Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend untill smooth.Process to a fine paste, adding enough water to achieve a thick sauce. Wash the coriander, mint and green chillies. 1 medium onion, cut into chunks 1 tablespoon tamarind juice or lemon juice cup water, or as needed Directions Step 1 In a food processor, combine the cilantro, mint leaves, chile pepper, salt, onion and tamarind juice.Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice and keep it aside.Cut the roots off from the bunch of coriander (no need to pluck leaves off as stems can be used too).Tamarind sauce (optional) can buy ready made from Indian grocers.1 bunch of mint (if not growing at home).Whatever you have harvested from your garden (best to wait till there is plentiful).RHS is an excellent platform to learn about growing your own produce. Not all mint types are used for culinary purposes, so if you are new to growing mint, go for the Morrocan or Apple mint. Mint can take over the garden, so it is best grown in large contains or pots. The second one is Apple mint, also known as Mentha suaveolens which is darker in colour and leaves and a bit harder, and it smells just as lovely. One is the Morrocan mint which is light in colour, and the leaves are soft and a little furry, which smells really nice. They are infused in hot water as herbal tea (mint tea can aid digestion) and added to many dishes or made sauces and chutneys. It’s a very hardy herb and doesn’t really need much maintenance. Growing mint in the garden or indoors is really easy. Mint is a perennial herb mostly grown for its leaves.
Make a tune, hum or sing or just watch your thoughts some mindfulness is thrown into the ingredients. Take a deep breath, and when grinding, go ha ha ha ho ho ho he he he and laugh.
There is a little laughter exercise you could do with this. If you don’t have time to sit and use the mortar and pestle, it’s OK to use the blender. We have become accustomed to everything being made quickly because of the way life is. My mum would sit and make all sorts of food and just get lost in her thoughts. The beating of the spices also brings out more flavours, and it’s pretty therapeutic. Doing it this old fashioned way does have physical benefits and saves you a day at the gym. She would grind with alternate hands to keep the balance. The grinding with the pestle is good for the arms and avoids getting batwings. She used to say sitting on the floor improves your posture and could strengthen your pelvic floor. My mum used to make the chutney in a large granite mortar and pestle as she learnt that as a young girl growing in India. When she harvested the mint, I used to pick and eat it from the plant. It reminds me of my mum growing mint in her garden.