Tomato chutney

Chutneys are a good way of adding zing or chatak to a meal, be it a sandwich or a curry. Add this tomato chutney to a cheese sandwich, serve it with khichdi or palau, or use it as a dip.This is quite a mild chutney, but you can certainly crank up the heat if you wanted to by adding more chilli. Another thing to keep in mind is that it does not have any vinegar or lots of salt and spices, so it doesn't have a very long shelf life. It will keep for about a week refrigerated and can be frozen. See notes below if you want to give the chutney a longer life span.

I don't skin or strain the tomatoes as the seeds and skin add to the texture as do the tiny bits of ginger; you also get a lovely burst of flavour when you bite into a piece of ginger.

Ingredients

• • 750g tomatoes, chopped

  • 20-30 grams of fresh ginger, finely chopped

  • 5-6 plump cloves of garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 sprig curry leaf, leaves picked

  • 1 chilli, finely sliced (or to taste)

  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped

  • 2 tbsp oil

  • 1/4 tsp mustard seeds

  • 1/4 tsp cumin seeds

  • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

  • 1/2 rounded tsp turmeric powder

  • 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

  • Sugar to taste

  • 2 tbsp oil

  • 1 tbsp ghee (optional, but it takes the chutney to another level)

  • 1-2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped (optional)

Method

• 1. Heat oil. Add the mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds.

  2. When the seeds pop, add the onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, turmeric and salt. Stir fry gently over moderate heat until the onions soften. Do not let the onions brown.

  3. Add the tomatoes, cover and simmer until the tomatoes are cooked, stirring occasionally.

  4. Once the tomatoes are mushy, cook uncovered over a moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until nice and thick. Taste, add sugar (this is not a sweet chutney - so only add enough sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes).

  5. Stir in the ghee and coriander (if using), taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Note: When tomatoes are plentiful and you want to make a large batch of this chutney, you can extend its shelf as follows:

• 1. Follow the above recipe (omit the coriander) and once the tomatoes are cooked and mushy, add ghee (2-3 tbsp for each kilo of tomatoes) and continue cooking until the chutney is reduced to a thick pulp and the oil/ghee floats to the top. Make sure you keep stirring during this stage to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Be careful as the chutney will bubble and splutter like molten lava towards the end. Using a large pot and a long handled spoon makes it easier.

  2. Stir in the sugar, taste and adjust seasoning.

  3. Spoon into sterilised jars, making sure there a thin layer of ghee/oil in all the jars.