Today’s bite isn’t really a meal. It’s part of a meal. Or to go alongside a meal. Today we’re making a sweet chutney.
There are parts to an Indian spread that don’t typically get to shine, but they’re always reliably there. They are the supporting characters. They add some crunch, some spice, some sweet, or just some fluff, but they serve to complement the lead in such a way that a dish that may just have been okay suddenly becomes mind-blowing.
Today’s nominee for that supporting character is this sweet chutney.
Admittedly, it started out as a pickle and ended up more as a chutney. I’ll explain. Indian pickles, or achaars, constitute fruits and veg finely chopped and pickled over time. Sweet or spicy, they’re used to add some extra pop to a dish. Growing up we had more than one variety in the fridge and an ever-present jar on the table so making this condiment seemed like an obvious choice.
I received the book Around the World in 80 Dishes for Christmas and was excited to find a chance in my travels to use it. It’s a great book, and the dishes presented are mouth-watering and beautifully photographed. Plus, Jaime Oliver is a contributor, and I am not ashamed to admit I’ve had a bit of a crush on him since he was The Naked Chef way back when. As I flipped through my new gift a month ago, I came across the recipe for Indian Pickles that I knew I just had to make when it came time.
The problem? It’s called a pickle for a reason…that reason being that it has to be pickled. As in left alone for a month in a dark corner to do it’s thing and get all happy. Well, I didn’t have a month. I had an hour. Duh, Buddha. Oops. Pickle fail.
When one door closes, another opens, and that leads me to the chutney. Chutneys are similar to pickles (and, in some regions of the world and the internet, indistinguishable), but according to my recipe book, the chutney didn’t need that stewing time, and was ready to eat right away.
Sweet Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups malt vinegar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 onion, medium, finely chopped approx 1 cup
- 1 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and finely chopped
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 2 whole cloves
- 1/2" ginger, grated
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into a large saucepan. Bring the contents to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
- Leave the chutney to cook about 40 minutes until all the liquid has dissolved and all the ingredients are very soft and thick.
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