Indian plum chutney

This versatile plum chutney from Ragini Day can be used with hot dishes, pungent dishes, or ones that benefit from a touch of sweetness. Plum chutney and other fruit chutneys are eaten in larger quantities than their sharper, hotter cousins, and add more liquid to the meal.

Indian plum chutney. Credit: Hardie Grant Books / Jana Liebenstein

• makes

  4 cups

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
• 2½ cm (1 in) cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 1 small onion, diced
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) plums, halved and stoned
• 220 g (8 oz/1 cup) sugar
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp ginger paste (see Note)
• 1 tbsp garlic paste (see Note)
• 1½ tbsp white vinegar

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Sauté the cinnamon, cloves and onion, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
2. Add the plums, sugar, chilli powder, ginger and garlic pastes and vinegar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cook for about 45 minutes, or until the plums are soft and almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat.
3. Leave the chutney to cool before serving (or storing, see Note). There is no need to remove the whole spices.

Note

• Ginger paste gives body and a different taste from that obtained with grated ginger. It is important to use the preparation method stipulated here, as different methods give different results. Also, it is always better to make your own paste, as store-bought pastes often contain preservatives and additives that distort the flavour. To make ginger paste, peel and chop 100 g (3½ oz) fresh ginger. Process in a food processor with 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) water to form a smooth paste. Makes 1 cup. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• Similarly, garlic paste results in a smoother texture and subtler flavour than chopped or crushed garlic. To make garlic paste, peel and chop 100 g (3½ oz) garlic cloves. Process in a food processor with 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) water to form a smooth paste. Makes 1 cup. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• Fruit chutneys such as this one will generally keep in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

 

This is an edited extract from Vegan Indian Food by Ragini Day (Hardie Grant Books, RRP $45). Photography by Jana Liebenstein (recipes) and Brett Cole (India).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.