The simplest recipes are the best. And this spicy cucumber chutney is no exception. With Caribbean roots, this chutney comes together in just minutes and is gluten-free and vegan.
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Perfect as a topping on grilled vegetables and meats, like our blackened cod. Serve with flatbreads or as a stand-alone side dish.
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🧾Ingredients and Substitutions
This recipe is very straightforward and quick to make. But there are some substitutions so that you can vary the spice and adapt to what is available at your local grocery store.
English Cucumber- Seedless varieties work best for this chutney. If you can only get standard cucumbers cut them in half and scrape out the bulk of the seeds before shredding.
Habanero Pepper- Other possible chili substitutes include a serrano, scotch bonnet, bird's eye chile, or Thai chili. Not a fan of spice? Use 1 tablespoon of chopped roasted red pepper.
Lime- Fresh lime or fresh lemon.
Cilantro- I wrote this recipe using cilantro because it is easy to find and taste similar to the herb used in authentic cucumber chutney. Traditionally, cucumber chutney uses chadon beni, also called culantro and shado beni.
Chadon beni is an herb with long thin leaves common in East Indian cooking. It is similar in flavor to cilantro but more pungent. It can be found at many international supermarkets.
If you can get your hands on some only use 1 to 2 tablespoons. You need about half the amount of chadon beni as you do cilantro, it has a much stronger flavor.
This recipe has some heat so I love to pair it with our cooling avocado lime crema.
⏲️How to Make Cucumber Chutney
The key to this chutney is grated cucumber and a very fine chop on your other ingredients so that they blend seamlessly. Use the large side of a box grated or a similar size grater on your food processor.
Once your cucumber is grated you want to put it into a strainer or colander to allow the excess water to drop out. At least 5 minutes, but longer is fine. You aren't on a time crunch with this step.
Before combining with the other ingredients, you will want to gently press the grated cucumber to release any excess water.
The lime, cilantro, and habanero need to be finely chopped. I like to save my hands and do this in a food processor but a knife and cutting board work too.
Simply combine your spicy herb mixture with the grated cucumber and salt to taste. Voila!
🥘How to Serve Caribbean Chutneys
Cucumber chutney can be used as a sauce or topping and as a stand-alone side dish.
We most often pair it with our Caribbean-inspired crockpot shredded beef or Vietnamese grilled pork and our homemade flatbreads (gluten-free, of course!).
But I also love it with anything BBQ or grilled, from BBQ 3-2-1 ribs to BBQ chicken.
🥗Cucumber Recipes
Big fan of cucumbers? Here are some of our favorite recipes featuring cucumbers. Definitely worth saving for later!
Did You Enjoy Making This Recipe? Please rate this recipe with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ or leave a comment. It helps other wonderful people connect with our food.
📖 Recipe
Cucumber Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 fresh lime juiced
- ¼ cup cilantro or 1-2 tablespoon chopped shado beni/ chadon beni
- 1 habanero pepper or serrano for milder heat
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Grate the cucumber using a large whole grater or food processor attachment. Place the cucumber in a colander and allow it to strain for 5 minutes.1 English cucumber
- In a blender or small food processor, combine the cilantro, pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper.1 fresh lime, ¼ cup cilantro, 1 habanero pepper, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Gently press the grated cucumber to squeeze out excess liquid.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cucumber and the pepper-cilantro mixture. Salt to taste and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- The salt will make the cucumber mushy, this chutney is best served the day it is made.
- Other possible chili substitutes include a serrano, scotch bonnet, bird's eye chile, or Thai chili.
- For no heat, use 1 tablespoon of chopped roasted red pepper.
- Serves 6 as a chutney or 2 as a side dish slaw.
Virginia says
Does this recipe freeze well?
Jen Wooster says
I would not recommend freezing.
Andrea says
Oh yum! I love cucumbers and this sounds so flavorful and refreshing. Can't wait to try it!
Laura says
Tried this recipe last night to top our roasted veggies and it was delicious! It brought freshness to our dish and we really loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Jen says
Thank you for the kind review!
Alex says
Oh boy. My husband and 3-year-old eat almost a cucumber a day. Each. They would absolutely love this!
Jacqueline says
I made this cucumber chutney as a side with our grilled prawns yesterday. perfect combination! The chutney added a fresh but slighly spicy flavour that we loved!
Jen says
Thank you so much for leaving areview. Glad it was a hit!
Erin says
This looks like just what I need after all the sweets and carbs from the past weeks! And that chilled peach soup also sounds amazingly refreshing.
Debbie says
What an amazing cucumber chutney!! It is so light and refreshing . The little bit of heat in this is the perfect touch. I baked some salmon and it was the perfect combination.
Jen says
Sounds like a winning combo! Thank you for leaving a review.
Marta says
I served this with some grilled sirloin and grilled veggies. It was refreshing and added another level of flavor to our meal.
Thanks for sharing.
Jen says
Glad to hear everyone enjoyed! Thank you for leaving a review.
Eva says
Mmmh just reading this recipe made my mouth water. I bet this is fantastic with a grilled steak! While I'm not normally a huge fan of cucumber alone, adding lime, cilantro and habanero sounds like the perfect combination.
Alice | SkinnySpatula says
This is the perfect recipe for a cucumber lover like me! I love the "other recipes with cucumbers" suggestions, too, I'm going to check them all out!
Jen says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe. Such a great way to use up the last of a cucumber.