Fruit, sugar, spices and all things green: A masterclass on Indian chutneys
What is chutney? How do you make it? Read on for 10 recipes…
Chutney or relish is common enough to have inspired so many versions that its origins have faded quite a bit.
From Kerala’s spiced-up chammanthi to Jamaican fruity mixes, the term today covers any condiment that includes fruits or vegetables, vinegar, herbs, spices and sugar. A far cry, perhaps, from its apparent 500BC origins in India – we can never truly confirm, but it found its way onto Roman tables.
The past comes calling
A more recent past includes British colonialism, which took, legend has it, Indian Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s culinary legacy and transported it back to England and its other colonies. This was in the 1600s or so.
It did not take long for chutney to cross the English Channel and arrive in France, soon after. Added to this mix were Indian immigrants.
Although, the empire didn’t survive, chutney’s spread did. And, today, it comes in so many avatars that you would need an entire cookbook dedicated to just the much-loved relish.
So, we decided to take a quick walk back in time and bring you 10 delicious Indian chutney recipes from the British colonial era in Bengal.
One quick clarification is a must before we start - please don’t be astounded by the name Plastic Chutney. It is raw papaya chutney. The reason it is called Plastic Chutney is because when it is cut, it is done so into extremely thin slices - it resembles cellophane.
PLASTIC CHUTNEY
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 150 gms raw papaya
- 10 raisins
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 100 gms sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp panch phoron (*check our recipe for it)
- 1 red chilli
- 1 tbsp oil
- 75 ml water
Method
- Slice the raw papaya thinly.
- In a pan, add the sliced papaya.
- Add salt and water. Let the papaya cook on a low flame till soft.
- In a separate pan add oil, panch phoron, and red chilli. Let it splutter.
- Now add the boiled papaya and sauté nicely.
- Next add sugar, raisins and water.
- Sauté it well and bring it up to a boil over a medium flame.
- Once the desired consistency is achieved, switch off the flame, add lemon juice and sauté once more.
- Cover it for five minutes to let the tastes mingle.
- Cool before serving.
*Quick panch phoron recipe:
Equal measures of cumin, mustard, wild celery seeds, nigell asativa and fenugreek seeds. Mix, bottle, store.
2. TOMATO CHUTNEY
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 500 gms ripe tomato, chopped
- 200 gms sugar
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 red chilli (whole)
- 250 ml water
- ¼ tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
Method
- In a deep-bottomed pan add oil, black mustard seeds and red chilli. Sauté for a few seconds.
- Then add ginger paste and sauté nicely.
- Next add the ripe tomatoes and salt. Give it a good stir on a low flame and cover the pot.
- Let the tomatoes become tender.
- Now remove the lid and add sugar. Mix very well.
- Next add water, give it a stir again and let it come to a boil on a high flame.
- Leave it on a medium flame and let it bubble gently.
- Some prefer a thinner consistency. If so, then switch off the flame once the chutney has been bubbling for two to three minutes.
- If the required consistency is thicker than needed, let the chutney bubble for around five to six minutes.
- Switch off the flame and sprinkle roasted cumin powder on top.
- Cool the chutney completely before serving.
3. TOMATO CHUTNEY WITH DATES & MANGO CANDY
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 100 gms tomato, chopped
- 20 gms dates, chopped
- 40 gms mango candy, chopped
- 20 gms raisin
- 10 gms cashew nut
- 50 gms sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 10 gms mustard oil
- 1 dried red chilli whole
- ½ tsp panch phoron
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
- 1 cup water
Method
- In a deep bottomed pan, add mustard oil, panch phoron, dried red chilli and ginger paste. Sauté nicely.
- Now add tomatoes and dates. Add in salt and turmeric powder also.
- In low flame let the tomato and date become soft, but not mushy. Cover the pan.
- Once soft, remove the lid and add sugar and water. Stir well.
- Next add the mango candy, raisin and cashew nut. Sauté it again.
- On a medium flame, bring this to a bubble and let it achieve a medium consistency.
- Switch off the flame and sprinkle roasted cumin powder on top.
- Cool the chutney completely and then serve.
4. KACHA AMER CHUTNEY (RAW MANGO CHUTNEY)
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 green mangoes
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp panch phoron
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 red chilli (whole)
- ½ tsp bhaja moshla powder (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds in equal proportion and 1 whole red chilli)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- ½ cup water
Method
- Slice the green mango into thin slices keeping the skin on.
- In a deep bottomed pan add mustard oil, panch phoron, red chilli whole, the mango slices, salt and turmeric powder.
- On a low flame, sauté the mix and add half a cup of water and let it sit till the mango becomes tender.
- Once the mango has softened, add sugar and stir well.
- Add half cup of water more and bring it to a boil on a medium flame.
- This chutney has a loose consistency. So there is no need to boil it to make it thick.
- Switch off the flame, sprinkle bhaja moshla powder on top and let it cool down completely before serving.
