Chutni is the asian spelling for chutney. They may sound the same but, in reality they are quite different. The British chutney is generally sweet and vinegary and eaten with cheese, meats and at Christmas; delicious but often limited in use and flavour profile. An Indian chutni, on the other hand, is ingredient-led and full of flavour, whether herby, nutty or fruity, tangy, sweet and spicy. They span a range of tastes and flavours, are eaten daily with meals, snacks and street food and are entirely entwined with the very fabric of food.
Along with our chutneys, we have included a lime and chilli pickle that needs little explaining except to say that it has really clean and clear flavours and is an old family recipe. We always have some at home as it’s how my husband’s family like their pickle. It features regularly in our everyday meals as it works well and enhances most dishes without confusing the dishes. I find it really easy to pair with all types of meals and snacks without confusing the flavours.
Chutney is from the Sanskrit word for “to lick”. We feel that our chutneys are befitting of their name. We hope you love them as much as we do.
Ingredients:
Finely chopped tomatoes 4-6
Lemon 4
Green chilies 6
Garlic cloves 6
Curry leaves 8
Mustard seeds a few
Mustard oil 1 cup
Onion seeds 1tsp
White cumin 1tsp
Red chili powder 1tsp
Ginger garlic paste 1tbsp
Salt as required
Method:
Heat the mustard oil in a pan and sauté the mustard seeds for 2-3 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, green chilies, garlic cloves, curry leaves, onion seeds, white cumin powder, red chili powder, ginger garlic paste and salt.
When mixture dries and the oil floats on top squeeze the juice of one lemon.
2)Mix Green Chutney
Ingredients:
1 cup Mint Leaves
½ cup Coriander Leaves
4-6 Green Chilies
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
¼ tsp Tamarind Paste
Salt to taste
Method:
Grind all the ingredients listed under green mint chutney to smooth paste adding very little water at time. Adjust the number of green chilies according to taste.
3)Peanut & Tamarind Chutni:
This is an amazing, peanutty chutney from the Southern region of Andhra which is known for its spicy, tangy food. It is one of their many chutnis and they eat their chutneys daily with their meals, more than many other regions. This one has a lovely balance of sweetness from the onions and peanuts and sourness from the tamarind. There is a mild zing from the ginger and the flavours are brought together with the addition of local flavours such as mustard seeds and curry leaves. This chutney also has a lovely texture and is not dissimilar from a satay flavour but without the coconut and with Southern Indian spicing.
This delicious chutney is perfect just spooned onto the side of your plate and added to every forkful of food. It is a really versatile chutney that one can also use in fusion-stir fries with soya sauce, in curries to add flavour, diluted with some coconut milk for a spiced peanut dip for grilled meats, but also just delicious as a topping before grilling food.
There is so much one can do with it and it works with so many different ingredients it makes me want to get into the kitchen!
4)Spicy Apricot Chutney:
INGREDIENTS
3 1/4lbs (1.5kg) ripe apricots
1 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, roughly crushed
2 garlic cloves, any green inner shoots removed, finely chopped
2 hot fresh green chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 3/4in (4cm) piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
method:
1Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Put the apricots in a high-sided roasting tray. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until softened but not watery. Remove from the oven, and leave until cool enough to handle. Methodically work from one end of the pan to the other, removing the pit from each apricot. Transfer the flesh to a board and chop with a large knife. Reserve the juices in the pan.
2Bring the vinegar to the boil with the sugar and salt, and simmer for 5 minutes. Using a separate pan, heat the oil over a medium-high heat, and add the crushed coriander seeds, garlic, chile, ginger, and cinnamon stick. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the reserved apricot juices, and simmer until reduced and syrupy.
3Remove the vinegar mixture from the heat, and combine with the spicy syrup and the chopped apricot flesh. Mix together. Check and adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. The mixture will be hot from the chile, and sweet, salty, and sour from the vinegar. If bottling, pour into sterilized glass jars with tight-fitting lids. Seal the jars while the chutney is still hot so that the resulting steam creates a vacuum—this helps the chutney to keep better and prevents spoiling. Regardless of whether you are bottling or not, allow 24 hours before using, to let the flavors combine and mellow.
5)Lal Chutni:
Ingredients:
Dry red chilies 8
Garlic cloves 6
Salt ½ tsp
Tamarind water ¼ cup
Method:
Grind 8 Dry red chilies, 6 Garlic cloves, ½ tsp Salt and ¼ cup Tamarind water and serve spicy lal chutni with sandwiches.
