Chutney -The Impulse of Taste

The fruit-bearing Mango-Tree

Chutney is an item of Indian veg-thali (Veg-Lunch). You may find its name in English as a sauce but the Chutney is simply Chutney. Chutney is pronounced as Chat-nee (चटनी) which means "the thing which is licked". It is touched with the tip of the finger and the finger is licked. The reason for licking is that the Chutney is intense in taste because of hot green/red chilly and sour ingredients like Tamarind, Lemon or Raw Mango. The licking of Chutney during food eating is like throwing a stone in the tranquil pond of taste. Its quantity in the "Thali" is small like pickles.

Raw Mango for Chutney
आम की चटनी के लिए बढ़िया कच्चा आम

Usual homemade Chutneys are -Mango Chutney, Tamarind Chutney (इमली की चटनी), Gram Pulse Chutney (चने दाल की चटनी). "Amda" Chutney, Mint Chutney, Raw Banana skin Chutney, etc. From the month of March, Raw Mangos are available in the market. So the Raw Mango Chutney becomes a regular item in the "Thali".

Jeera-Aam ki Chutney
Mango-Cumin seed Chutney

It is easy to prepare. You can make it in two varieties. One with adding cumin seeds and other with adding mint leaves. For both the varieties, you need to peel off the green skin of raw mangos and deseed them. Make the fleshy (गूदा) part in small pieces. For the Mango-cumin-seed Chutney (जीरे -आम की चटनी) you should put the mango flesh in a mixie-jar along with dry red chilly, roasted cumin seeds, salt and a small quantity of sugar. Make it a coarse pulp and your Mango-cumin-seed Chutney (जीरे -आम की चटनी) is ready. It has sweet, sour and salty taste along with the aroma of cumin seeds.
For the Mango-Mint Chutney (पुदीने -आम की चटनी) you have to add chilly, Mint leaves and salt to the mango flesh and make a coarse pulp in a mixie jar and your Mango-Mint chutney is ready to add taste to your food.

Some people prefer mortar-pestle to make Chutney instead of mixie. Mango chutney is a seasonal item. Similarly, the "Amda" Chutney can be prepared. Just replace the mango flesh with raw "Amda" which are still not fibrous. "Amda" is called 'Hog plum' in English. Some people also call it "Jungli-Mango".

Other types of Chutney, like Tamarind Chutney, can be made yearlong because of the availability of Tamarind throughout the year. Tamarind Chutney has a divine combination with "Dahi-vada".

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