Conference turris::cooks

    Does anyone know how to make onion chutney?
    
    Taj of India, a terrific Indian restaurant in Nashua, has an onion
    chutney that is out of this world.  It consists of finely diced onions
    in a dark red sauce that is sweet and slightly tangy (delicious over
    their vegetable pakoras!).  I asked one of the waitrons for the recipe,
    only to be told it was a restaurant secret. 
    
    I've been told that it is a very basic recipe that contains diced
    onion, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, and red pepper (although I never
    detected that flavor).  I have no clue as to the amount of the
    ingredients; also, none of those ingredients account for the deep,
    ruby-red color of the sauce. 
    
    I've looked in various groceries for a commercial preparation, with no
    luck.  Seems the only chutney available is the mango variety, which is
    definitely not what I'm looking for. 
    
    Does anyone have a recipe for onion chutney, or have an idea of how it
    might be made?   Thanks in advance!
    
    

    Actually it is made up of dried dates, jaggery, tamarind and red
    chillie peppers.
    
    I will try to get the exact recipe from my wife, if anyone is willing
    to share the recipe for Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken) of Taj of
    India :-) 
    
    - Vikas

	This recipe is courtesy of Vikas Sontakke's wife.                    



    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    

	**  How to make Taj Mahal Style Onion Chutney  **

Ingredients: 6 pitted dates, 4 small green chillies, 1 and 1/2 tsp tamarind 
             concentrate, 1 tsp jaggery, half of small onion finely chopped
             few drops of red coloring, salt.

Method     : Grind dates & chillies to a fine paste. Add 1/3 cup water. Add
             tamarind concentrate & jaggery . Mix thoroughly. Break up the 
             lumps of jaggery if any. Add salt to taste.(1/4 tsp).
             Add a few drops of the red coloring to the chopped onion. Add
             the onions to the chutney just before serving.

Optional   : Add 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp chilli powder & 1/2 tsp 
             coriander powder to the chutney.     

Note       : 1/2 tsp of sugar can be used instead of 1 tsp of jaggery.
             Jaggery, green chillies, tamarind concentrate (Tamcon) are 
             available at any Indian store.  For grinding, the Moulinex Dry/Wet 
	     Spice Grinder comes in very handy.


    

    
    I'm new to this notesfile and to the USA, but I've been eating and
    cooking Asian food for some years (in the UK - which has a much higher
    proportion of Asian restaurants and shops than the US).
    
    Two things: 
    
    I noticed some references to 'jaggery' in the last few replies.
    I've never heard of it. Does it have another name/spelling. What
    does it look/smell/taste like? What is it used for? 
    
    
    I'm also interested in sources for ingredients - especially spices.
    I brought my spice cabinet with me but what I have will only last
    so long... I also desperately need to replenish my supply of Basmati
    rice - any good source for this - I live in Stow but will drive
    any distance to get good quality Basmati - the smell....
    
    Thanks,
    
    Andy
    
    
    
         
    
    
     

In downtown Concord, across from the depot on Thoreau St., is Concord Spice
and Grain.  They have a reasonable selection of bulk spices, as well as many
of the packaged stuff from Sharwoods and the like.  They are open on Sunday
afternoons, too.  To get there, from Stow, follow rt 62 east until it crosses
rt 2.  At the next traffic light take a right on Thoreau St.  The store is a
few blocks down on the left (if you get to another traffic light, you have
gone too far). From Bedford (I think I saw that in your location code), take
rt 62 west until you pass thru the "center" of Concord.  At the next traffic
light, turn right on Thoreau St.  etc.  This place does have Basmati rice, 
too.

Also, for Asian spices, there are the following places:

Joyce Chen's in Acton:Oriental/Indian  Take the 119 exit from 495, head east 
	toward Acton/Littleton. Past 2 traffic lights.  In a small shopping 
	center on the left just after a large red barn that sells used junk 
	at antique prices.
Another in Ayer: Take rt 2A exit from 495 heading west towards Ayer.  Go thru 
	a rotary and into the center of town.  When Rt 2A takes a right, go 
	straight.  About a mile on the left there is a shopping plaza with 
	and oriental grocer.  (If you pass the Fort Devens Gate, go back, the
	place is easier to spot coming the other way, because it's tucked back 
	in a corner.)
Another in (South) Nashua: In Lamplighter Square, on Daniel Webster Highway 
	South, less then 1 mile from the Mass border.  It's an Indian Grocery 
	store.

