Relishing Indian Chutneys

These last few weeks have been a bit busy for me, but in a good way. We went out every weekend and had good time together as a family, enjoying the natural beauty of British Columbia  and camping at Lake Connor park. Although it was really nice to be with family, vacationing and enjoying life, but blogging did not completely leave my mind. During this period I posted fruit flan and Vietnamese style salad. And, today I have not one, but three classic chutney recipes to share. Often referred to as condiment or accompaniment, chutneys are staple in every Indian households.  They are eaten in small amounts to add flavor and to accent a meal.

 

 

Chutneys can be classified in three basic categories.- fresh, cooked or dry. Usually in most chutney recipes one ingredient predominate the taste and that’s how the chutney is named.

Fresh chutneys are blended with fresh ingredients and spices and require no cooking. Coconut, cilantro, mint and garlic chutney belong to this category. They are best when freshly made but will stay good for a few days if refrigerated. Cooked chutneys are made by cooking vegetables and fruits until they are soft. They have a longer shelf life than fresh chutneys. Tomato, peach, mango , tamarind chutneys fall in this category. Dry chutneys are in powder form and are prepared with nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and lentils. They are a staple in south indian homes and are enjoyed with steamed rice, vada, dosa and idli. These dry chutney powders can be kept around for a longer time.

 

 

Mint chutney is mainly made from mint, green chilies, onion and tamarind or lemon juice. This fresh tasting chutney enhances the flavor of food and promotes digestion. You can keep it textured to eat with everyday meals or make it smooth. I grew up eating with a bit of texture because my mother made it on a sil-batta which she received in her dowry. Sil-batta is a large rock slab with a cylindrical rock pestle. She ground all chutneys on sil-batta but for eating with meals she kept the chutney a bit textured. It gave that earthy rustic taste.  I use chopper grinder to replicate the texture but it never replicate that authentic taste. But what to do when you don’t have time on hand you need to make things work.

Update: Uploaded a mint chutney video showing the smooth and textured mint chutney.

The smooth mint chutney is usually made with a mixture of mint and cilantro and that is why the color is very bright green.  It is very delicious and refreshing dip for fried foods like samosas, fritters, chaat or basically with any meal.

 

 

You may mix it with yogurt to get a mint flavored yogurt for snacking. There are many variations of mint chutney. Some people find mint to be bitter and add cilantro leaves to avoid its bitter taste and to make it more bright green.

 

 

Chilli garlic chutney uses dry red chillies and combines its hotness with garlic to take its flavor profile to next level. This chutney of course is very spicy, but can be adjusted to make a little sweeter, milder or nuttier. It is particularly good for fish and chicken dishes and can also be used as a sandwich spread or a base for quick gravies.

The chutney recipes below are just a basic formulas and are very generous to substitutions and alterations.

So here we go-

 

Here are a few pictures from our weekend trips-

 

My husband loves to grill, so we take our grill on all road trips.

 

breakfast time