Chutney
Chutney is a family of condiments mainly associated with South Asian cuisine that usually contain some mixture of spice(s),
vegetable(s), and/or fruit(s) like
Mango,
Bramley apples,
Dried Apricots,
Dried Fruits,
Lemon . There are many varieties of chutney.
Chutneys may be either wet or dry, and can have a coarse to a fine texture. The Indian word refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately, with preserves often sweetened. Several Indian languages use the word for fresh preparations only. A different word achar applies to preserves that often contain oil and are rarely sweet.
Vinegar, citrus,
tamarind, or
lemon juice may be added as natural
preservatives, or fermentation in the presence of
salt may be used to create acid.
The name "chutney" covers a wide variety of foodstuffs. The common element which makes them all "chutneys" is that they are added to meals to add flavour; the best English "translation" of "chutney" is "relish". As such, they can be, and are, eaten with a wide variety of foods.
Traditionally, chutneys are ground with a
mortar and pestle made of stone or an ammikkal (Tamil). Spices are added and ground, usually in a particular order; the wet paste thus made is sautéed in
vegetable oil, usually gingelly (
sesame) or
groundnut (peanut) oil.
Electric blenders or
food processors can be used as labor-saving alternatives to stone grinding.