						     
							- JP

RE: .7

Jaggery is a kind of unrefined sugar.  I'll bet the Indian grocery store in
Lamplighter Square, Nashua, NH carries it.  If not, a substitute I've seen is
brown sugar and a tiny bit of molasses.

--PSW

From todays Worcester Paper 

			Apple, Pear & Raisin Chutney

	4 red Bartlett pears		1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
	2 Granny Smith apples		1/2 cup granulated sugar
	2 red Delicious apples		1/2 cup water
	1 orange, unpeeled, seeded	1/4 cup cider vinegar
	  and chopped			2 TBLS fresh lemon juice
	1 lemon, unpeeled, seeded	1 cup raisins
	  and chopped
	1/2 lime, unpeeled, seeded
	  and chopped

	Quarter and core two pears, one Granny Smith and one red Delicious
	apple.  Place in a food processor with the citrus fruits and pulse
	until the fruits are finely chopped.

	Transfer to a large, heavy saucepan, add both sugars, water and
	vinegar.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and allow to simmer 30 to 35
	minutes until mixture has thickened.

	While fruits are simmering, quarter, core and dice remaining apples,
	place in a bowl and cover with cold water to which the lemon juice
	has been added.

	When the cooked mixture has thickened, drain and rinse the diced 
	apples and pears (Maybe the pears should have been done with the
	apples in the previous step..  Didn't say in paper, but makes sense)
	and add them to the saucepan along with the raisins.  Heat for three
	(3) minutes, then allow to cool and transfer to a container and
	refrigerate.  Or, pack the hot chutney in sterilized canning jars
	and seal according to manufacturer's directions.  Allow to cure 24
	hours before serving...	Preparation time:  15 minutes
				    Cooking time:  40 minutes
					   Yield:  8 cups


			Tomatillo-Jalapeno Chutney

	1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks		1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
	  removed, rinsed and quartered		1 TBL chopped fresh coriander
	2 small sweet red peppers, seeded	4 small fresh jalapeno peppers
	  and thinly sliced			  seeded and minced.
	1 green bell pepper, seeded and		1/4 cup light brown sugar,
	  thinly sliced				  firmly packed
	8 scallions, thinly sliced		2/3 cup red-wine vinegar
	1 clove garlic, peeled and minced	1 tsp salt
	1/4 tsp gound cayenne pepper		1/4 tsp ground cumin

	Combine all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil,
	stirring frequently.  Reduce heat slightly and continue to boil
	gently for 30 to 35 minutes, until mixture had thickened.

	Transfer to sterilized canning jars and seal according to manufacturer's
	directions or refrigerate.	Preparation time: 10 minutes
					    Cooking time: 35 minutes
						   Yield: 1 1/2 cups




			Peppered Pineapple Chutney

			1 large pineapple, not too ripe
			1 cup peeled and chopped onions
			Juice and grated rind of two limes
			1/4 cup cider vinegar
			2 TBLS dark rum
			1 cup light brown sugar, packed
			1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
			1/8 tsp ground clove

	Slice the crown of leaves off pineapple, quarter the fruit lengthwise,
	then slice out the fibrous core.  Peel and dice pineapple quarters.

	Place pineapple in a havy saucepan with the remaining ingredients,
	bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat for 20 to 25 minutes,
	until most of the liquid had evaporated and the mixture is thick.

	Transfer hot chutney to sterilized canning jars and seal according to
	manufacturer's directions, or store in containers in to refrigerator
	or freezer			Preparation time: 15 minutes
					    Cooking time: 25 minutes
						   Yield:  4 cups



				Sun-Dried Tomato Chutney

	10 medium-size ripe fresh tomatoes,		1 cup granulated sugar
	   peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped		1 cup light brown sugar,
	1/2 cup cider vinegar				  packed
	1/2 cup dried currants				1 tsp dry mustard
	1 large onion, peeled and chopped		1 tsp curry powder
	3 large cloves garlic, peeled and		1/2 tsp ground cloves
	   minced.					1/2 tsp salt
	1 2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled		1/2 cup coarsely chopped
	   and minced					  sun dried tomatoes


	Cook tomatoes in half the vinegar until they have softened.

