What is an Indian meal without a side of pickle or chutney to go with your papad (poppadum, for non-Indians), roti or dal? The kind of chutney or pickle differs from region to region, usually because they’re made with local, seasonal ingredients. This time, I’m focusing on chutney. The fine distinction between a pickle and a chutney is that chutneys don’t use a pickling agent like vinegar –– because they’re not meant to last for months. Chutney is an anglicised version of the Hindi word chatni, which refers to freshly ground relishes usually made with coconut, papaya, sesame, fruit, or raw mangoes. During colonial times, however, “chutney” came to mean a preserve—often mango slices slightly spiced, and cooked in sugar syrup. These lasted much longer than the homemade chutneys, usually consumed in a day or two. Ironically, some of the best mango chutneys I’ve eaten were in England, with roast chicken or sandwiches, where a dollop adds a sharp kick. During and after the East India Company’s rule in India, mango preserves were manufactured in India for export to England, sold under names like Major Grey’s, Colonel Skinner’s and Bengal Club chutney. Here are my picks of chutneys you must try in India—and it’s not all sugar and spice, as you’ll see. Red Ant Chutney In Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand, red ant chutney is considered a delicacy. Made with red ants and their eggs, this one is certainly an acquired taste. It’s called chaprah, meaning “leaf basket,” after the nests ants build with sal tree leaves—the same leaves used to make plates and bowls. Collecting the ants is dangerous. Each nest is guarded by male ants protecting egg-laying females, and harvesters must first crush the males while enduring bites before collecting the females and their eggs. This is no Disney movie, but I realise it sounds quite horrific. The chutney is made by crushing and sun-drying the ants and eggs, then grinding them with tomatoes, coriander, garlic, ginger, chilli, salt and a touch of sugar. Sometimes, oil and onions are added. The chutney gets its fiery kick from the natural formic acid in the ants. You can buy ant chutney in the local markets where vendors sell it in small sal leaf packets. Mint and Coriander (Hari) Chutney One of the most familiar but irresistible chutneys is mint-coriander chutney, served with parathas or chaat. In my house, we also add grated mango. Its roots go back to the Mughal era, when mint and coriander grew abundantly in Mughal gardens. The slim silver lining of being invaded or colonised repeatedly. Tamarind (Imli) Chutney Tamarind chutney is uniquely tart and sweet, never spicy. Its history traces back to the Indus Valley civilisation, where tamarind trees grew natively and their pulp was widely used. Over centuries, the recipe evolved to include jaggery, cumin and ginger, introduced through trade routes. Tomato Chutney In Bengal, tomato chutney is served at the end of a meal with roasted papad. But we must thank the Portuguese, who brought tomatoes from the Americas in the 16th century. Bengalis soon embraced the tomato, and tomato chutney became popular in the late 18th and 19th centuries under colonial rule. I have had a less sweet, and quite spicy Hyderabadi tomato chutney though which I much prefer to the Bengali version. Peanut Chutney Another favourite chutney of mine is Shengdana (peanut) chutney, which you will find in Maharashtra and Gujarat and Western India. Peanuts, introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century, thrived in India’s warm climate, especially in the west. Over time, a simple peanut-and-spice blend evolved into richer versions with coconut or tamarind. Plastic Chutney Despite the name, Plastic chutney is a Bengali favourite, often served at weddings. It uses raw papaya, sliced and cooked with sugar, lemon juice and panch phoron (Bengali five spice). The papaya turns translucent, resembling strips of plastic, and hence the name. Devil’s Chutney One of the best Anglo-Indian creations I’ve encountered, Devil’s Chutney is a fiery-sweet relish. Here’s the recipe I used to follow. Ingredients 1 cup raisins 2 onions ¼ cup of vinegar 1 heaped tbsp of chilli powder ¼ tsp ginger garlic paste Salt, to taste 3-4 tsp of sugar Method The very "complicated" process is that you combine all the ingredients and just whiz them together in a blender. Serve this with dal and rice, or just have a spoonful on its own. The sweetness of the raisins blends so well with the tartness of the vinegar and the heat of the chilli powder and ginger-garlic paste. Just heavenly. Beerakaya Thekkady Chutney I came across Beerakaya Thokku Pachadi just two weeks back in a cookbook and was blown away by how tasty a chutney made from the skin of ridge gourd (turai or jhinge) can be. This is a chutney made in Andhra Pradesh, a region dishing out culinary marvels by the dollop. This is the recipe I followed, as must you. Ingredients Skin of 2 large ridge gourds, wash and peel the skin, and chop into 1-inch pieces 2 green chillis 1-2 dry red chillis 1 tbsp split gram dal 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste 2 tsps oil For seasoning 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1-2 dry red chillies Pinch asafoetida 5-6 fresh curry leaves 1/2 tsp oil Method Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add the split gram dal, cumin seeds and red chillies and stir fry for a few seconds till the dal changes colour. Remove and keep aside. In the same pan, add another tsp of oil and add the green chillies and sauté for a minute. Add the chopped ridge gourd peels and fry on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the tamarind paste to it and leave aside to cool. Once the mixture has cooled down, grind the dal-cumin-red chillies into a coarse powder, and add to the rest of the sauteed ingredients along with salt. Grind this mixture to a slightly coarse paste. Heat half a tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chillies followed by asafoetida and stir fry for a few seconds. Pour this over the ground paste, mix well and serve with hot rice. Seven chutneys for seven days – and if you manage to collect some red ants, a bonus chutney for you. Time to start cooking. Next week, I’ll be writing on various Indian cooking techniques – tadka, bhuno, dum, dhungar and more.
