Come summers and most of the Indian homes would be making this Sweet Spicy Tomato Chutney or Sweet Spicy Mango Chutney in quantities that can store the whole season or at least a month or two. In India, summer is the time to make chutney, pickles, relishes, etc and just like any home, all summer long my mom makes them. These recipes are passed on from generations and the only variation we do is the number of ingredients we use, the taste remains the same 🙂 This chutney is also popularly known as ‘Khatti Meethi Tamatar Chutney’ or Instant Tomato Chutney (as you can eat it right after it’s made) in India.
Sweet Spicy Tomato Chutney Ingredients:
1/2 Kg Fresh Tomatoes – (6-8 pieces) 1/2 Cup Jaggery – you can use brown sugar or any other kind of sugar or sugar substitute 2 Tbsp Sugar 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil 2 Tsp White Vinegar (for longer storage)
Whole Spices:
1/2 Tbsp Kalonji (Onion Seeds) 1 Tbsp Moti Saunf (Fennel seeds) 3-4 Dry Red Chilies (optional) 2 Tej Patta (Dry Bay Leaf)
Powdered Spices:
1/2 Tsp Haldi (Turmeric Powder) 1 Tsp Lal Mirch (Red Chilli Powder) – check notes 1 Tbsp Cumin Powder 1 Tsp Salt – add to taste
What Else Can Be Added in Spices: I donot like too spicy or tangy chutney, hence this combination above is perfect for a sweet-spicy version that we get in stores or restaurants. However, if you like to make it tangier or spicier you can add more red chili powder and dry mango powder (amchur). Traditional chutneys call for ‘Methi Dana’ (Fenugreek seeds) but as they are slightly bitter in taste, I donot use them. If you like them, you can add 1 Tbsp of that along with whole spices. You can also use ‘Dates / Khajur’ instead of sugar for sweetness.
For many of us it feels like a dream but as per mom and my aunts, this was a summer tradition in our home, where ladies (my grandmothers, their friends, women from the same neighborhood) all gathered at our ancestral house verandah to make pickles/chutneys together. They would each take responsibility for 1 particular task like roasting the spices, measuring the ingredients, chopping the ingredients, mixing, cooking, and so on. This was a fun time for all of them as they chit-chatted their way through and within a few hours, you get a couple of kgs of pickles/chutneys. Then the ladies would distribute it among themselves and carry on with their day’s work. All this sounded so much fun and wish I could experience this. But here I’m in our Delhi kitchen making this recipe with mom and her expert guidance.
How to Make Sweet Spicy Tomato Chutney:
The process is really simple (you’d be amazed as to why you didn’t try it before rather than buying those expensive store-bought ones) 😉
Protips for Perfect Chutney:
You DONOT Add Water in tomato chutney as the tomatoes on cooking release water and that’s enough to cook them. You Always ADD some kin of Preservative (White Vinegar/Citric Acid) to chutney to store them for longer. BIGGEST TIP – DONOT EVER USE WET Spoon / DIRTY Spoon in chutney bowl as this will spoil it instantly and result in fungus. (Phew I had done this so many time earlier that I learned the hard way, but you donot have to).
Serving the Chutney:
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Jaggery - you can use sugar or sugar substitute to make this chutney. Sugar - adding sugar gives it a nice gloss and shiny texture. White Vinegar - it’s added to preserve the chutney for a longer duration.
