We all need good old Mrs H.S. Ball’s in our lives and on our pantry shelves, but making your own chutney is a highly rewarding thing to do for the home cook, and not as challenging as you might think.
Ingredients200 g seedless Thompson raisins100 g dried cranberries250 g sultanas250 g dried peaches, chopped250 g diced papaya cubes250 g diced dried pineapple cubes250 ml red wine vinegar500 ml brown grape vinegar2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic3 red chillies, chopped1 cup water1 x 400 g can chopped tomatoes100 g palm sugar, chopped2 tsp chilli powder1 tsp ground ginger1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp ground fennelSalt to tasteMethodPut all the dried fruit into a bowl and pour in all the vinegar. Leave to steep for two hours.Transfer the contents to a heavy-bottomed pot, including the remaining vinegar that has not been absorbed by the fruit. Put it on the stove on a medium heat. Add to it the ginger, garlic, chillies, water, tomatoes, spices and chopped palm sugar (or use jaggery). Season with a little salt.Bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat to very low and let it simmer, covered, for about 90 minutes. Stir it occasionally to ensure that it does not catch at the bottom of the pot.Leave to cool, then bottle in sterilised jars.
Tamarind & date chutney
Ingredients
[caption id="attachment_972413" align="alignright" width="320"] (Photo: Louis Pieterse)[/caption]
3 Tbsp tamarind paste⅔ cup seedless dates, chopped100 g palm sugar, chopped2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger2 cloves garlic, finely chopped2 cups water1 tsp ground coriander1 tsp chilli powder½ tsp ground fennel½ tsp ground cumin½ tsp ground gingerSalt to tasteMethodPut everything in a pot on a low heat and stir until the chopped palm sugar is dissolved and the tamarind pulp disintegrates. Season with a little salt. Continue to cook very gently for 10 minutes, while stirring. Allow to cool and bottle in a sterilised jar.
Green chutney & green yoghurt chutney
[caption id="attachment_972415" align="alignright" width="480"] (Photo: Louis Pieterse)[/caption]
Ingredients2 cups chopped coriander1 cup chopped mint3 green chillies, finely chopped3 garlic cloves, chopped1 tbsp fresh ginger, very finely grated and mashed1 tsp ground jeera/ cumin2 Tbsp lemon juice1 tsp MasalaSalt1 drop of green food colouringMethodPut all ingredients in a food processor and blend to the consistency you like. It can be rough in texture or finer if you prefer. For a milder version, mix one third of the green chutney with two parts plain yoghurt and stir well. Drop a tiny bit of green food colouring into a teaspoon, then drop a little of it from the spoon into the green yoghurt chutney and stir it in. Don’t try pouring directly from the food colour bottle into the yoghurt; it might not turn out well. Green chutneys are good with seafood. DM/TGIFoodTo enquire about Tony Jackman’s book, foodSTUFF (Human & Rousseau) please email him at tony@dailymaverick.co.zaOur Thank God It’s Food newsletter is sent to subscribers every Friday at 6pm, and published on the TGIFood platform on Daily Maverick. It’s all about great reads on the themes of food and life. Subscribe here.
Jewelled chutney
Ingredients
200 g seedless Thompson raisins
100 g dried cranberries
250 g sultanas
250 g dried peaches, chopped
250 g diced papaya cubes
250 g diced dried pineapple cubes
250 ml red wine vinegar
500 ml brown grape vinegar
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
3 red chillies, chopped
1 cup water
1 x 400 g can chopped tomatoes
100 g palm sugar, chopped
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground fennel
Salt to taste
Method
Put all the dried fruit into a bowl and pour in all the vinegar. Leave to steep for two hours.
Transfer the contents to a heavy-bottomed pot, including the remaining vinegar that has not been absorbed by the fruit. Put it on the stove on a medium heat. Add to it the ginger, garlic, chillies, water, tomatoes, spices and chopped palm sugar (or use jaggery). Season with a little salt.
Bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat to very low and let it simmer, covered, for about 90 minutes. Stir it occasionally to ensure that it does not catch at the bottom of the pot.
Leave to cool, then bottle in sterilised jars.
Tamarind & date chutney
Ingredients
(Photo: Louis Pieterse)
3 Tbsp tamarind paste
⅔ cup seedless dates, chopped
100 g palm sugar, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups water
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ground fennel
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground ginger
Salt to taste
Method
Put everything in a pot on a low heat and stir until the chopped palm sugar is dissolved and the tamarind pulp disintegrates. Season with a little salt. Continue to cook very gently for 10 minutes, while stirring. Allow to cool and bottle in a sterilised jar.
Green chutney & green yoghurt chutney
(Photo: Louis Pieterse)
Ingredients
2 cups chopped coriander
1 cup chopped mint
3 green chillies, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, very finely grated and mashed
1 tsp ground jeera/ cumin
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Masala
Salt
1 drop of green food colouring
Method
Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend to the consistency you like. It can be rough in texture or finer if you prefer.
For a milder version, mix one third of the green chutney with two parts plain yoghurt and stir well. Drop a tiny bit of green food colouring into a teaspoon, then drop a little of it from the spoon into the green yoghurt chutney and stir it in. Don’t try pouring directly from the food colour bottle into the yoghurt; it might not turn out well. Green chutneys are good with seafood. DM/TGIFood
To enquire about Tony Jackman’s book, foodSTUFF (Human & Rousseau) please email him at tony@dailymaverick.co.za
Our Thank God It’s Food newsletter is sent to subscribers every Friday at 6pm, and published on the TGIFood platform on Daily Maverick. It’s all about great reads on the themes of food and life. Subscribe here.
(Photo: Louis Pieterse)
(Photo: Louis Pieterse)
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