Cooling and Hot Mint Sauce

 

Mint is not the herb I often use in the kitchen, and yet I buy it sometimes when I simply cannot resist its fresh, enticing aroma. The sad thing is I usually end up drying it and then drinking as herbal tea. A couple of days ago I decided I had to break this vicious circle and start cooking with mint. Remembering how quickly I empty the mint sauce bowl in Indian restaurants, I decided to give it a try. Since every Indian mint sauce recipe I found called for the ingredients I didn’t have, I improvised my own recipe. Even though the result was different from what I had in Indian restaurants, it was really good. I especially liked its contrasting palate sensations: refreshing and cooling, it gives a hot kick at the same time. The aroma is still enticing.

Given my experiments with this sauce, I can recommend it as a dip for deep-fried dishes, with rice, with cold turkey cuts, and I think I couldn’t find a better company for the leftover, warmed Lamb Masala.

Special equipment: food processor

Preparation: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 big bunch of mint (100g)

200 ml yogurt

1 teaspoon of very hot powdered chili or green/red fresh chilies (amounts depend on their hotness and your personal taste)

salt

Cut off the hardest parts of mint stalks, leaving only the thin branches and leaves.

Mix the mint in a food processor, add the yogurt, mix again. Transfer to a bowl, add a bit of salt to taste (I added 2 teaspoons) and the chili.

Serve chilled.

4 Replies to “Cooling and Hot Mint Sauce”

  1. Funny thing, I do the same thing with bay leaves. It does sound like it would pair well with chicken too (at least I would hope so since that’s what I have in my fridge right now) especially with the yogurt base.

    1. Wow! With bay leaves??? I would have never thought about a bay leaf sauce… Must try it one day! Yes, if you like mint, I think it goes very well with chicken (I tested it with chicken too…)

        1. Thank you Kiki! I love crazy experiments and would have never thought it might be a small mistake 😉

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