	Add all the remaining ingredients, except sun-dried tomatoes and simmer
	mixture until it has thickened, about 25 minutes.

	Cool to room temperature, then fold in the sun-dried tomatoes.  Store
	in the refrigerator		Preparation time: 15 minutes
					    Cooking time: 35 minutes
						   Yield:  4 cups

    Jaggery - Ask for GUR, might have better luck.  All i remember is
    it is made from sugar canes, is brown in colour and is awfully sweet
    and is used a lot for cooking or just plain eating and pickling
    and ........
    
    Dalip
    
    P.S.  Vikas- Are you still interested in the Butter Chicken recipe
    not from TAJ though.  Let me know and I'll send it to you.

    re .6 The onion chutney recipe
    
    	The recipe calls for 1/2 small onion. Is that correct? Is that all
    the onions in this recipe? I have't been to the Taj in Nashua to have
    this chutney but have been to other indian restaurants and there is
    always lots and lots of onions in the chutney. Is it that this makes a
    very small amount? 
    Linda
    
    

    RE: .16
    
    	It's been a while since I've made this, but yes, I think the
    recipe makes a rather small (in the opinion of this onion chutney
    lover) batch of 'sauce'.  You might try doubling or tripling the
    recipe and refrigerating the extra--just don't add the onion until
    your're ready to serve it.  
    
    You can always vary the amount of onion to suit your personal
    preference.
 
       

    re: .17
    
    Thanks for your reply. Yes, I was planning on experimenting but thought
    I'd check to see if anybody else had experimented with this recipe.
    
    Do you know if the onions loose their texture if they are cut up and
    mixed with the sauce in advance? At first taste of onion chutney I
    thought that they might peel the onions in advance and soak them in
    cold water so that they loose some of their strength, the onion chutney
    That I have had has not been strong onion tasting.
    
    Linda
    

            The  following  come  from  "Fine  Preserving",  by   Catherine
       Plagemann, Simon and Schuster, 1967.

            I have made the Peach Chutney several times and it  has  always
       come  out  rather  liquid  and  produces a greater quantity than the
       recipe indicates.  The flavor, however, is great and I am  reluctant
       to  cook  it  to  death.  After a couple of years in a jar, it turns
       rather dark (from the raisins, I suspect)  but  the  flavor  remains
       excellent.

            I have not made the nectarine chutney, but it looks good.

       PEACH CHUTNEY
       -------------

       1 quart yellow peaches, peeled and quartered (about two pounds or
         eight peaches)
       2 cups granulated sugar
       1 cup seedless raisins
       1/2 large sweet green pepper, chopped coarsely
       2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
       2 large cloves garlic, minced
       1/2 cup (3 oz.) whole mustard seeds
       2 tablespoons salt [I use about 2 teaspoons]
       1/16 teaspoon red pepper (cayenne), [or more to taste]
       2 cups cider vinegar

            Mix together in a large kettle and bring to a boil,  uncovered.
       Continue  to  heat  until it will return instantly to the boil after
       stirring.  Then boil gently for 15 minutes.

            Take off the stove and let stand for at  least  five  hours  or
       over  night,  if possible, to plump the fruit.  Stir it from time to
       time.  Then heat it again, uncovered, and cook  it  for  another  15
       minutes.   This  time  you will have to be watchful that it does not
       stick.  Then put it into jars and seal them.

            This will make 5 half-pints.  [I usually get more like eight.]


       NECTARINE CHUTNEY
       -----------------

       3 cups of peeled, pitted and quartered nectarines
       1/2 cup white wine vinegar
       1/2 cup water
       1/2 cup brown sugar
       2 large lemons (squeeze the juice into the pot, then coarsely
          chop the rind and add that, too)
       1/2 cup fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
       1/2 cup coarsely ground pecans
       2 tart green apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
       3 cloves garlic, minced
       1 teaspoon mustard seed
       1/2 teaspoon crushed chili peppers

            Simmer the whole thing gently for 1/2  hour  until  it  is  the
       proper thickness to suit you.

