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1
Confirm the herbs are fresh: the coriander stems should snap crisp and the mint leaves should release a sharp, clean scent when bruised. If the coriander appears pale or yellow-green, do not proceed — stale herbs will produce a dull, muted chutney that no amount of lemon juice or seasoning can rescue.
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2
Combine the coriander (stems and leaves), mint leaves, green chillies, garlic, and ginger in the blender jar, then add the lemon juice. Add water in the smallest quantity necessary to allow the blades to turn — no more than two tablespoons — because excess water is the single most common failure: a thin chutney separates and will not adhere to food. The stems go in whole, as they carry as much flavour as the leaves and give the blender something to grip.
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3
Grind to a smooth paste, then stop the blender, scrape the sides down, and grind again so that no coarse pockets of ginger or chilli survive in the finished paste. This is where the dish lives or dies: the paste must be deep, vivid green — a uniform colour with no grey or brown streaks, which signal over-oxidation or staleness — and thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon without pooling.
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4
Add the roasted cumin, a pinch of sugar, and salt, then pulse briefly to incorporate rather than grinding further, so the cumin's smoky fragrance stays distinct in the finished chutney rather than disappearing into the herb mass. Taste: the cumin should bridge the chilli heat and the herb, and the lemon juice should register as brightness without sourness dominating. Adjust salt.
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5
Decant into a bowl and serve immediately. The chutney is at its peak within hours of grinding; refrigerated overnight, the colour browns and the volatile aromatics that make it smell alive are lost.