Chutneys are a great way to make an ordinary plate of food taste extraordinary. It can change the feel of any cuisine.

A chutney is made out of seasonal fruits and vegetables, mixed with Indian spices and the flavour and taste is balanced out with sugar or jaggery and tamarind. This is a food enhancer. It can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Ginger chutney is spicy, tangy, sweet and sour. An ideal accompaniment for idli/ Dosai, at the same time a spoonful of ginger chutney when added to plain steamed rice can make you incredibly happy at the end of your meal. There are two chutneys I always keep in handy – ginger and mango.

Chutneys are generally had in small portions as they are concentrated and packed with flavour. This ginger chutney which is so easy to prepare is one such chutney which is spicy and too good to resist. A spoon may not suffice!!!!!!!

Sharing with you this wonderful versatile recipe,

Ingredients:

• Ginger- 100-150 grams (chopped)
• Tamarind -50grams (soak in water for 15 minutes)
• Dry red chillies -10 (deseeded)
• Coriander seeds -1and 1/2tsp
• Cummin seeds – 1and 1/2tsp
• Fenugreek seeds -1/2tsp (methi)
• Jaggery -8tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil as required

For the tempering:

• Oil
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Split Chanda dal- 1/2 tsp
• Split urad dal- /2 tsp
• Dry red chillies- 2
• Curry leaves – a few
• Pinch of Asafoetida or Hing

Method:

• Dry roast coriander seeds, deseeded dry chillies, fenugreek and cummin seeds. Powder and keep aside.
• Squeeze out the water from the tamarind and set aside.
• In a tablespoon of oil, fry the chopped ginger lightly and keep aside. This is necessary.
• Take ginger, spices powder, tamarind and jaggery and grind to a smooth paste in the food processor/ mixie. Add salt as required. No water should be added.
• For the tadka/ tempering, take a little oil in a kadai, when hot add the mustard seeds, channa dal, split urad dal, dry red chillies and curry leaves in quick succession. Fry for 10-15 seconds. Add a pinch of hing.
• Remove the ginger paste from the jar to a clean bowl. Add the tempering and bottle. Serve with rice, idli / dosa, pulao, in fact, anything.
• Bottle and store in the fridge.
• If you have apricots, add a handful and taste the difference.

Till my next post.,

Cheers

Rose