Thanksgiving Doesn’t Taste Right Without Dhania Chutney
My family puts this condiment on everything, including holiday turkey.
Arundhati Sathe/Getty
My dad’s side of the family loves Thanksgiving. It’s the one holiday we regularly spend together and, as for many families, our celebration centers around food. We’re big on American classics like mashed potatoes and green bean casserole, but in the days leading up to the feast, we (meaning mostly my grandmother) also cook our favorite Indian dishes. By Wednesday, the fridge is stuffed with aloo mutter, saag paneer, dal and stir-fried okra.
When it comes to the big meal, everything is fair game to mix and match. While the specifics vary from year to year, the one Indian element that has to be on the table is dhania (cilantro) chutney. It’s fresh, it’s hot, it’s zippy and it generally improves whatever it touches.
Every family, and every member of my own family, makes chutney a little bit differently. It’s a forgiving recipe, so you can adjust it to fit your personal preferences and the ingredients you have on hand. The version of dhania chutney I know is a blend of cilantro, green chile (jalapeno or serrano), lemon juice, ginger and salt, plus optional sugar, onion or olive oil. To add body without detracting from the flavor, my grandmother likes to add some sour green apple or green mango.
On an average day, if any of us has a batch of dhania chutney in the fridge, we’ll put it on everything. I polled the family group chat for favorite combinations, and answers included pizza, Cincinnati chili, BBQ potato chips, scrambled eggs, burgers and burritos. My cousin even mixes it into mayonnaise to create a whole new spread for sandwiches.
All of this to say, dhania chutney is the ultimate Thanksgiving condiment. Its heat, brightness and acidity make it the perfect complement to rich holiday dishes. Whereas gravy brings fat and salt, dhania chutney cuts through it. Its effect is similar to that of sweet-tart cranberry sauce, but instead with tanginess and spice. It offers a pop of freshness in a meal where most components are steeped in butter. (But hey, that’s what holidays are for!) Plus, “the green stuff,” as my brother calls it, works as a quick fix for anything that goes wrong. It can counterbalance dry turkey, bland potatoes, oversalted stuffing — you name it.
More than that, serving dhania chutney alongside more typical Thanksgiving dishes is a meaningful and delicious way to represent the Indian and American cultures we’re part of. It’s a fitting tradition for a holiday that celebrates family and comfort food. (Not to mention, the leftover turkey sandwiches are elite.)
Ready to give it a shot? Whip up your own batch of dhania chutney this year, or try one of these variations!
Aarti Sequeira’s green chutney shares components with my family’s version, and the samosas are a genius way to transform your leftovers.
No need for jarred cranberry sauce. Spice things up with Maneet Chauhan’s homemade cranberry chutney!
With apple, port and warm fall spices, Ina Garten’s plum chutney would fit beautifully on a Thanksgiving menu.
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