Indian Green Chutney with Leftover Lettuce Leaves

Learn how to make Indian Green Chutney with leftover Lettuce leaves! This chutney can be used in chaat, sandwiches and served as a side for idli/dosa/paratha.

I was planning on making Tomato Omelette the other day and I wanted to prepare some green chutney to go with it. The only problem was that I had run out of cilantro and mint leaves. It was the fag-end of the week and all my pantry supplies were running low. The only thing green in my fridge was lettuce which I had got to make Lettuce Wraps with Golden Beetroot Tater Tots & Yogurt Salsa. Looking at that leftover lettuce, an idea struck me. Why not make a chutney out of lettuce this time? I had no idea how it would taste as until then I had never heard of lettuce leaves being used to make an Indian chutney. That is when I suddenly remembered something. My mom would always tell that our kitchen is like a magic box, you can churn out any recipe with whatever you have in hand. There is always a possibility of creating something with leftovers. She was a master at that and I seem to have taken off from her, thankfully. I cannot bear to waste food and creating recipes out of leftovers is one of my favorite pastime. 

We South Indians love coconut chutney and today that South Indian in me was telling me to combine lettuce and coconut to create one unique kind of chutney. Since lettuce has no distinct flavor, I thought of giving it the Desi twist. It felt so exciting to be trying out this different chutney or sauce that I kept saying this to myself, that if I did manage to nail this, then we would have a brand new chutney flavor in town without using any amount of cilantro or mint! Too much pressure, you would think! Nah, I thrive in such situations! 🙂 Since I didn't have any reference, I simply followed my gut and created this recipe purely out of love. First, wash the lettuce leaves well and then transfer them to a pan of boiling water. Add salt and turmeric powder to the pan. Turn off the flame and let the lettuce rest in hot water for 3-4 minutes. Drain the water and let the leaves cool down. In a pan, dry roast unsweetened desiccated coconut, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal and dried red chillies. Roast till the coconut turns light golden.

Take it off the flame and allow it to cool down completely. Transfer the lettuce leaves and the coconut mixture to a mixer grinder and blitz it to a smooth paste by adding enough water/stock. Transfer this chutney to a serving bowland add salt as required. Indian Green Chutney with Leftover Lettuce Leaves is ready. This chutney sauce is very flavorful because of the ingredient mix. I am totally loving it! A simple and delicious recipe. The next time you have some leftover lettuce, you very well know what to do. This chutney can be used to make chaats, sandwiches, burgers, served with savory pancakes, paratha, idli, dosa, wada or even fritters. Let your guests taste it first and then let them know it's not the conventional green chutney but made with lettuce leaves! I know of someone who loves to eat chutney and rice with a spoonful of oil. If you are intrigued, then give it a try yourself. But yes, there are many ways you can enjoy this chutney and hopefully you will!