Fiery hot tomato chutney

Most of you know what a cookbook can do to you..there is the excitement of finally acquiring the cookbook, then there are doubts cast as to whether you will actually use the book. You come home, snuggle on the sofa and you feel the familiar feel of inspiration as the wonderful dishes and pictures jump at you, begging to be tried. You decide on the dishes you wanna try…and then you realize there is no recipe which you can make right then when inspiration is sky high, as your fridge is empty. Never mind..tomorrow I am going to the grocery store and will get all the ingredients. When tomorrow arrives, we are carried away by other demands of life and the cookbook remains there patiently waiting to be used….

Today inspiration was sky high, ingredients were scarce but there was a recipe that fit the bill. And that lead to the creation of the fiery hot tomato chutney. This uses the basic ingredients used in every Indian kitchen and is very versatile. This was adapted from two recipes from this book.

Ingredients

Onion 1/2 of a medium size onion

Tomatoes 2

Clove 2

Cinnamon 1 small piece

Bay leaf 1 small leaf

Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp, crushed

Cumin 1/4 tsp

Garlic 2 cloves

Ginger 1/4 tsp diced

Green chilly 1 sliced into thin rounds

Coriander powder 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Vinegar 1 tablespoon

Honey 1/2 tsp

Salt 1/4 tsp

Chiily powder 1/4 tsp

Oil 1 tsp
Dice the tomatoes and onion into small pieces.
Heat a pan, add about one teaspoon oil and add clove, cinnamon, bayleaf, mustard seeds and cumin. Let them roast for a about 2 minutes. Stay with them and remove from fire if you think they are starting to burn. Add garlic cloves, green chilli and saute for a few seconds. Then add the tomatoes and onion.

Also add turmeric, coriander, vinegar, salt and honey. Keep stirring the mixture frequently and mash the tomato and onions using a wooden spoom. Keep on fire about 15 min till it reaches the chutney stage, thick and mushy. Just a few minutes before removing form fire, add the chilly powder ( A tip from Saffron Hut) and a tsp of oil. Remove from fire and spoon into a container and store.

Plan: To serve with missi roti.( didn’t happen)

P.S. The chutney proved too hot..next time i might cut out the chilly powder in the recipe. It left a kind of stinging sensation down the throat. This recipe needs working on…or just not my kind.