Tomato Chutney or Sauce, Fresh - 2
Tamatar ki Chatni or Chokha
Geeta Gupta
This is a good, everyday chutney, excellent as a dipping sauce with snacks like Samosa, Pakora, Sausage Rolls, even ordinary crackers. You can pour it over jacket potatoes, steamed/grilled fish, rice, to name a few things. It takes no more than 10 minutes to make and is quite delicious. It can be kept in the fridge for a week and it is suitable for freezing. The right time to make it is when you have a surplus of tomatoes in your garden or they are in season and cheap.
The word chutney comes from original Hindi word chatni which is a tangy and spicy paste, that makes you smack you lips, makes your tongue and mouth come alive! The word chat/chaat means lick and chatna means 'to lick'. The original Indian chatni is a mix of uncooked fruit (raw mango/apple/other fruits), green chillies, herbs like coriander and mint, a few spices, lemon or vinegar or tamarind, sometimes sugar, all ground together to a paste. Other ingredients can also be added according to taste. In England and the West, Chutney generally means a spicy preserve/condiment, where fruits or vegetables have been cooked in vinegar, with spices and sugar, and then bottled. This one is not for bottling.
Ingredients
400 gm. fresh tomatoes, chopped (tinned can be used)
8-10 curry leaves
4 green chillies, sliced thinly (adjust to taste and heat of chillies)
1 tsp. oil
1 tsp. Panch Pooran
A large pinch of asafoetida (hing) powder (optional)
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. chilli powder (adjust to taste)
Salt to taste. Use at least 50% Kala Namak or black salt for a better flavour. Buy from Indian grocers.
2-3 tbsp. vinegar
1 heaped tbsp. sugar, dark brown sugar or Jaggery (gur) tastes better
1 tsp. Garam Masala
A handful of chopped coriander leaves (optional)
Instructions
Tarka or tempering
Heat oil in a pan. If you like a smoky flavour, heat the oil to smoking before adding seeds.
Add cumin/nigella/mustard seeds and hing powder and let the seeds splutter.
Add curry leaves here, if used.
Add all other ingredients, except coriander leaves and garam masala.
Bring to boil and cook briskly for 5-6 minutes.
Adjust seasoning and sweetness to your taste.
Add garam masala and coriander leaves and stir.
Transfer to bottles or jars when cold and keep in the fridge. It is not suitable for long term bottling. You can put it in suitable containers and freeze.
Serve cold, with savoury snacks like Meat Samosa, Vegetable Samosa, Vegetable Pakora/Fritters, Cheese Pakora/Fritters, Vegetable Sausage Rolls, and even ordinary crackers. It is lovely poured like a sauce over things like jacket potatoes, pasta, steamed/grilled fish, steamed courgettes etc., to name a few things.
Notes
You can adjust the taste to sweeter, hotter or sharper, by adding more chillies, sugar or lemon juice respectively.
Artificial sweetener can be added in place of sugar, but add it at the end, after turning the heat off.
This recipe will work with green tomatoes too, you just need to adjust the sugar/sweetener and use less vinegar.
Also see Pickle and Chutney Selection.
