By Annada D. Rathi
Food historian Pushpesh Pant hypothesises that chutneys may be among the oldest known prepared foods created by ancient people who crushed berries, fruits, nuts or seeds to intensify the taste of whatever they were eating.
Chutneys seamlessly transform into dips, spreads, vinaigrettes, marinades and toppings. I love to wake up salad dressings with a dollop of cilantro-mint chutney, or swirl olive oil into peanut chutney as a dip for chunks of crusty bread.
But, to me, the absolute best use of a chutney is in a sandwich, where it is used as a flavourful spread and brings all the ingredients together.
Chutneys have enriched the Indian street food landscape and are consumed either as a snappy component of a meal or as a sidekick to street food. My friends from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh – the southern Indian states that convert anything and everything into a chutney – rave about steamed white rice topped with ghee and mixed with tangy, hot gongura pachadi (sorrel chutney).
Like maple syrup to pancakes, chutneys complement the dishes they're served with: coconut chutney for dosas or green chutney for samoosas. And though chutney often plays a supporting sole – an acidic contrast to pakoras or vadas, or a wet accompaniment to idlis and dosas – without it, Indian street food is unimaginable.
Lettuce and Jalapeño Chutney (Makes 1 Cup/Serves 8)
Ingredients
2 cups (56g) chopped lettuce leaves, rinsed and thoroughly dried
4 jalapeños roughly chopped, stemmed and seeded
4 cloves garlic, peeled
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp table salt or fine sea salt, plus more to taste
Method
In the pitcher of a blender, add the lettuce and pulse one or two times until slightly chopped and releasing a bit of water. Add the jalapeños, garlic, lemon juice, cumin and salt and blend until smooth. Taste, and add more salt if needed. (If the finished chutney is too watery, transfer it to a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl and let to drain for 2 to 3 minutes.)
Transfer to a lidded container and use right away, or refrigerate until needed.
Red Bell Pepper Chutney (Serves 4-6)
Ingredients
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 large red bell peppers (about 270g total), seeded and diced into 1cm pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 dried red chillies, stemmed
1/2 tsp table salt or fine sea salt
1/4 tsp tamarind paste
Water, as needed
Method
In a large, heavy pan set over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the bell peppers and chillies and cook, stirring, until the bell peppers shrivel and the chillies darken, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
Transfer the mixture to the pitcher of a blender, add the salt and tamarind paste and process until smooth. If the ingredients are too thick to begin blending, add a little water, 1 or 2 teaspoons at a time, to facilitate. Transfer to a lidded container and use right away, or refrigerate until needed.