indian cusine: recipe five

"Chutney is marvelous. I'm mad about it. To me, it's very imperial."-Diana Vreeland

 

Recipe Five: Cranberry and Tomato Chutney
What is it? Sauce or relish
Source: SD's mom
For the final recipe in the Indian cuisine series, I thought I would share a easy and delightful family recipe from my mom. My mom like most Indian women who immigrated to the U.S. brought over many of the recipes their moms made in India. However, they found some of these recipes needed to be adjusted to use more readily available ingredients. This is a perfect example of a classic Indian dish that meets modern western conveniences: canned cranberries and packaged prunes. My mom's fusion relish is an absolute family favorite at Thanksgiving as an Indian version of cranberry sauce. But the quick and easy condiment can also be served year round for a sweet, tangy treat with a meal or this weekend with your Easter ham. Mom says keep it on hand and you'll be surprised how often you're using it.
Tidbits: Bengali style chutney is a staple for most Bengali and often Indian meals. At formal Bengali banquets, it is traditionally served along with fried puffed white-flour breads (loochis or puris) and pappadoms as the penultimate course (just before desert). My mom like most in the Western world tend to just serve it with the meal. A chutney is quite versatile. In addition to complementing Indian dishes, it makes a great dipping sauce (try it with chicken nuggets or any roasted meat) or in a sandwich as relish. The chutney should be stored in a cool place after cooking and then refrigerated after use. It should keep for seven days.

(click image to enlarge)

Cranberry and Tomato Chutney
Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 25 minutes; Serves 8

1 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seed
1/4 tsp. panch phoron (five spice mix)*
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 can (14 oz) cranberries (jellied or whole)
4 medium sized tomatoes, diced into small chunks
8 oz. prunes
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. sugar

*Panch Phoron which literally translates to five spices has some variations. My mom makes her version by combining equal parts nigella seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek and fennel seeds. Too much work? No problem. A similar ready made blend can often be purchased at Indian grocery stores or online.

1. Roast cumin seeds in a small frying pan (no oil) for a few minutes. Grind to a powder by blender. Set aside.
2. Pour the oil into a heavy, medium-size (non-stick) pan over medium heat. When hot, add panch phoron and ginger.
3. A few seconds later, add cranberries, tomatoes, prunes and turmeric. Bring to a simmer (about 10 minutes). You should see the tomatoes wilt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.
4. Add salt and sugar. Mix well.
5. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle ground cumin seed. Add additional sugar to taste if you would like your chutney to be sweeter.
Allow to cool before serving. Refrigerate in a tightly sealed jar.

image source: SD

-SD

Comments

[stylegal]

This looks delicious!!

[styleGal]

Actually, I'm really infatuated with chutneys these days. They really are so versatile. Can you perhaps do a segment just on chutneys? Maybe feature 3 to 5 various chutneys from different parts of india...possibly even mixed with some US or other country influences?

[amee]

This looks like a fun dish to make! I've always wanted a reason to make panch phoran!