California in spring! When was the last time I raved about my beautiful state? It’s been too long – the punishing drought really had me down for a while there. Well, we had some decent rain this past winter and are still getting a few interspersed spells, so hopefully we are slowly making it out of the drought.
 |
| Lower Yosemite Falls, Spring of 2016 |
As further proof of slow conquest over the drought, the waterfalls in Yosemite are gushing with gusto this spring! We were there last weekend to celebrate V and amma’s birthdays and got really lucky. After unrelenting rain and snow on Friday, it cleared up beautifully on Saturday to allow us to enjoy the grandeur of Yosemite. It is a very humbling, solemn experience to be surrounded by the towering granite monoliths and unimaginably powerful rivers and waterfalls – Every single time I am there, I am reminded of how small we humans are in the large scheme of things.
 |
| Mint chutney on breakfast cracker |
Back to spring in California! It is my favorite time of the year to hike – right after the rain has washed the trails clean, the golden poppies are in glorious bloom and baby deer, baby rabbits and baby birds are taking their first steps. I also get excited about planting my vegetable garden for the year and go crazy trying to decide what to plant in my tiny patch. Amma helped me decide on tomatoes, basil, bell pepper and okra this year.
 |
| Mint bush in the sunlight |
Of course, we have mint in the garden all year round. Mint is pretty hardy and will keep coming back as long as it has plenty of water. It also spreads like wild so it is better to plant it in a large pot. With the recent rains and beautiful California sunshine, the mint in our pot grew lush green and fragrant and was begging to be picked and eaten. One fine day, amma made a mint chutney that was so good that I have made it twice since. V and I love to eat it with everything!
 |
| Mint chutney |
Mint is pretty versatile and can be used in a number of ways. It is supposed to good for digestion and stomach aches and I drink a lot of mint tea as I have a pretty delicate stomach.
Here’s a list of 10 recipes you can make with mint:
- Dry the mint leaves in shade or sun and store for later use (to make tea or to add to stews)
- Make a tea out of fresh mint by pouring hot water over a small bunch of mint in a glass. Let it steep for 5 mins or more before drinking
- Use the leaves and sprigs as a pretty garnish for dessert
- Mint icecream! (Thanks V S for leaving the comment below.)
- Add sprigs of mint to a fresh vegetable salad with cucumber, tomatoes, etc. or a summer fruit salad with berries and melons. (Watermelons and mint make a deadly combination!)
- Make a tabbouleh salad with couscous or quinoa and finely chopped mint and parsley
- Serve a herb plate on your table (like Persians do) with mint, cilantro, basil, parsley, dill and any other leaves or herbs
- Make a mint pulao, a delicate rice dish flavored with whole spices and mint sauteed in ghee. (Amma makes a great mint pulao and I will share the recipe one of these days)
- Stock up on fermented ginger-mint shrub to make a cooling drink in the summer with sparkling water
- Make a mint chutney (recipe below) which can be used as a spread for sandwiches or eaten with plain white rice
 |
| Mint chutney |
So here’s the super-easy recipe for amma’s mint chutney.
Recipe for Mint Chutney
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil plus another 1 tsp for tempering
- 3 Tbsp split black lentils/split black matpe beans (urad daal in Hindi, uluththam paruppu in Tamil)
- 2-3 dried red chilies
- 2 cups (loosely packed) mint leaves, washed and patted dry
- 2 Tbsp of tamarind paste (to make a paste from fresh tamarind, soak it in hot water just to cover for 30 mins. Squeeze with fingers to remove pulp from fibers and seeds)
- 2 cups (loosely packed) cilantro sprigs, washed and patted dry
- 1 green chili, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Pinch jaggery or brown sugar (optional)
- water for grinding
- For tempering: 1/4 tsp mustard seeds and 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
Method:
- Heat the oil in a wok, add the lentils and lower the heat
- When the lentils turned golden brown and fragrant, add the red chilies and saute for a minute
- Add the mint leaves and saute for few minutes until the mint shrivels. Add the tamarind, switch off the heat and let it cool
- Throw in everything except the tempering ingredients in a blender and grind in to a thick smooth paste adding as little water as you can get away with
- Heat oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. When they sputter, add the cumin seeds and switch off the heat in a minute.
- Add the tempering to the chutney
This spread will keep for a week or more in the refrigerator. We took it with us on our trip to Yosemite, and used it as a spread for pita sandwiches on the road as well as a spread for our breakfast crackers. It was a pretty handy condiment to take along!
 |
| Mint Chutney |
How else would you use mint?
April 26, 2016 at 4:06 pm
You forgot to list mint icecream!
April 26, 2016 at 4:07 pm
OMG yes! Major miss! Will add it in now, thanks to you!