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Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney, Bengal style

Tomato Chutney, a symphony of tomatoes, plump raisins, luscious dates, aromatic spices, a generous helping of jaggery and a good splash of lemon juice.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Bengali
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 4 big ripe tomatoes chopped
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 10 - 12 pitted dates chopped
  • 1 tsp panchphoron
  • 2 tsps Bengali bhaja masala (dry roast 2 tsp each of cumin seed and fennel seed, 2 bay leaves, 1 red chili and grind them to a powder)
  • 2 - 3 dry red chillies torn to halves
  • 1/2 cup jaggery crushed to small pieces
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp ginger juice
  • 1/2 tbsp oil

Method
 

  1. Heat the mustard oil in frying pan. Add the panch phoron and broken red chillies. When they start sputtering, add the chopped tomatoes and salt. Saute over a low to medium flame till the tomatoes reduce to almost a pulp.
  2. Add the chopped dates and raisins and cook for another 5 minutes. Splash in the ginger juice, lemon juice and give a good stir. Now add the jaggery, a little water and continue to cook till the chutney comes to a boil.
  3. Adjust the sweetness, a wee bit more jaggery if you want it a tad bit sweeter or a dash of lemon juice if you want to balance the sweetness.
  4. Finally sprinkle the roasted masala powder and get the chutney off the heat.
  5. Cool to room temperature- this now ready to serve or be stored in the refrigerator.