to bind it together. It's a little thinner than pesto, but thicker than tomatillo salsa. And here's what I like doing with it:
Mixing it with plain whole-milk yogurt and a little lime juice and taking one of three actions: 1) using it as a tangy, creamy dipping sauce for everything from fritters to hot wings; 2) marinating anything in it overnight, then cooking it on super high heat for spicy cilantro tandoori anything — that's right, spicy cilantro tandoori anything; or 3) tossing it with shredded leftover chicken for the best creamy-spicy Indian chicken salad sandwich that is not a curried chicken salad sandwich. Bonus points for using the leftover chicken you marinated in yogurt and coriander chutney.
Other things:
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Spread it on naan, sprinkle cheese over it and broil. - Use it instead of mustard.
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Mix it with mayo and do what you will. - Slather it on a pork tenderloin before roasting. Taco time!
- Shake a drop or two with gin and ice and dispense into a glass with tonic and lime.
That last one's not lunch advice? That means you haven't tried one as an accompaniment to your spicy tandoori chicken salad sandwich. Let's fix that.
More condiments of Asian descent for lunch on Food Republic: