Topic: Mint Sauce

[Peripatetic Phil]

To accompany the Aloo Tikki and Vegetable Pakora that we ate over the weekend I made some mint sauce, but although it was OK it was most definitely not identical to that served in BIRs.  When I made some more tikki, and also because I bought some Onion Bhaji, I decided to continue to work on the mint sauce, and when I ate it last night and today I was certain I had cracked it.  I am afraid I can offer no exact quantities, but I am sure that these will be more or less obvious if you try to make it.

Ingredients (brands as used, but neither essential nor even particularly recommended) : Tesco Greek yoghurt (full fat), Coleman's Classic Mint Sauce, Ahmed mild Mango Chutney, Asda Home Baking Lime Juice, Water, Liquid food colouring (green).  I would think there were about three tablespoonsful of yoghurt, a coffee spoon of mint sauce, about the same of mango pickle and lime juice; add the colouring drop by drop and stir until it is  homogeneous and the desired colour, then dilute with tap water until the desired consistency is achieved.  You could add a little ground red chilli, but I didn't. 

** Phil.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I have just made this again, to accompany some of Mrs Athwal's vegetable pakoras and Sainsbury's onion bhajis, and I am now 100% certain that this is as authentic as it gets.  I really cannot tell any difference at all between my version and that which comes from (e.g.,) the Taj of Kent.  On this occasion I increased the ratio of mango chutney to mint sauce -- I now think that there should be between two and three times as much mango chutney (without mango pieces : just the sticky sauce) as mint sauce.  I also added a little deggi mirch, but I do not consider the latter essential.  The one illustrated (today's) uses yellow food colouring (egg yellow) as I was not very impressed with the hue of the green food colouring that I currently have.
 
* Phil.
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[Dajoca]

Thanks for the recipe Phil. I've tried a couple of others and they weren't what I hoped for, so I will be giving yours a go next weekend.
I only have Pataks hot mango chutney though, but I hope that won't ruin it too much.

[Peripatetic Phil]

OK, I'll be keen to hear what you think of it. 
** Phil.

[RubyDoo]

Sainsburys bhajis?  Do you not make your own? 

[Peripatetic Phil]

Sainsburys bhajis?  Do you not make your own? 

Not on a production basis; I have made them experimentally, but whenever I go shopping I look to see what is being remaindered, and on this occasion it was Sainsbury's onion bhaji.  They were at least as good as anything I had ever made, and better than some, 'though still lagging behind those from good BIRs.  Definitely edible, and if you were served them in a BIR you would not be able to tell that they were not locally sourced.

** Phil.

[976bar]

Sounds interesting Phil

When I make this, I use about 500ml Greek yogurt, caster sugar to taste, 1-2 tbsp colemans mint sauce, a little green food colouring and some semi skimmed milk.

Place about 200ml of the yogurt in a blender and add the sugar, mint sauce and food colouring if using and blend. This will produce quite a runny mixture. Spoon it into the rest of the Greek Yogurt, which will give you a thick mixture. Cover and fridge it for at least 30 minutes which will thicken it even more, then adjust the consistency to your liking with the milk

[bennettjg]

I use a combination of a jar mint sauce and for the added sweetness use mint jelly, also a pinch of Garam Masala and make sure you use a good quality Yoghurt that isnt too thin