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Tomato khejur chutney
Tomato and date chutney
টমেটো খেজুরের চাটনি: sweet-sour tomato chutney with dates, raisins and mustard seeds
A Bengali festive meal ends with chutney, and during Durga Puja the bhog plate's last stop is often this glossy tomato and date chutney. Ripe tomatoes are cooked with a mustard-seed and dried-chilli tempering, then sweetened with sugar and stoned dates and studded with raisins until it turns jammy and sticky. It is eaten as its own course after the vegetables, to clean the palate before the sweets. Common mistake: taking it off the heat too early so it stays watery; it is ready when a spoon drawn through the pan leaves a clear line for a second and the chutney looks shiny. Chef's tip: add a few strips of aamsotto (dried mango leather) with the dates if you have it; it gives the deep, fruity sourness of the pandal chutney.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb ripe tomatoeschopped
- 8 datesstoned and sliced
- 2 tbsp raisins
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp fresh gingerjulienned
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup water
- 1 oz aamsotto (dried mango leather) (optional)cut into strips
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp mustard oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp black mustard seeds and 2 dried red chillies and fry until the seeds pop, about 30 seconds.
1 minStep 2: Add 1 tsp fresh ginger, 1 ⅛ lb ripe tomatoes, ¼ tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp salt and ¼ cup water. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the tomatoes have broken down.
10 minStep 3: Stir in 3 ½ oz sugar until it dissolves, then add 8 dates, 2 tbsp raisins and 1 oz aamsotto (dried mango leather). Simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring more often as it thickens, until jammy and glossy and a spoon leaves a trail.
12 minStep 4: Turn off the heat, stir in 1 tsp bhaja moshla (roasted cumin, coriander and chilli powder) and leave to cool. It thickens more as it cools. Keeps for a week in the fridge.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 31 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tomato khejur chutney take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 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 ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of black mustard seeds?
- Cumin seeds, same amount (different flavour, same crackle).
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