Fruit, sugar, spices and all things green: A masterclass on Indian chutneys

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

Method

*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

Method

3. TOMATO CHUTNEY WITH DATES & MANGO CANDY

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Method

4. KACHA AMER CHUTNEY (RAW MANGO CHUTNEY)

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Method

5. AAM KASUNDI (RIPE MANGO IN MUSTARD PASTE SAUCE)

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients

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

6. CORIANDER CHUTNEY

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Method

7. SHAPLAR (WATER LILY) CHUTNEY 

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Method

8. AMRA (HOG PLUM) CHUTNEY

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Method

A deviation: Though this is not a chutney AMRA can also be enjoyed in quite a different way.

9. PINEAPPLE CHUTNEY

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Method

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

Method

- Writer is a homemaker and culinary enthusiast based in Dubai