What is a chutney?

The Webster’s dictionary says that chutney is a thick sauce of Indian origin that contains fruits, vinegar, sugar and spices and is used as a condiment. The word chutney is said to have come from the Hindi – the national language of India- word “chatna”, which means to lick.

My mom, who lives in India, makes chutney everyday, sometimes twice a day, as a part of lunch as well as dinner. I live in the SF Bay Area and make chutney every few days. In a fit of existential remorse, especially about my parents’ mortality, I decided to put together a collection of chutney recipes. There were some non-ethereal reasons too. After speaking to a few people, I realized that the Indian concept of a chutney is completely different from the western concept.

The western version of a chutney is more close to fruit jams and relishes. Though fruits in season are used, chutneys are made to last and vinegar and sugar are the common ingredients. Out of the nine/ten people I spoke to about chutneys, three said that they had had chutney with pork. A few said that they had chutney as a topping on a cracker or a piece of bread.

Like the salsa, the Indian chutneys, made out of the seasonally fresh ingredients, are meant for immediate consumption. Not only are they devoured as an accompaniment to snacks, appetizers and fritters but they are also eaten as a condiment – a spicy indulgence - in everyday meals. A riot of flavors, the Indian chutney can be hot, spicy, sour, sweet, garlicky, citrusy or a delightful mix of some or all these flavors.

The fact that the same word can mean diametrically opposite things to people fascinated me. I thought a blog would be an excellent way to introduce the concept of Indian chutney to the mushrooming bunch of food enthusiasts, nourished on a diet of 24-hr Food Network, expanding gourmet stores and ethnic cuisine restaurants. And over a period of time it has hit me continually that chutneys could seamlessly morph into dips, sandwich spreads, salad dressings, vinaigrettes and marinades. I wanted to investigate this premise further. The discipline of writing a regular blog would help me in that.

Secondly though almost all the Indians are on the same page as far as the concept of a chutney is concerned, not many are aware of the vastness of the chutney universe. Even after 11 years of marriage, my husband still finds my penchant to convert anything and everything into chutney puzzling. To most Indians, only a few chutneys are familiar. Cilantro, coconut, tamarind, garlic or with a stretch mint. Because these chutneys are served with fried treats, street foods and all sorts of junk food. Samosas – deep fried phyllo dough triangles stuffed with a spicy potato mix – are dipped in cilantro chutney. It’s spread on two slices of bread and packed with vegetables. Dosa – crispy, savory pancake, a traditional breakfast food – is eaten with coconut chutney. The connection is tight, deep and visceral. Though originally from South India, dosa has become popular all over. I remember begging my parents to take me to restaurants called “Udupis” – so named after a town in Southern India, to eat dosa. Chaat, a set of tangy, spicy dishes, is unthinkable without the sweet and sour tamarind chutney.

Along this backdrop, spinach, star fruit or lentil chutney is unexplainable. When I have guests over, my favorite game is to ask them to guess what the chutney is made of. Most of the time they don’t get it. And when I reveal that it is zucchini, tomato or eggplant, they look at me like I have lost it. But they do take generous portions.

Now that I have revealed the raison d’ etre of this blog, lets turn to the most versatile and popular of chutneys.

Cilantro Chutney

With what

2 bunches cilantro,

15-17 green long chiles or 5 green serrano peppers,

2 big garlic cloves,

½ cup raw peanuts,

juice of 2 limes,

¼ cup water to facilitate blending,

1 tsp salt

Makes about 2 cups. This chutney lasts for almost a month if stored properly in a refrigerator in a dry glass bottle.

How to make

Cut off the lower end, about an inch, of the cilantro bunch. The upper stems, being soft and fresh, can be used even if they don’t have the leaves. Wash this foliage thoroughly. The best way to rid the cilantro of the dirt is to fill the sink with cold water and immerse the cilantro in it for few minutes. Take the cilantro out and drain the sink of the unclean water. Carry out the same process two-three times depending on the color of the water after taking out the cilantro.

Combine all the ingredients except the lime juice, water and salt in a food processor. The purpose of this step is to break down all the ingredients into small, manageable parts so that they are ready for a blender without adding too much water and turning the chutney into a soup. Take the coarse mixture out of the food processor and put into the blender. Add salt, lime juice and a few teaspoons of water to enable the blender to run. The chutney turns out thick, pasty and creamy.

How to eat

This chutney goes or rather runs with anything.

Take two slices of white bread or white flat bread (none of the healthy wheat or multiple grain bread would do because we want bread to function as a medium to put the chutney on. The taste or the texture of the bread should not interfere). Butter them and lather the cilantro chutney. Keep both the slices next to each other on the cutting board in front of you. Now start adding the delicious fillings on one slice; thin slices of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, boiled potatoes and boiled beets – yes, beets -. Salt and pepper the vegetables at every layer or at the end. Cover with the other slice. Cut this mountain in the middle lengthwise and widthwise. Serve it with ketchup. Vegetable chutney sandwich is ready, street vendors of Mumbai style.

If the chutney is ready in the refrigerator, you can whip up an appetizer in minutes. Spread this chutney on a cracker. Divide a cheddar cheese slice into quarters and place each quarter on the chutney-spread cracker. Add a thin slice of cucumber, or a cherry tomato half, sprinkle cracked pepper and salt and serve.

This chutney tastes particularly delicious with fritters or any fried item.

Add a spoon to the salad along with olive oil and lemon juice. It will give the salad a spicy kick.

Adios! Stay in touch for my chutney adventures.