Coconut, Cilantro & Mint Chutney

When Jacqueline Kennedy visited India in 1962 she lunched with none other than the Maharani of Jaipur, Gayatri Devi. She was wowed by the bold Indian flavors and was especially fond of the delicious Coconut, Cilantro & Mint Chutney served with her meal. A young Secret Service agent was sent to abstract the recipe from the royal kitchen. That agent was my father and the recipe is as follows. True story.

•    1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
•    1 jalapeño, deseeded and diced
•    2 tabelspoons lemon juice
•    1/2 teaspoon salt
•    1 tablespoon agave nectar
•    1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, dry roasted and ground
•    1/4 cup mint, lightly packed
•    1/4 cup cilantro, lightly packed
•    1/4 cup water

This chutney is simply made by processing all of the ingredients using a mortar and pestle, blender, food processor or immersion blender. I recommend adding the lemon juice first and the quarter cup of water last to help move the process along. Add more mint/cilantro or lemon juice/water as needed to create a relatively loose paste. This chutney goes particularly well with eggs in addition to its conventional use as a condiment for Indian meals.

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