At the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga we often make delicious chutneys in our vegetarian cooking classes. Chutneys originaged in India and because we have quite a few Indian Vegetarian cooking classes, it is almost always part of the menu. Chutney's are a wonderful way to dress up any Indian dish.Serve curries with a small bowl of natural yoghurt and of course one of the many different chutney recipes. There are so many varieties to choose from; pineapple, mango, peach, plum, apple, date and tamerind, tomato, fig, corriander, coconut and the list goes on. Add some bombay chips (made from chickpea flour - hot spicey and absolutely moorish), an ice cold strawberry or mango lassi on the side and instead of plain old curry and rice, you have an absolute feast. A great way to impress your guests with very little effort.
Dhals can also be dressed up with the above items and a light lunch or dinner idea would be to serve a bowls of chutneys and yoghurt with chapatis, puries or naan bread, or all three, as an Indian version of a dip platter. Dip platter are very popular now and are served at many restaurants and cafes, so try something a little different, an Indian version.
How to make good Chutney at Home
Chutneys originated in India – the name derived from the Hindu word chatni – but are now a very popular preserve all over the world. They are made from fruits or vegetables, or a mixture of the two, which are chopped, cooked, mixed with spices, vinegar and other ingredients and reduced to a smooth pulp. Unlike jam making, windfall apples, green tomatoes and other end-of-season fruit such as rhubarb can be used as there is no worry about the setting qualities. Dried fruit, especially grapes, in the form of raisins (dried white grapes usually of the variety 'Muscatel') sultanas (small raisins that are seedless, sweet, pale golden in colour) and currants (dried, black, seedless grapes) are commonly used. The scope of chutneys is endless and the combinations and permutations can be varied according to personal taste and the ingredients available. They can be sweet, sour, hot or mild. A big advantage to both fruit and vegetable chutneys is that they improve with age and, if properly stored, will remain in good condition for years.