            This amount will make 5 half-pints.

    
    Me ole mum has made this since time immemorial. It is from the Daily
    Express (an English newspaper) dating from about 1936. I will attest to
    its greatness...and please allow a little stretching, as the green
    tomatoes are indeed considered a fruit, although not as sweet as you'd
    find with a plum, peach, or nectarine chutney....nevertheless, try it.
    It is simple, easy to make, and wonderful.
    
    Ingredients:	1.5 lb. green tomatoes
    			1 lb. apples (Granny Smiths are fine)
    			1.5 lb. yellow or white onions
    			1.5 lb. brown sugar
    			1.5 pints vinegar
    			1 oz. ground ginger
    			.5 tsp turmeric
    			1 tbsp. salt
    			3 tbsp. cornstarch
    
    Procedure....Put tomatoes, apples and onions into chopper or food
    processor, and chop coarsely. Place in large pot, add 1 pint of the
    vinegar, and the brown sugar. Bring to a boil and maintain boil for 5
    minutes. Mix dry ingredients with remaining vinegar, add to the pot,
    bring to a second boil and maintain for 2 minutes. Remove from heat,
    place into sterile jars and seal.
    
    Keep in cool place for two weeks. Once opened, it must be refrigerated,
    but as long as it's sealed, it can keep (for all practical purposes)
    indefinitely. We've kept them for two years in a cool place with no
    problem.

    Just cut this one out of the Restaurant Business magazine but haven't
    tried it yet.
    
    				CRANBERRY CHUTNEY
    
    3 Oranges
    1 Pound Cranberries
    2 Cups Water
    1 Cup Vinegar
    3 Cups Brown Sugar
    1/4 Cup Honey
    1 Onion, chopped
    2 Cups Raisins
    2 Cloves Garlic, minced
    1/2 Teaspoon each:
      Cinnamon, Allspice, Ginger, Mace, Cayenne Pepper
    1 Teaspoon Salt
    1/8 Teaspoon Red Pepper
    
    Grate orange peel to make 4 tablespoons of zest.  Discard remaining
    peel and white membrane.  Coarsely chop the orange and set aside.  In a
    6 to 8 quart kettle, combine cranberries, water and vinegar.  Bring to
    a boil over high heat; boil, uncovered, 5 - 6 minutes until cranberries
    become soft.
    
    Add orangepeel, brown sugar, honey, onion, raisins, garlic, and spices
    and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat and simmer,
    uncovered, for 1-1/2 hrs, stirring occasionally.  Stir in chopped
    oranges and simmer for 1/2 hr, until mixture thickens to jam
    consistency.
    
    Yield: 2 quarts
    
    Note:  This recipe could be ladled into 4 pint jars and sealed
    according to directions included with canning jars.  (process in
    boiling water bath for 20 minutes should do it).
    
    
    Mona
     

    
    An acquaintance, long since lost on the other end of the earth,
    once gave me some kiwifruit chutney.  I'd like to try making some,
    does anyone have a recipe?
    
    							thanks, /alan

I've had a look for a kiwifruit chutney recipe but can't find one.  This is for 
kiwifruit relish, hope it does the trick.

This relish is made by Alison Holst, New Zealands top TV cook.  

Dianne

PS: I will also post this in the relish topic (note 1990.4)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Kiwifruit Relish

2 cloves garlic
2 spring onions
1 tsp green peppercorns in brine, crushed
2 Tbsp wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Thai yellow chilli sauce (or substitue hot pepper sauce & 1 tsp sugar)
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped
4 kiwifruit, halved and skinned


Peel garlic, and put in food processor with roughly chopped spring onions, and
drained green peppercorns.  Process until finely chopped.

Add vinegar, chilli sauce and salt, process to mix.  Add coriander leaves and
quartered kiwifruit. Process carefully using the pulse button until the kiwifruit
and coriander leaves are fairly finely and evenly chopped.

Leave to stand for one to two hours before use for best flavour, but serve 
sooner if necessary. Refrigerate left over relish for a short period of time only

Serve with barbecued meat.
Serving suggestion,barbecued & marinated lamb leg steaks, avocados, tomatoes and 
new potatoes

	I found the following recipe on the Usenet and made it over the
weekend. It's unusual but really good...and it made good use of lots of stuff
from the garden (which many of us are looking for right now). In fact, I had
almost all of the ingredients right at hand. I did substitute fresh, green
New Mexican chiles (roasted, peeled, chopped) for the canned green chiles.

