Roast Chicken with Cilantro-Mint Chutney

Step into any Indian restaurant and ask for a plate of samosas, and you'll often find them served with a small bowl of bright green chutney that leaves a fiery tingle on the tip of your tongue. The construction of this alarmingly vivid chutney is quite simple: Fresh herbs, fresh chiles, and a few spices are ground together with a bit of lime juice and water. It's much like a chimichurri, but with a more powerful punch. Green chutney is called that for a reason—it's vividly, almost alarmingly verdant in color—but frankly, I think the name does the chutney a disservice. It strips away the nuance and richness from this alluring condiment, which can be made in a thousand different ways. Some versions might contain coconut, while others star herbs like mint or employ unique combinations of spices to add flavor.Those samosa sidekicks aside, green chutney can be much more than a condiment on the edge of a plate. It is bursting with flavor and can take on many roles: toss roasted vegetables in it, or fold it into a bowl of chilled yogurt to make an herby raita. I like to stray even further away from its typical applications and use it to marinate chicken. Roast chicken, whole or separated into pieces, benefits brilliantly from chutney-based marinades. You make the chutney and reserve half as your dipping sauce, while the other half gets folded into creamy, tangy yogurt to make a flavorful marinade for the chicken. Use a serrano or a Thai chile when you want a good dose of heat in the chutney; a jalapeño will work to give you a milder burn. You can lower the spiciness further by stripping away the seeds and the rib at the center. (Or make it as hot as you like, and keep a stash of creamy yogurt on hand—a dollop or two will be just enough of a fire extinguisher for any guests who can't take the heat.)

By

Nik Sharma

Nik Sharma

Once a molecular biologist, Nik Sharma left science behind to work as a pastry cook. He found his calling when he started to write about food and photograph it; his passion is the pursuit of flavor and sharing his journey with other cooks. Nik is the food columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and lives in Oakland, California. His first book, Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food, was nominated for a James Beard Award and the IACP Julia Child First Book Award.

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Updated on August 2, 2023

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