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Ou khatta
ঔ খাটা · Assamese sweet-sour elephant apple chutney with panch phoron
Ou tenga, the elephant apple, is a hard, sour green fruit that grows across Assam and turns up in every winter market in Guwahati. Ou khatta is its sweet chutney: slices are boiled until tender, then simmered with jaggery and panch phoron until glossy, sticky and sharp-sweet. It is served in a little mound at the end of a festive Assamese lunch and at Bihu feasts, the way Bengalis end with tomato chutney. Chef's tip: outside the Northeast, use a mix of very sour green apple and a little tamarind; it gets surprisingly close.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Peel the tough outer sepals of 14 oz elephant apple (ou tenga), separate the inner fleshy layers and slice thinly. (For apples, peel, core and slice.) Discard the hard central core and seeds.
Step 2: Boil the slices in 1 ¼ cups water with ¼ tsp ground turmeric for 10–12 minutes until soft enough to crush with a spoon. Don't drain.
12 minStep 3: Heat 1 tbsp mustard oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp panch phoron and 2 dried red chillies; when the seeds crackle and the fenugreek turns reddish, add the fruit and its water.
1 minStep 4: Add 5 ½ oz jaggery, 2 tbsp sugar and ½ tsp salt (and the tamarind if using apples) and simmer, stirring often, for 12–15 minutes until thick, glossy and jammy and a spoon drawn through it leaves a trail. Common mistake: taking it off too early; it should be sticky, not runny.
15 minStep 5: Cool completely. Keeps in a clean jar in the fridge for 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ou khatta take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of elephant apple (ou tenga)?
- Pears, same amount.
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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