The list of combinations of ingredients for chutneys is endless. Here are just a few to give you an idea of what is possible. Do some experimenting on your own. All these dips are great served with pakora, samosas, puris, parathas and chapattis.
A large bunch of fresh coriander
2 tomatoes
1 dessert spoon of lemon juice
Half a small onion
Salt
Chop the coriander in a cup with scissors and chop the onion as finely as you can. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and cover with boiling water for one minute. If you split the skins with a knife now, they should peel very easily. Cut out the green end and throw it away. Break the tomatoes open with your fingers and scoop out the seeds - throw them away too. Chop the tomatoes finely and smash them up a bit with a fork. Now mix all your ingredients together. Add a little cold water if thinning is required.
150g yoghurt
4 sprigs of fresh mint or a large pinch of dried mint
A quarter tsp. chilli powder
A quarter tsp. yellow or black mustard seeds
Salt
Chop the mint finely if you're using fresh, crush the mustard roughly with a pestle and mortar (or between two spoons) and then mix all the ingredients together. Add a little cold water to thin the sauce if you want.
4 or 5 hot green chillies
Half an onion
I clove of garlic
I dessert spoon of lemon juice
Salt
Chop all everything very finely and give it a good smash up in the pestle and mortar. Add the lemon juice and salt and water if required. This chutney can be tempered a bit with a little fresh mint.
1 onion
5 or 6 sprigs of fresh mint (or a large pinch of dried)
I dessert spoon of lemon juice
1 tsp. of sugar
A pinch of chilli powder
Chop the onion and mint finely and mix everything together.
A third to a half of a fresh coconut, finely grated
A small piece of root ginger, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
A third of a teaspoon of red chilli powder
Half a teaspoon of black mustard seeds
Salt
2 or 3 teaspoons of oil
About two thirds of a cup of water
If you're not sure how to prepare a coconut for grating, have a look here.
Pound the coconut until it becomes a fibrous mass (this is fairly hard work) then leave it aside for a while. Next, pound the garlic and ginger until it is fairly smooth. Heat the oil in a frying pan and when it's very hot, add the mustard seeds and fry for thirty seconds then add the garlic and ginger mixture. Cook for about a minute, stirring constantly then add the mixture to the coconut. Add salt and water and leave the chutney for fifteen minutes. Stir before serving.