Sesame Cilantro Chutney

Over the holidays, my husband and I took a trip to India. While I love being there, it's always so incredibly great to get back home, be able to sleep on your own bed, and shower in your own shower. 

One of my favorite things about India (which you can probably guess), is the FOOD! The flavors and freshness of everything is second to none. To call it indulging when I'm over there is a serious understatement. So, as delicious as everything is while there, it's always nice to reset when I get back home and get my eating habits back in order. 

​To me, a proper diet is vital for a holistic and healthy life. What better way to start off the new year, then with a good healthy diet cleanse to reset your metabolic fire and get everything back right! 

​My go-to diet cleanse is based in Ayurveda. The real version is actually much more stringent then what I did. But, the idea behind everything is that if we focus on eating foods that are really easy to digest and those that don't take a lot of energy to digest, our body can use those resources to cleanse and pull toxins out from other parts of our body. I'll explain the real cleanse process in a later blog post. 

The main foods for consumption during the cleanse are these: mung beans and rice. That's it. Because I didn't do a full on cleanse, I incorporated root vegetables and greens to keep fiber in my diet and to have some grounding factors after the whirlwind of a trip that naturally increases vata. 

I made this chutney to have add a little bit of fresh flavor to my otherwise simple meals. But, I ended up liking it to much, I wanted to share it with all of you. 

This chutney is super easy to make, and would pair well as a really nice dip, a spread on some bread, or any other way your imagination can think of! 

Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white sesame seeds
• 1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
  
• 3/4 bunch of cilantro
  
• 1/4 cup shredded beet greens
  
• 2 heaping teaspoons fresh grated ginger
  
• 1 tsp flax seeds 
  
• 1 lime squeezed 
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 2 tsp black pepper
  
• water as needed
  

Directions:

1. ​In a cast iron pan, roast the sesame seeds and coconut until a aroma is released, and both are slightly browned.
   
2. Put all of the ingredients (including the sesame and coconut) into a blender.
   
3. Begin to blend by adding 1/4 cup water at a time. 
   
4. The consistency is all dependent on how thick or thin you would enjoy it. Keep adding water until you've reached a place that you're happy with. 
   
5. ​Taste the chutney and add any extra quantity of the items listed to fit your taste buds!
   

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This chutney doesn't have to be used only during a cleanse. Enjoy it all-year-round!