Chutney, a condiment from the Indian cuisine
Sweet and sour and sometimes spicy, this condiment cannot be left out of an Indian meal. You can make it from vegetables, fruits or fresh herbs, such as mango or tomato, coconut or mint. Chutney is no longer eaten only in India. It easily found its way into our Western cuisines.
What is chutney and how to use it
Chutney is a type of dip or sauce that you make from fruits, vegetables or herbs. You always add an acid, usually vinegar, and also sugar and spices. You don't always have to cook a chutney. Sometimes it is enough that you blend the ingredients in a blender.
Chutney is eaten with all kinds of dishes. With a teaspoon of this condiment, you bring a balance of sour, sweet and spicy to your meal.
How long can you store chutney?
The storage time depends on the type of chutney. In general, you can keep chutney made from fresh herbs in the refrigerator for a few days at most. A stewed chutney is more like a marmalade with a longer storage time. Coconut chutney is the most susceptible to decay. It is best to use it within 24 hours.
Fresh mint chutney
- 2 bunches mint
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 3 green chillies
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- Juice of ½ lime
- Pinch of salt
Coconut chutney
- ½ coconut, grated or 175 g frozen grated coconut
- 2 green chillies
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- Juice of ½ lime
Tomato chutney
- 1 kg of tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 red chillies
- 1 cm ginger root
- 200 g sugar
- 120 ml cider vinegar
- Pinch of salt
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Fresh mint chutney
This chutney of fresh herbs brings a refreshing touch to your dish. It goes perfectly with dosa or with a spicy curry.
Pick the mint and cilantro leaves from the stems. Remove the seeds from the chili peppers.
Now put a pan on the fire and roast the cumin seeds. Be careful not to burn them as this will give a bitter taste.
Now put all the ingredients except the lime juice in a blender and mix into a paste. Add lime juice and some salt to taste.
You can store a mint chutney in the refrigerator for 2 days at most.
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Coconut chutney
This chutney is my absolute favorite with dosa. Use freshly grated coconut, not the dried kind. You can also use frozen grated coconut. You can find this in some Asian supermarkets.
Heat a pan and dry-roast the cumin seeds. Be careful not to burn the seeds as you will get a bitter taste. Remove the seeds from the chili peppers.
Now put all the ingredients except the lime juice in a blender and mix into a paste. Add the lime juice.
The coconut chutney should be used within a day.
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Tomato chutney
You can make this condiment as spicy as you like. Tomato chutney is also essential with dosa. You can store this chutney in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Step 1:
First, roughly chop the tomatoes. Then chop the garlic, chili peppers and ginger root. Be sure to remove the seeds from the chili peppers.
Step 2:
Now combine all the ingredients in a bowl that you place over low heat. Simmer until all the water has evaporated from the tomatoes and you have a marmalade-like sauce.
Let cool and serve at room temperature.
![SG 54 chutney]()
