In Indian cuisine, a chutney (British spelling), chatni (Hindi transliteration) or catni (archaic transliteration) is a sweet-and-spicy condiment, originally from eastern India.
Many authentic chutneys contain significant amounts of fresh green chilli peppers; the other main ingredient can be any of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Most vegetable chutneys are prepared cold in a blender, while many fruit chutneys do require cooking. Popular chutneys include:
- coconut chutney
- onion chutney
- tomato chutney
- cilantro (coriander leaves) and/or mint chutney (both are often called Hari chutney)
- tamarind chutney (Imli chutney)
- mango chutney (made from unripe, green mangos)
- lime chutney (made from whole, unripe limes)
- garlic chutney chutney made from fresh garlic, coconut and groundnut
In temperate countries, chutneys are sometimes made using local main ingredients such as apples, peaches or tomatoes.
Flavourings are always added to the mix. These may include sugar, salt, garlic, tamarind or ginger.
Spices most commonly include fenugreek, coriander, cumin and hing (asafoetida).
In its homeland, a chutney is often made to be eaten fresh, using whatever suitable strongly flavoured ingredients are locally traditional or available at the time. It would not normally contain preserving agents, since it is intended to be consumed soon after preparation.
Chutney is more familiar in North America and Europe in a form that can be stored. To this end, vegetable oil, vinegar or lemon juice are used to enhance the keeping properties.
External links
- National Center for Home Food Preservation - Chutneys (http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/chutney.html)