6)Imli ki chutney;
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounce Imli
1 ounce Sugar
1 cup water
2 tsp Raisin (kish mish)
1/4 spoon red chili powder
Salt to taste
Few drops of red food color.
Method:
Soak and put the Imli in water for 12 hours or enough time for Imli to
go soft.
Remove seeds.
Put it on the stove in a pot with all your ingredients for ten minutes.
Now put in grinder and grind it till paste.
It is now ready to be served with Samoosa or Pakora.
7)Banana-Green Mango Chutney:
Ingredients
1 Lg Yellow Onion
Diced Small
2 Tb Peanut Oil
1 Unripe Mango
Peeled And Diced Small
1 C White Vinegar
1 C Fresh Orange Juice
1 Lb Very Ripe Bananas
Sliced About 1/4-inch Thick
1 Tb Grated Fresh Ginger
1/2 C Raisins
1/2 C Dark Brown Sugar
Firmly Packed
1 Tb Finely Chopped Fresh Serrano - Or Jalapeno Chile (Or You May Substitute 3/4 Tbls -Red Pepper Flakes)
Salt And Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
To Taste
1 T Allspice.
Method
1-Saute the onion in the oil until clear, about 4 to 5 minutes.
2-Add the mango and cook 2 minutes over medium heat.
3-Add the vinegar and orange juice and bring to a simmer, simmering for 10 minutes more.
4-Add all of the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture back to a simmer.
5-As soon as a simmer is reached, remove the mixture from the heat and cool to room temperature.
6-Serve or store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 weeks.NOTE: Use this basic chutney with your very spicy hot dishes.
8)Sour Green Chilli Chutney:
Ingredients
Thick green chilies 1/2 kg long
Tamarind 1/2 kg
Gur / molasses 300 g
Cumin seeds 3 tsp
Salt 2 tsp
Oil 1/2 cup
Method
Make a slit in the green chilies lengthwise on one side taking care not to cut through to the other side.
Remove seeds. Wash well and put in a strainer.
Mix 1 tsp each cumin seeds and salt and stuff the slit chilies with it.
Soak tamarind in hot water, mash with fingers, remove seeds and strain through a sieve and use the pulp.
Heat oil, add chilies and fry for a few seconds turning the chillies frequently so that they do not brown.
Add 2 tsp cumin seed and 1 tsp salt. Fry for a minute or two. Add ground molasses and tamarind.
Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat.
When cold serve with dal chawal (lentils and rice) or fish curry and khichri.
9)Chutney For Dosa:
Ingredients:
½ cup grated coconut
2 roasted red chillies
3 green chillies
½ tsp. mustard seeds
½ tsp. black gram dal (udad)
8-10 curry leaves
1 tsp. oil
½ tsp. coriander seeds
a little tamarind (soaked in water)
salt to taste
Method:
1-Grind the coconut, red chillies and tamarind.
2-Add green chillies and coriander seeds while the coconut mix is being ground.
3-Make a fine paste and add a little water.
4-For the seasoning, splutter udad dal, mustard seeds and curry leaves in hot oil and pour over the chutney.
5-Add salt to taste and serve with a hot, hot dosa.
10)yougart & mint chutni:
Ingredients
2 cups thick plain Yogurt (make sure its not sour. I use fat free Greek yogurt)
1/2 - 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
Salt to taste
Bunch of mint leaves
Chilli powder/ground pepper for garnish (optional)
1-2 spring onions, sliced (optional)
Method
1 Instead of using mint leaves as a whole/chopped in the raita, I first make it into a paste and then add which I think imparts a more substantial minty flavor to the raita. Take a few leaves of mint and place it in a processor.
2 Grind it into a smooth paste/sauce. You can add water or yogurt to do this if needed.
3 Meanwhile take the yogurt in a bowl.
4Add the mint paste/sauce (add little at first) , roasted cumin powder, little salt to the yogurt.
5Beat well until smooth. Do a taste test. If you like a more strong flavor of the mint, add more of the mint/sauce. Better top add little by little cos otherwise it might turn out to be too strong for your taste (of course you can always adjust with more yogurt if that happens)
6You can optionally add regular onions or spring onions if you want. I add them to make the raita more substantial yet making sure that the mint taste is not lost.
I garnish with more of the cumin powder and chilli powder along with a fresh sprig of mint. Serve with a dish of your choice. Goes perfect with especially rich curries/gravies.
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