This is the best tomato chutney. It comes from India and is full of lots of wonderful Indian spices, which give it a fiery heat. Though very simple to make, it is super-versatile and matches beautifully with many dishes. It’s lovely with samosas, curries or rice dishes. Or straight out of the jar on naan bread. Measure and prep all the ingredients first, to make it easier and faster to cook.
Makes: 5-6 x 350ml jars
Prep time:
Cook time:
Photography: Philippa Langley
Food Styling & Props: Kylee Newton
Season: Summer
Ingredients
1.5kg tomatoes
21/2 tsp salt
9 garlic cloves
180g fresh ginger
1 tsp coriander seeds
10 bird’s-eye chillies
260g onions
350g apples
350ml cider vinegar
21/2 tbsp black mustard seeds
50ml olive oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp ground turmeric
21/2 tbsp nigella seeds
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp chilli powder
200g dark brown sugar
Method
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Roughly chop the tomatoes, stir in the salt and leave to steep for about an hour. Meanwhile, prep all the other ingredients: peel and chop the garlic and ginger, crush the coriander seeds, finely chop the chillies, peel and finely dice the onions and peel, core and chop the apples into 1cm cubes.
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Warm the vinegar on a low heat in a small saucepan, add the mustard seeds, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
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Put the garlic and ginger into a blender and pulse a few times. Add the vinegar and mustard seed infusion and blend into a smooth paste.
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Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan on a high heat for 1 minute. Take off the heat for a moment then add the crushed coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, nigella seeds, cloves and chilli powder.
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Fry on a moderate heat for 20 seconds then add the mustard-vinegar paste and the chillies and onions. Fry for a further 5–10 minutes.
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Drain the excess liquid from the tomatoes and add to the pan with the apples and sugar.
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Reduce the heat and simmer gently for an hour, stirring occasionally.
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Ladle into warm, dry sterilised jars and seal.
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Can be eaten immediately but also great if left to mature in a cool, dark place for 4 weeks if you can.
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