Loquat Apricot Chutney Recipe

Loquat and apricot may not make the most traditional chutney, but it is delicious. I’ve wanted to use the fresh loquats I got from my aunt to make a dish that really highlights the ingredient, and fruit chutney seemed like an obvious choice.

Since I made so much, I canned the chutney and stored it for future use. I let it rest for a week and opened our first jar today. The flavor was amazing. There were still some chunks of loquats in it, and the hint of spices from the red chili powder and mustard provided a mild, lingering heat that follows closely behind the sweetness of the fruit.

There are many ways to use the chutney, but I opted to pair it with roasted chicken breast wrapped in smoked turkey slices. A-ma-zing!

Indian Peanut Chutney Recipe

I served khichdi (Indian masoor dal rice) this evening for dinner. Instead of using the usual Indian yogurt sauce called raita, I made peanut sesame chutney, called "til chutney" in Urdu. It's a little time consuming but it pairs perfectly with the coral-colored lentils and rice. To make the sauce, peanuts and sesame seeds are ground into a fine powder. They provide richness to the sauce that is complemented by the sweet-acid flavor of tamarind and the kick of raw onions. Baghar is the finishing touch in this dish, as it is in a lot of Indian dishes.

This dish was passed down to me from my husband Lulu’s late grandmother. Everyone referred to her as Baji. She taught me several Indian recipes from the region of Hyderabad, and I have an entire notebook of her recipes that I have to get translated. I’ll post them here as I try them out, so stay tuned!

Idli Recipe with Coconut Chutney

Idlis (also spelled idly or iddly) are South Indian savory steamed rice cakes, very similar to the Vietnamese equivalent called bánh bò. The sponge cakes are made with urad dal, rice and water. The idli batter is fermented and steamed, which creates mini air bubbles. I usually serve them with sambar (a toor dal vegetable soup) and coconut chutney.

In India, this traditional dish is usually served for breakfast or as a snack. I think they also make perfect appetizers when we have dinner parties. I love that they're bite-size, which means they won’t interrupt conversation too much. I usually serve them in Chinese porcelain soup spoons that I place in a circle around a large serving bowl of sambar with several chutneys on the side. It’s a great way to start a party!

Hari Chutney (Spicy Indian Cilantro Mint Chutney)

Hari chutney (green) is a spicy preparation served as a condiment to pakora (Indian-style savory fritters) and vadai (fried urad dal). The preparation is very basic: a blend of green chiles, cilantro, mint, garlic and some sweetener to balance the flavors.

The result is a very intense, refreshing dipping sauce that contrasts extremely well with the heaviness of fried food. If you have extra spicy green chutney leftover, it makes a great companion to steamed fish. Once you try it, I'm sure you'll come up with your own uses for this truly versatile chutney.

Spicy Garlic Chutney

Spicy garlic chutney is meant to knock your socks off. I used Anaheim peppers which are mildly hot; you can decide on the level of spiciness by using hotter peppers such as Serrano peppers. If you're really masochistic, habanero or scotch bonnets would work as well. On the other hand, if you're like me and can't handle spicy food, you could use green bell peppers instead. 

This Indian chutney is a great condiment for subtly flavored dishes such as fish en papillote, meat, Indian potato cutlets, basmati rice and dahl or even a piece of toast. It's also very healthy for you due to the large quantity of fresh garlic. We make this chutney very often, as it stores well in the refrigerator. The only no-no would be to serve it during a romantic dinner !!