Chutney

This article is about the condiment. For the 2016 film, see Chutney (film). For the genre of music native to Trinidad and Tobago, see Chutney music.

Chutney

Different types of chutneys from Bangalore, India
Alternative names	chammanthi, chatney, chatni, satni, thuvayal, pachhadi
Place of origin	South Asia
Region or state	South Asia, Caribbean, and parts of Africa, Fiji
Associated cuisine	Bangladesh, Fiji, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom
Main ingredients	Vegetables, fruits, salt, spices, and herbs. The nearest bowl is a dahi chutney, based on yoghurt (dahi).
Cookbook: Chutney   Media: Chutney

South Indian-style chutney (green)

Variety of chutneys served with the main dish

Mango chutney

Pesarattu and ginger chutney

A chutney is a family of condiments or sauces in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys may be realized in such forms as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce.

A common variant in Anglo-Indian cuisine uses a tart fruit such as sharp apples, rhubarb or damson pickle made milder by an equal weight of sugar (usually demerara, turbinado or brown sugar to replace jaggery in some Indian sweet chutneys). Vinegar was added to the recipe for English-style chutney that traditionally aims to give a long shelf life so that autumn fruit can be preserved for use throughout the year (as are jams, jellies and pickles) or else to be sold as a commercial product. Indian pickles use mustard oil as a pickling agent, but Anglo-Indian style chutney uses malt or cider vinegar which produces a milder product that in western cuisine is often eaten with hard cheese or with cold meats and fowl, typically in cold pub lunches.

Etymology

The word chutney derives from Hindi चटनी chaṭnī, deriving from चाटना chāṭnā 'to lick' or 'to eat with appetite'. In India, chutney refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately; however, several Indian languages use the word for fresh preparations only. A different word, achār (Template:Lang-hi), applies to pickles that often contain oil and are sour/spicy in taste but rarely sweet.

Overview

In India, chutneys can be either made alongside pickles that are matured in the sun for up to two weeks and kept up to a year or, more commonly, are freshly made from fresh ingredients that can be kept a couple of days or a week in the refrigerator.

In Tamil Nadu, thogayal or thuvayal (Tamil) are preparations similar to chutney but with a pasty consistency. In Andhra Pradesh it is also called roti pacchadi. In Kerala it is also called chammanthi and in Telangana it is called tokku. Thengai chutney, a coconut-based chutney is the one being referred when only 'chutney' is said.

Medicinal plants that are believed to have a beneficial effect are sometimes made into chutneys, for example pirandai thuvayal or ridged gourd chutney (peerkangai thuvayal or beerakaaya tokku).

Bitter gourd can also serve as a base for a chutney which is like a relish or, alternatively as a dried powder.

Occasionally, chutneys that contrast in taste and colour can be served together—a favourite combination being a green mint and chili chutney with a contrasting sweet brown tamarind and date chutney.

Chutneys may be ground with a mortar and pestle or an ammikkal (Tamil). Spices are added and ground, usually in a particular order; the wet paste thus made is sautéed in vegetable oil, usually gingelly (sesame) or peanut oil. Electric blenders or food processors can be used as labour-saving alternatives to the stone grinding technique.

Western-style chutneys are usually fruit, vinegar, and sugar cooked down to a reduction, with added flavourings. These may include sugar, salt, garlic, tamarind, onion or ginger. Western-style chutneys originated from Anglo-Indians at the time of the British Raj recreated Indian chutneys using English orchard fruits—sour cooking apples and rhubarb, for example. They would often contain dried fruit: raisins, currants, and sultanas.

They were a way to use a glut of ripened fruit and preserving techniques were similar to sweet fruit preserves using approximately an equal weight of fruit and sugar, the vinegar and sugar acting as preservatives.

South Indian chutney powders are made from roasted dried lentils to be sprinkled on idlis and dosas. Peanut chutneys can be made wet or as a dry powder.

