Tomato Chutney
Tomato Chutney
It all started with a recipe book given to my Mum by a good friend. He loved discussing food and recipes and showed up one day with a brand, new book that had numerous recipes we had never heard of. This was in the 1970’s in Mangalore. All of us had a wonderful time with that recipe book. We first read it and salivated over whatever caught our fancy. We then discussed it passionately. Next, we planned which recipes to try. Tomato Chutney was one of those absolutely intriguing recipes. Finally, the ingredients were bought and then the day for making it scheduled.
There were no glossy images like those available today. The writer had the power to connect with her audience and created vivid images with her recipes. We all had our favourites and Mummy allowed us to experiment to our heart’s content frequently. One of the recipes that attracted me was Tomato Chutney and we decided to make it for the Annual Church Sale. Fortunately, it was a big hit and thereafter for the next three decades we faithfully made it every year on request, for the sale. The book is torn and tattered now; the covers have long been lost; the pages torn and some missing; read and poured over by curious, interested eyes, with notes scribbled all over. It lies forgotten in Mummy’s drawer in an old dressing table. The recipe lives on and I resurrect it every year, remembering the good old days and comforting memories of Eddie Uncle and his yarns.
Picture Gallery of Procedure
The Recipe For Tomato Chutney:
2 kg ripe tomatoes, blanched, skinned
6 inch piece of ginger, skinned and chopped
3 medium pods/1 ½ large pods, garlic peeled and cut
3 dessert spoons cumin seeds
3 dessert spoons mustard,
1 dessert spoon fenugreek seeds soaked in vinegar to cover
2 cups white vinegar
1 ½ cups sesame seed oil
14 to 18 dessert spoon jaggery ( palm sugar) to taste
1 ½ tsp salt
5 tsp chilli powder (can add more or less to taste)
Some Videos
Frying Ground Ingredients In Gingelly Oil
Adding Chopped Tomatoes
Mixing Tomatoes And Jaggery
Simmer To Thicken
Method For Tomato Chutney:
Boil water and add the washed tomatoes to it. Cover and keep for 15 minutes. This is called blanching. Peel the tomatoes ( the skin comes off easily now). Chop tomatoes and keep aside. Grind the cumin seeds and mustard with ½ cup vinegar to a smooth paste. Keep aside till required. Next grind the ginger and garlic in ½ cup vinegar to a smooth paste and keep aside till required. Lastly, grind the fenugreek and vinegar to a smooth paste and keep it aside till required.
Heat the sesame seed oil on the fire. When it is really hot ( you can see smoke rising up), lower flame to simmer and all the ground ingredients, one by one. Stir fry till light brown. Be careful to avoid burning and sticking to the base of the pan. Next add the tomatoes and the jaggery, mix well and simmer till thick. Add the chilli powder, remaining vinegar and salt to taste. Simmer until thick, oil oozes out and the mixture begins to collect in the centre of the pan. (I like my chutney to be a bit thinner than usual). Taste and adjust with sugar and salt if required. Remove from heat. Bottle in sterilized jars when cold. Makes 3 bottles (about 450 gms each).
Juice of 1 lime may be added for that special tang just before removing. This is optional.
NB: Use a non-stick pan for less wastage.
Some Other Chutneys For You To Try
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