This multi faceted chutney almost deserves to be a side dish because that’s how utterly good and useful it is. If you’re not using it to enhance everyday foods to oomph their taste then perhaps try using it as a spread on toasts, as a topping on boiled rice, as a dip for your chips or fries or even frittatas. This chutney works wth everything and keeps well for a week in the fridge and I love to have an abundance of it because how delicious is every savoury snack eaten with this chutney? It is a revelation indeed.

The chutney needs to be cooked and the ingredients are simple and not as excessive as they might appear here.

If you’re using ready to use tamarind pulp out of a packet then use it just as.

Heat 2 tbsps oil and add in the dried red chillies with cumin and mustard seeds. Stir around and let them come to a splutter.

Once the seeds gets cracking add in the ginger and garlic, green chillies, cashews and the tamarind pulp.

Stir around until well mixed. Add in the curry leaves and let eveything get a slight bit of colour.

Tumble in the tomatoes

Stir, add salt and let them cook until they’ve reduced. If the mixture feels dry, add in some water, I added half a cup of water to help the tomates turn into a mush, because a mush is what we need.

Let the tomatoes cook down and disintegrate completely before finally turning this tomato stew into a chutney. You can let this cook for longer to get a more enhanced taste. I let mine cook for about 10 more minutes.

Let the cooked tomatoes rest until not very hot, and blend.

And finaly here we are!

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Recipe ingredients

Tomatoes: 4 to 5 medium sized
Nuts: (cashews or almonds) 30-40g
Cumin seeds: 2 tsp
Asafetida: 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds: 2tsp
Curry leaves: a handful
Garlic: 6-8 cloves
Ginger: 2 inch piece
Green chillies: 2 to 3
Dried red chillies: 2-4
Oil: 2 tbsp
Salt: to taste (I used about 3 tsp)
Tamarind pulp: 50g
Water: 100mls (if needed)

Recipe Instructions

Heat oil in a pan and add in the dried red chillies, mustard and cumin seeds until spluttering. Immediatey add ginger and garlic along with green chillies and stir around. Add the nuts along with the tamarind pulp and curry leaves and let it all cook together for a few minutes until fragarant. Tumble in the chopped tomatoes, add salt and cook until all the tomatoes have turned to a mush. Add some water if the mixture feels dry.

Once the tomatoes have cooked down, cover the pot and let cook for another ten minutes before turning off the flame and letting the mixture rest for a few minutes before blending into a chutney.

Once completely cool, store in an airtight jar. It will keep well for a week, if it lasts that long.

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