Spices commonly used in chutneys include fenugreek, coriander, cumin, and asafoetida (hing). Other prominent ingredients and combinations include coriander, capsicum, mint (coriander and mint chutneys are often called हरा hara chutney, Hindi for "green"), Tamarind or imli (often called meethi chutney, as मिठाई meethi in Hindi means "sweet"), sooth (or saunth, made with dates and ginger), coconut, onion, prune, tomato, red chili, green chili, mango, lime (made from whole, unripe limes), garlic, coconut, peanut, dahi (yogurt), green tomato, dhaniya pudina (cilantro and mint), peanut (shengdana chutney in Marathi), ginger, red chili powder, tomato onion chutney, cilantro, mint coconut chutney, and apricot.

Major Grey's Chutney is a type of sweet and spicy chutney popular in the United States. The recipe was reportedly created by a 19th-century British Army officer of the same name (likely apocryphal) who presumably had resided for a period of time in the Raj. Its characteristic ingredients are mango, raisins, vinegar, lime juice, onion, tamarind extract, sweetening and spices. Several companies produce a Major Grey's Chutney, in India, the UK and the US.

History

Chicken chatni

Similar in preparation and usage to a pickle, simple spiced chutneys can be dated to 500 BC. Originating in India, this method of preserving food was subsequently adopted by the Romans and British thanks to their encounters and contacts with the Indian subcontinent. As greater imports of foreign and varied foods increased into northern Europe, chutney fell out of favour in Britain. This combined with a greater ability to refrigerate fresh foods and an increasing number of glasshouses meant the British consumption of chutney and pickle were relegated to army usage and individuals residing in India. Chutney became resurgently popular in England around the 1780s as an appetizer.

Diego Álvarez Chanca brought back chili peppers from the Americas to Spain in 1493. He had sailed with Columbus. After discovering their medicinal properties, Chanca developed a chutney to administer them. In the early 17th century, officials of the East India Company on the Indian subcontinent subsided on preserved foodstuffs such as lime pickles, chutneys and marmalades. (Marmalades proved unpopular due to their sweetness. They were also rare due to a lack of available sugar.) Beginning in the 17th century, fruit chutneys were shipped to various European countries as luxury goods. These imitations were called "mangoed" fruits or vegetables, the word 'chutney' being associated with the working class in these countries.

Major Grey's Chutney is thought to have been developed by a British officer who had travelled to India. The formula was eventually sold to Crosse and Blackwell, a major British food manufacturer, probably in the early 1800s. In the 19th century, types of chutney like Major Grey's or Bengal Club that catered to western tastes were shipped to Europe from India. Generally, these chutneys are fruit, vinegar, and sugar cooked down to a reduction.

By regions of India

Fresh coconut chutney

Mint chutney

Homemade tomato chutney

Region	Chutneys
Assam	Coriander, spinach, tomato chutney, curry leaf, chili, radish, carrot, cucumber, beetroot, lentil, chickpea, ghost chilli pepper chutneys
Andhra Pradesh	Gongura, peanut, curry leaf, coconut chutney, cilantro, red chilli with mung bean, chickpea, pigeon pea, tomato, onion, eggplant, okra, garlic, amla (Indian gooseberry), citron, cucumber, carrot, Thotakooraa, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, ash gourd, raw mango, beetroot, luffa, pumpkin, lemon, sponge gourd, ridge gourd, snake gourd, chowchow, cabbage, cauliflower, ivy gourd, Dosakaayaa, Budamakaayaa, tamarind, green and red chilli, ginger, mint, mango
Gujarat	Hot lime chutney, garlic chutney, tamarind chutney, fudina chutney, papaya chutney, besan chutney, dal chutney
Haryana	Onion garlic chilli chutney, kachri chutney (small wild muskmelon), hara choley chutney (unripe young green chickpea), pudina (mint) chutney, tomato chutney, potato chutney
Himachal Pradesh	Guava and eggplant chutneys
Karnataka	Coconut chutney, horsegram chutney, chana dal chutney, onion chutney, red chilli chutney, garlic chutney, capsicum chutney, urad sal chutney, cowpea chutney, chilli, peanut, tomato, tamarind, mango, urid dal, pudina (mint), heeray kayi (ridge gourd), badane kayi (eggplant), uchellu (niger seed), bende kaayi (okra or ladyfinger), agashi (flax seed), ginger chutneys
Kerala	Coconut chutney, mint, urad dal, mango, dry fish, shrimp, onion chutney
Maharashtra	Hot raw mango chutney, coconut chutney, muramba, panchamrit, mirachicha thecha: dry chutneys made oil seeds such as with till (sesame seed), javas (flax seed), solapuri shenga (peanut/red chili powder), karale (Niger seed), peanut/garlic (lasun), roasted dudhi (bottle gourd) skin chutney, tamarind chutney
Manipur	Eromba
Odisha	Coconut, mango, orange, tomato, dried fish chutneys
Punjab	Pudina (mint) chutney, onion chutney, tamarind chutney, mango chutney
Tamil Nadu	Coconut chutney, coriander, curry leaf, red chilli, green chilli, garlic, peanut, tamarind, tomato, onion, ginger, radish, mint, mango, lentil chutneys
Telangana	Coconut chutney, peanut, tomato, lemon, curry leaf, tamarind, green chilli, ginger, mint, mango chutneys
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar	Coriander seed and leaf, garlic, roasted onion, cooked tomato, mint, radish, amla (gooseberry), sweet and sour mango, green chili, boiled potato and pickled mango, red chili and jaggery chutneys
Uttarakhand	Bhanga (cannabis) chutney
West Bengal	Amla, coriander, lime, apple, peanuts, green mango, tomato, papaya, pineapple, date, dried mango jelly and other dry fruits, green chilli chutneys

