Cilantro Chutney and Mango-Cucumber Raita

A few weeks ago, my sister Karen and I decided to make some Indian food.

Karen made this Chicken Tikka Masala with rice. It was delicious but very spicy, so if you try it, beware.

Karen also made this Rajma, which is a spicy vegetarian chili. (We like spicy in our family.)

We collaborated on the Naan, which is very easy to make but takes a lot of time.

After getting some tips from my friend and fabulous Indian food cook Prassu, I decided to make two condiments to go with our dinner: cilantro chutney, which provides a spicy, herbal kick, and a mango-cucumber raita, perfect for cooling down the heat.

Cilantro Chutney

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch of mint, leaves only
• 1 jalapeno, trimmed and quartered (remove ribs and/or seeds to decrease the spice level)
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 inch chunk of ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• juice of 1 lemon or lime

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Taste for seasoning. Chill until ready to serve.

Mango-Cucumber Raita

Ingredients:

• 1/2 seedless cucumber, diced
• 2 C. diced mango (I use thawed frozen mango)
• 1/2 C. plain yogurt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• juice of 1 lemon or lime

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste for seasoning. Chill until ready to serve.