Apple and Walnut Spicy Chutney
Sev ki Sirke Waali Chutney
Mamta Gupta
This recipe is not too different from my dad’s way of making fruit chutneys, except for the additions of walnuts. Roasted peanuts, skin removed, also work well.
I have used half balsamic vinegar and half malt vinegar, because my father always made his chutneys with strong, home made, sugar cane vinegar, which had very similar dark colour and taste to balsamic vinegar. Makes approximately 2.5 kg.
Ingredients
1 kg. raw weight of cooking apples/half ripe apricots/mangoes/peaches
450 gm. onions or 4 medium sized onions
500 ml. malt vinegar
250 ml. balsamic vinegar (I use dark one)
450 gm. soft dark brown sugar or grated Jaggery
200 gm. raisins or mixed fruit or chopped prunes
25 gm. (about 5 heaped tsp.) English mustard powder (even made mustard paste works well). If you do not have it, grind mustard (rai) seeds finely and use those.
25 gm. or 5 heaped tsp. ground ginger powder(Suanth in Hindi), or use 1 tbsp. finely grated/puréed fresh ginger
2 tsp. nigella seed (kalaunji in Hindi)
2 tsp. medium or hot curry powder (I use 1/2 tsp. each of coriander, cumin and 1 tsp. chilli powder)
25 gm. or 4 tsp. salt, adjust to taste
1 tsp. coarse ground chillies
1 full tsp. home made Garam Masala
110 gm. walnut pieces
Instructions
Microwave cook walnuts on full for 2 minutes. Cool and chop coarsely by hand or in a hopper.
Peel, core and roughly chop the apples/other fruit.
Peel and chop onion finely. You can do this in a food processor.
Bring both the vinegars and sugar/Jaggery to boil in a large, heavy bottomed pan. Large pan stops the chutney from splashing all over the cooker in final stages of cooking.
Add all ingredients, bring to boil and simmer briskly, stirring from time to time, until it looks thick. Do not make it too thick, as it thickens more as it cools.
Pour into hot, sterilised jars (see below), place acid proof lids (or cover with strong cling film before placing lids.
Turn jars up-side-down to create a vacuum as it cools.
Label and store. You should wait for a month or two for it to mature and taste its best.
Notes
Sterilising jars in an oven; Place jars without the lids on an tray and place in oven. Turn heat to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4 and heat for 25-30 minutes. Jars can be sterilised separately by boiling in water for 10 minutes and then drying out on a clean kitchen towel.