Article: 74499
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: wilkins@scubed.com (Darin Wilkins)
Subject: Jalapeno Chutney
Sender: usenet@scubed.com (USENET News System)
Organization: S-CUBED, A Division of Maxwell Labs; San Diego CA
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1993 11:46:00 GMT
 
 
I do not like (spicy) hot foods that are *really* hot.  A little heat is
all right, but I am not into pain.  A chili-head I am not.  However, I
must admit to being intrigued by the following recipe.  It is taken
from Jeanne Jones' "Cook It Light" column, which appears in a local
newspaper.  Usually Jones devotes her columns to reader's requests for
modifying their favorite recipes by removing fat and calories from them.
However, for this particular column, she said she had 'rediscovered'
this recipe and had prepared it to use as Christmas stocking-stuffers
for friends and relatives.  She claims that even skeptics (i.e., me)
will love the recipe.  Since a lot of netters have been salivating
about the hot peppers in their gardens being almost ready to pick, I
thought there might be some interest in this.
 
Jalapeno Chutney (makes 4 C)
 
In a large non-reactive saucepan, combine:
  1 C sugar
  2 C chopped tomatoes (about 3 medium)
  1 1/2 C tomatillos, husk removed and chopped (about 6)
  1 1/2 C onion, chopped
  2 C cider vinegar
  1 C water
  1 C golden raisins
  1/2 C fresh cilantro, chopped
  1/2 C canned green chilies, seeded and chopped
  1/4 C fresh or canned jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
        (use rubber gloves and don't rub your eyes!)
  1 teaspoon ground cumin.
Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 3 hours.
Cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate in a tightly covered container.
Will keep for months in the refrigerator.
 
One 2 Tablespoon serving contains about 50 calories, negligible
fat, no cholesterol, and 20 mg sodium.
 
Use as a condiment for meats or as a dressing for pasta salads.
 
darin
wilkins@scubed.com
________________________________
|                              |
| I will be President for food |
|______________________________|

re. .18

Can someone please tell me what a tomatillo is??

Is it a cross between a tomato and something else??

Thanks
Dianne

It looks like a green tomato, but I doubt that it is related.  I've bought fresh
ones that come in papery pods.  When the pod is removed, the tomatillo often has
a sticky substance on it that needs to be washed off.  The inside has got lots
of real tiny seeds.  I've never seen the plant.

    Tomatillos are relatives of the tomato, but they are not the same
    vegetable.  They are common ingredients in Mexican cooking.
    

    	I grow them every year. From 6 plants, I end up with more
    tomatillos than I know what to do with...one reason I was happy to find
    this recipe (you get tired of green salsas). Tomatillos are about the
    size of plums. A papery husk grows around them. The tomatillo grows
    inside the husk until it starts bursting out from the bottom. Then they
    are ready to pick (eventually, they turn yellowish and fall off the
    plant, but they become more bitter at this stage). For many salsa
    recipes, you peel off the husks, put them in a pot of cold water to
    cover, bring the water to a boil, and then remove the tomatillos. I
    toss them whole into a blender with other ingredients to make salsa
    verde (in fact, I made nachos last night with it - perhaps you heard my
    screams from the bathroom this morning!).
    	They have a lemony, slightly bitter, slightly tomato-like taste.
    The plants more closely resemble pepper plants when small...and the
    aroma is similar to pepper plants as well. They produce hundreds of
    blooms and are great for attracting honey bees to the garden. They also
    attract pests like japanese beetles and colorado potato beetles (which
    seem to prefer tomatillos to potato plants!).

    Tomatillos are actually a close relative of the gooseberry.  Their
    similarity to the tomato has more to do with their shape and seed
    formation (and of course the fact that both are a fruit, not a
    vegetable).  

Hi 

Thanks a lot for your explanations as to what a tomatillo is.  I'm sure that we 
don't get them here in NZ, but I'll start looking for them at the plant nuserys
just in case.


Regards
Dianne