TOMATO AND DATE CHUTNEY

When I think of the quintessential chutney, a short but mouthwatering list comes to my mind. It has to be a little sweet, slightly tart, and occasionally hot. In this recipe the sweetness emanates from the dates, the tartness from the tomatoes, and the kick of heat from the ginger and chili flakes. This recipe is from eastern India, from the state named West Bengal. In India, chutney varies from state to state. While in most states chutney is usually consumed with your main course, in Bengal it is a post main course indulgence, thus generally sweet. There are numerous variations to this tomato chutney: with mangoes, additional spices, and sweetness from either palm sugar or regular sugar. This is my own version of the tomato and date chutney which I am very certain you will love.

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Serving: 4

Total time: 30 mins (Prep time: 10 mins + Cook time: 20 mins

INGREDIENTS

  • Dates – pitted and chopped, 1 cup or 14 dates,
  • Tomatoes – 2 large, diced to yield about 3 cups.
  • Ginger – finely chopped, 1/2 tablespoon
  • Ground cumin – 1 teaspoon
  • Crushed chili flakes – 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
  • Honey (Maple syrup or sugar) – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Salt – 1 teaspoon
  • Avocado Oil – 2 tablespoons

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a saucepan heat the oil on medium high.
  2. To bloom the spices, when the oil is hot, add the ground cumin and crushed red pepper flakes. It should take about a minute.
  3. Once the spices have bloomed, add the ginger and sauté for another minute or so.
  4. Add the chopped tomatoes with half the amount of salt. Cook for about 6 to 7 minutes.
  5. When the tomato starts to disintegrate into a mush, add the dates. Cover the mixture and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
  6. Both the dates and the tomato should start coagulating into a paste.
  7. Give it a quick taste to check if there is enough salt. Be mindful while tasting the chutney, food fresh of the heat can burn your mouth. If you think it’s not sweet enough or too salty, you can some add honey and that should take care of it.
  8. You may wish to skip this step and serve the chutney but I like to give it a quick whirl in the food processor or hand blender. This should not take more than 2 minutes.

NOTES

  • Tomatoes: The tomatoes used in this recipe are Beefsteak tomatoes.
  • Avocado oil: Any other odorless cooking oil can be used. Not all odorless oils are Paleo.
  • Honey: Can be replaced with palm sugar or regular sugar, about the same quantity.