5. AAM KASUNDI (RIPE MANGO IN MUSTARD PASTE SAUCE)
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Serves: 3
Ingredients
- 250 grams ripe mango
- 7 red chillies
- 4 bay leaf
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black pepper (whole)
- ½ tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/3 cup white mustard seeds
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 4 green chilli
- 1 inch piece ginger
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp black salt
- ¼ tsp normal salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 ½ cups lukewarm water
- 3 tbsp lukewarm mustard oil
Please note: Often mustard seeds (black and white) tend to taste bitter when ground to a paste. In order to prevent this try to grind the full amount at one go after adding a pinch of salt and a green chilli with it while grinding.
Method
- Dry roast red chilli, bay leaf, cumin seeds, whole black pepper, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds. Let is cool completely.
- Now grind the dry roasted spices along with white mustard seeds and black mustard seeds.
- Cut the ripe mango into cubes discarding the skin.
- In a mixer grinder, add mango cubes, green chilli, ginger and half cup of lukewarm water. Grind into a fine paste.
- In a bowl add this paste, the ground spices, turmeric powder, black salt, normal salt, and sugar.
- Mix well with the help of a spatula using the rest of the lukewarm water till the consistency is like a thick paste.
- Finally add a few dollops of mustard oil and give it a final mix.
- This can be served at normal room temperature or after refrigerating it.
6. CORIANDER CHUTNEY
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ tsp black salt
- ½ tsp lemon juice
Method
- In a mixing jar add fresh coriander leaves and mix till it into a paste.
- Next add sugar, salt, lemon juice and water to the coriander paste and mix well.
- Pour out in a bowl.
- This chutney is absolutely watery and is enjoyed best with Matar Dal.
7. SHAPLAR (WATER LILY) CHUTNEY
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves: 3
Ingredients
- 250 gms shaplar or water lily stems
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- 2 tbsp tamarind pulp
- 4 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 cup water
Method
- Wash and cut the stems of the Water Lily very well.
- In a deep bottomed pan add oil and the black mustard seeds. Once they start to splutter add the shapla or water lily stems along with the salt.
- Sauté well, add water, cover it with a lid and let the stems soften under medium low flame.
- Once the stems are soft, add sugar and the tamarind pulp and mix it very nicely.
- Bring it to a quick boil over high heat.
- Switch off the heat, let the chutney cool and then serve it. This chutney has a loose consistency.
8. AMRA (HOG PLUM) CHUTNEY
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Serves: 3
Ingredients
- 4 amra
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 red chilli whole
- ½ tsp panch phoron
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cups amsotto (mango candy cubed)
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- ¼ tsp black mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 ½ cup water
Method
- In this chutney, one could keep the amra as a whole or slice up the fruit discarding the pith.
- Wash the amra very well and apply turmeric powder and a pinch of salt to it and keep it aside.
- In a deep bottomed pan, add mustard oil, red chilli and black mustard seeds.
- Once it starts to splutter, add the grated ginger and sauté nicely.
- Next add the amra and 1/2 cup of water. Give it a nice stir. Keep the flame to a minimum and cover the pot till the amra turns soft.
- Now remove the lid, and add in the sugar. Mix it very well and add 1 cup of water.
- Bring this to a boil on a high flame.
- When the chutney is boiling nicely add in the mango candy cubes and immediately switch off the flame.
- Give it a good stir, sprinkle panch phoron powder on top and let it cool down completely before serving.
A deviation: Though this is not a chutney AMRA can also be enjoyed in quite a different way.
- Remove the skin from the fruit and slice it up removing the pith.
- Now add either black salt or normal salt and a pinch of red chilli powder or as much spicy as one likes to this add just bite through it.
- It is sour (the eyes will be shut tight) but once eaten it leaves a beautiful taste in the mouth. Enjoy/
9. PINEAPPLE CHUTNEY
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Serves: 3
Ingredients
- 1 medium pineapple
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar (increase or decrease the amount a bit, depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup raisins
- 1 red chilli (whole), chopped without seeds into small pieces
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Method
- Cut the pineapple into very thin pieces.
- In a deep bottomed pan add the pineapple slices, salt and red chilli flakes.
- Over low heat let the pineapple soften but not turn mushy.
- In a separate pan add sugar and water and make a syrup of medium consistency (This is achieved as soon as the sugar dissolves in water).
- Once the pineapple slices are soft add them to the sugar syrup and in medium low flame keep stirring, until they are well incorporated.
- Now add in the raisins and give it a final stir.
- Switch off the flame and add in the lemon juice.
- Cool completely before serving.
10. TOPA KULER (JUJUBE) CHUTNEY
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2
Note: While all the above chutneys are mainly enjoyed in summer, Topa Kuler Chutney is perfect for winter.
Ingredients
- 100 gms topa kul (jujube fruit)
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 dry red chilli (whole)
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 tsp panch phoron (½ teaspoon whole and ½ teaspoon ground to a powder)
- 100 gms sugar
- ½ cup water
Method
- In a deep-bottomed pan put the oil, dry red chilli, panch phoron (½ teaspoon whole) and let it splutter
- Add in the topa kul, salt and turmeric powder. Sauté nicely and cover the pot on medium flame.
- Once the topa kul is soft add in the sugar and water and keep boiling it till it resembles a slurry.
- Once done, switch off the flame, sprinkle the powdered half teaspoon of panch phoron.
- Let it cool completely before serving.
- Writer is a homemaker and culinary enthusiast based in Dubai