Apple Raisin Chutney Recipe
Posted on 6th of October, 2011 by Lévana
Chutney: An ancient addition to the modern kitchen
Chutneys, from the Hindi “to be licked” (an inspired derivation, if you have ever tasted a good one), are relishes that originated in India as a way of preserving fruits and vegetables. Sweet, tart, chunky and with a bit of fire, a good chutney is complex and intriguing, as well as incredibly versatile. Serve chutneys with curries, roasts or cold cuts. Mix them with a little honey and add to fruit salads. Stir into low-fat mayonnaise or creamed tofu and serve as a dip. Incorporate it in recipes, as I do here, with salmon or meatballs. Chutney preparation is always based on the same principle: Fruits and/or vegetables are simmered in a hot liquid containing vinegar, sugar and spices until the mixture is reduced and thickened. Chutney is easy to make and to modify. After a few batches, you will learn to adjust the amounts of spices to your own taste.
Straight from my first cookbook, Levana’s Table
Ingredients: Makes about 2 quarts.
¾ cup mustard seeds
3 ½ cups sugar
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon cardamon
2 tablespoons curry
2 cups dark raisins
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and quartered
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
2 celery ribs, peeled and cut into thirds
one 2-inch piece ginger, peeled
Instructions:
Put the mustard seeds, sugar, vinegar, tomatoes, salt, cayenne, turmeric, cardamom, curry and 21/2 cups water in a heavy pot, and bring to a boil. Coarsely grind the raisins, apples, onions, celery and ginger in the food processor, using the pulse button. Add the ground mixture to the boiling liquid, and bring to a boil again. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for about 30 minutes. The mixture will thicken as it cools. Cool completely before storing in clean wide-mouth glass jars. Store refrigerated.
Picture via Joumana Accad of www.tasteofbeirut.com
Reading the ingredients list in that chutney made my mouth water (yet I just ate! and a full meal!); love the addition of tomatoes here, something I would not have dared mix with apples! the recipe with lamb is great, love the idea of just dumping the balls in the chutney! Nice!!!
Easy, right? The tomatoes in the chutney are terrific! Usually, I would agree with you that apples and tomatoes are an improbable match, but quite often when making a condiment, I find there’s lots of room for the culinary equivalent of poetic license!