Chef's Notes
This chutney goes particularly well with samosas, pakoras or Aloo Ki Tikki (Indian Potato Patties).
Step 1: Preparing the Tomatoes
- 1 - 19 oz can tomatoes (or 1 lb fresh)
If using canned tomatoes, first drain them. Dice half of them and place the other half into a food processor. If you do not have a food processor, push the tomatoes through a sieve instead.
If using fresh tomatoes, peel them first; otherwise, the skins are not very nice to eat. Refer to the related video on “How to Peel Tomatoes”. Don’t be too worried about the ice bath with these tomatoes, as the tomatoes are going to be cooked anyways.
Step 2: Preparing the Garlic and Ginger
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1" -inch piece fresh ginger
Peel and roughly chop the garlic and ginger.
Step 3: Puréeing the Ingredients
Place the garlic and ginger into a food processor, along with the tomatoes. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a pot.
Step 4: Adding the Remaining Ingredients
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp jaggery*/palm sugar (or sweetener of choice)
- 2 tbsp sultanas (raisins)
- 1/2 tsp Kashmir*, chili or cayenne pepper
Add the reserved chopped tomatoes, vinegar, jaggery, sultanas and Kashmir powder.
*Jaggery is similar to palm sugar. If you don’t have either, you can substitute with brown sugar.
*Kashmir powder is simply chili powder from India.
Step 5: Cooking the Chutney
- sea salt, to taste
- sweetener of choice (to taste)
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until thickened. Stir occasionally to ensure nothing is sticking or scorching.
To finish, taste for seasoning. You might also want to add a bit of sugar as this chutney is supposed to be quite sweet.
Let the mixture cool before storing in the refrigerator. Note: The chutney will further thicken once it cools.