Hari mirch chutney (green chilli chutney)
Vegetarian
हरी मिर्च की चटनी · harī mirc kī caṭnī
A hot, sharp, coarse paste of green chillies, garlic and ginger, sharpened with lemon and rounded off with a little smoked mustard oil. A spoonful wakes up dal-chawal, parathas and pakoras.
Hari mirch chutney (green chilli chutney) is an Indian condiment, ready in about 49 minutes and made with green chilli and garlic. It serves 12 and is rated beginner to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 4 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 49 min
- Serves
- 12
- Level
- Beginner
- Calories
- 18
Method
Step 1
Wash the chillies and dry them completely on a cloth (water dilutes the chutney and shortens its life). Snip off the stems and chop roughly; for a milder chutney slit a few and scrape out the seeds.
Food safety: Wear gloves or oil your hands when cutting this many chillies, and do not touch your eyes.
Step 2
Dry-roast the cumin seeds (opens in a new tab) in a small pan over medium heat for 40–60 seconds, until a shade darker and fragrant, then crush them. In the same pan heat the mustard oil (opens in a new tab) until it just begins to smoke, take it off the heat and let it cool completely.
- 4 min
- medium heat
- Frying pan / skillet (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Smoking mustard oil is very hot; let it cool in the pan away from the edge of the stove.
Step 3
Put the chillies, garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, cumin, salt, sugar (opens in a new tab) (if using) and lemon juice (opens in a new tab) into a small blender (opens in a new tab) jar. Pulse in 2–3 second bursts, scraping down between bursts, to a coarse paste with flecks of chilli still visible. Add no water; the lemon juice is enough to get it moving.
Step 4
Add the coriander and pulse two or three times more, just to chop it in. Scrape into a bowl and stir in the cooled mustard oil (opens in a new tab).
How it looks · Photo: RDNE Stock project on Pexels Step 5
Taste and adjust salt and lemon. Spoon into a clean, dry jar and leave for 30 minutes so the salt and acid soften the raw edge of the chillies.
About this dish
- Origin
- North India (Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan), India · Commonly attributedA household chutney with no single standard recipe. This is a conservative home version (chillies, garlic, ginger, lemon, salt, a little mustard oil); some homes add coriander, amchur or peanuts. It is not the vinegar-based Indo-Chinese green chilli sauce.Also popular in PakistanMore food from India
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Snack · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
- Cooking method
- Blended, Toasted
- Taste
- spicy (chilli heat), garlicky, tangy, fresh
- Diet
- Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carbWithout the optional extras: Whole-food focused, Paleo-style, No added sugarWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · DASH-style - Good for
- Budget-friendly · Make-ahead
- Cook more with
- Green chilli · Garlic · Fresh ginger · Coriander leaves · Cumin seeds · Lemon juice
- Techniques
- Toasting · Spice roasting (dry-roasting) · Wet grinding · Emulsification
Allergens
- Contains, can be adapted: Mustardfrom mustard oil
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
18 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 16 g · recipe makes 12
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 8%
- Carbohydrate 37%
- Fat 55%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 18 kcal | 114 kcal |
| Protein | 0.4 g | 2.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 1.8 g | 11.3 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 1.5 g | 9.8 g |
| Sugars | — | — |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 0.2 g | 1.5 g |
| Fat | 1.2 g | 7.8 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.1 g | 0.9 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | — | — |
| Sodium | 196 mg | 1236 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.5 g | 3.1 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 51 mg
- Calcium
- 7 mg
- Iron
- 0.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 4 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 9 µg
- Vitamin C
- 22 mg
- Vitamin D
- —
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 3 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- Optional ingredients are not included: sugar.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- The oil on top acts as a seal; press the chutney down in the jar so a thin film of oil covers it.
- If it is too hot, blend in a few spoonfuls of roasted peanuts or a little more coriander rather than water.
Common mistakes
- Adding water to make it blend: it turns sour and watery within a day.
- Blending it smooth; the texture should be coarse like a relish.
Serve with
- Eat a little alongside dal-chawal, khichdi, aloo paratha, kadhi-chawal or besan chilla.
- Serve with pakoras and samosas for anyone who finds green coriander chutney too mild.
Food safety
- Garlic kept in oil can support botulism at room temperature; keep the chutney refrigerated and use it within the stated time.
- Wear gloves or oil your hands when cutting this many chillies, and do not touch your eyes.
Storage
- Refrigerate in a clean, dry jar for up to 7 days.
Variations
- Amchur hari mirch chutney: Replace the lemon juice with 1 tsp amchur and 2 tbsp water for a drier, fruitier sourness, common in Rajasthan.
- Peanut green chilli chutney: Pulse in 30 g roasted peanuts for a thicker, milder sandwich chutney.
- Instant mirchi ka achar style: Add 1 tsp crushed mustard seeds and a pinch of turmeric with the oil; it tastes like a quick green chilli pickle.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Goes with
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Green chilli, washed, dried, stemmed and roughly chopped (about 16 medium chillies)100 g
- Garlic, peeled (about 5 cloves)20 g
- Lemon juice30 ml · 31 g
Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.
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