Blatjang (South African Chutney)

Overview

In South Africa, Blatjang is a South African chutney made of dried fruit (usually apricots) and chillies cooked in vinegar and a staple in most South African households, served as a condiment with South Africans meat dishes like bobotie and braai.

Blatjang has Cape Malay origins with Indonesian, Malay, Indian and Dutch influences, reflecting South Africa's diverse culture. Blatjang is an Afrikaans word that can be drawn from “belacan” in Malay or “blachang” in Indonesian, which is an unrelated condiment to chutney.

The taste of Blatjang, unlike most chutneys, can be tangy, sweet and fruity like Mrs Balls fruit chutney, has a smoother texture and is traditionally made with dried apricots (or peaches or mango), raisins or dates, onion, garlic, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, salt, ginger, fresh mustard, vinegar and red chili.

Recipe

Over the years, Blatjang, like many South African foods have been chopped, changed and experimented with to fit personal preferences and lifestyles.

The following recipe is more of the traditional way of making Blatjang.

Ingredients
Dried Apricots/Peaches (or Mango)
Rasins
Brown Sugar
Vinegar
Chilli
Garlic
Onion
Salt
Mustard seeds
Spices (Cayenne pepper)

Method

Step 1: Sock apricots and raisins in vinegar overnight until the fruits are plump.

Step 2: chop ingredients into small pieces.

Step 3: Add all ingredients to a saucepan and cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the chutney has reduced to about one-third, and is at the right texture.

Step 3: Pour into hot, sterilized jars, seal and store in a cool, dark cupboard.

See also

• Branston pickle – British food brand known for its pickled chutney
• Dahi chutney – Yoghurt-based side dish classed as a chutney
• Furikake – Japanese seasoning eaten similarly to dry chutney
• Indian pickle – Pickled varieties of vegetable and fruit
• Piccalilli – British relish of chopped pickled vegetables and spices
• Relish – Cooked, pickled, or chopped vegetable or fruit used as a condiment
• Sooth (chutney) – Sweet chutney used in Indian chaats
• List of chutneys – Links to Wikipedia articles on notable chutney varieties
• List of condiments
• List of dips – Type of sauce
• List of ancient dishes
• Anglo-Indian cuisine – Cuisine originated in the British Raj with chutneys unique to the UK and elsewhere
  • Fusion cuisine – Food combining multiple culinary traditions

Further reading

• Weaver, William Woys. "Chutney". Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Ed. Solomon H. Katz. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 417–418. 3 vols. ISBN 0-684-80568-5.
• Dahiya, Ashish. Food of Haryana: The Great Chutneys Vol. 1. India. ISBN 978-93-81818-05-3.
• Food Safety in Production of Chutney, Pickles. Jams, Oils – UK

External links

• Chutney Origins. Foodreference.com.