1,000 Indian Recipes (70 page)

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 to 2 teaspoons sugar (optional)

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 whole dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon coarsely ground fenugreek seeds

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1.
With a vegetable peeler, peel the mangoes, then cut the fruit around the center seed into
¹
⁄
₂
- to 1-inch pieces. Place the mango pieces and the ginger, green chile peppers, scallions, curry leaves, and salt in a food processor or a blender, and process until minced. Remove to a serving bowl. Add some of the sugar if the chutney seems too tart.

2.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and add the red chile peppers and mustard seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lower the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the fenugreek seeds and asafoetida, stir 30 seconds, then add this seasoning mixture to the chutney, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately, refrigerate about 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.

Puréed Fresh Mango-Ginger Chutney

Pakkae Aam ki Chutni

Makes about 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups

A textured mash of ripe mangoes and fresh ginger makes for a delicate salsa-like sauce that is as lovely with grilled foods and sautéed fish fillets as it is over salads and steamed vegetables.

Buy fragrant, ripe mangoes that "give" slightly to gentle pressure when held in your hand, (don't poke with your finger or you could damage the flesh). Canned mango pulp from Indian markets is a very good substitute. Use 1 cup of canned mango pulp (preferably the Alphonso variety of mango) in place of each large mango.

3 large ripe mangoes (about
³
⁄
₄
pound each), washed and wiped dry

2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

¹
⁄
₄
cup fresh lime or lemon juice

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⁄
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cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 to 2 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1.
With a knife, peel the mango, then coarsely cut the fruit around the center seed. Place the mango pieces in a large serving bowl and mash with a fork to make the fruit as smooth as possible.

2.
Mix in all the remaining ingredients. Garnish with black pepper and serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 1 week.

Variation:
Mix in
¹
⁄
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cup yogurt, or substitute peaches, plums, nectarines, pineapples, and other soft fruits for the mangoes.

Tart Apple-Ginger Chutney with Green Tomatoes

Saeb, Adrak aur Harae Tamatar ki Chutni

Makes about 2 cups

Fresh ginger gives this spicy-sour chutney a refreshing piquancy that can perk up even the blandest of dishes. Much as I love this chutney on the side with grilled fish, I think it is unrivaled as a salad dressing.

1 teaspoon black peppercorns, dry-roasted and coarsely ground (
Dry Roasting Spices
)

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

6 to 8 quarter-size slices of peeled fresh ginger

2 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

2 large tart green apples, such as Granny Smith or pippin, cored and coarsely chopped

2 small green tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Fresh cilantro sprigs

1.
Prepare the peppercorns. Then heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the coriander seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.

2.
Transfer to a food processor or a blender and process to make a coarse purée. Transfer to a bowl, garnish with cilantro sprigs, and serve. This chutney stays fresh in the refrigerator about 10 days, and in the freezer about 6 months.

Variation:
Stir some of this chutney into whisked yogurt. Top with dry-roasted, coarsely ground cumin seeds and serve as a raita.

South Indian Tomato Chutney

South ki Tamatar Chutni

Makes about 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups

My friend Sushi Mysoor makes her native Bangalore-style tomato chutney the easy way, using canned tomato sauce—something the purists would scoff at, but all of us in America are really thankful for. The spicy flavors of this chutney are quite captivating and very versatile. Try it with sandwiches and
paranthas (
griddle-fried breads) or with
dosas
(griddle-fried fermented rice and
dal
crepes) and other crepes.

1 teaspoon
Tamarind Paste

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon dried yellow split chickpeas (channa dal), sorted

1 teaspoon dried white urad beans (dhulli urad dal), sorted

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⁄
₂
teaspoon black peppercorns

¹
⁄
₄
cup peanut oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon dried curry leaves

2 to 3 whole dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol

2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced

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⁄
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cup finely chopped red onion

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1.
Prepare the tamarind paste. Then, in a spice or a coffee grinder, grind together coriander and cumin seeds, dals, and peppercorns to make a fine powder.

2.
Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and red chile peppers; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lower the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the garlic and onion, stir a few sec-onds, then add the ground spice and dal mixture, cayenne pepper, and salt and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes.

3.
Add the tomato sauce and tamarind paste, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chutney is thick and fragrant and reduced to about 1 cup, about 20 minutes. Let cool, then serve immediately, refrigerate about 2 months or freeze about 6 months.

Preserved Chutneys

Tomato Chutney Preserve with Cashews and Raisins