tomato chutney

All grown up

Make your own tomato chutney with this simple recipe and discover a new layer of flavor elegance. This is what ketchup wants to be when it grows up. Let’s get started!

The riper, the better

Tomato chutney is best if you can find nice red, ripe tomatoes. If you are fortunate to have a garden or a good farmer’s market, this is the time. When you spot nice tomatoes in the supermarket, go for it. If neither of these is an option, don’t allow this to stand between you and tomato chutney. Canned tomatoes can be used for this recipe (4 cups). Be sure to drain them. Otherwise, your chutney may be a bit too thin.

Options, options

You have several options or substitutions when it comes to the ingredients for this delicious condiment. But seriously, we’re talking tomatoes, onions and garlic. Simple, short list. The tangy-sweet flavor comes from a combination of rice vinegar, mustard and agave syrup.  If you don’t have agave syrup, use any liquid sweetener you have on hand. You could also use apple cider vinegar in place of the rice vinegar although the end result may a bit tangier.

No seed zone

This recipe calls for deseeding the tomatoes. I find it easiest to quarter the tomatoes first and then just run my knife blade through the middle to take out the core and seeds. If you really want to be fancy, you can peel the tomatoes as well. To do this, you’ll want to add whole tomatoes to boiling water before peeling. Now, you’re making tomato concasse. 

Cook it down

When I made this the first few times, I fiddled with how much rice vinegar to add. After some trial (and error), I landed at ½ cup. That is enough to add the right amount of tang and not so much that cooking the tomato chutney down takes forever. You’ll want to allow at least 45 minutes to 1 hour for the big cooking down process. Ultimately, it will depend on your tomatoes and how thick you want it to be.

It's a bit delicate

Basil is a delicate herb as is coriander (cilantro), dill, parsley and chives for example. These fresh herbs should always be added at the end of the cooking process. Heartier herbs such as bay leaf, rosemary, thyme and oregano can be added at the beginning which infuses flavors. Follow a quick hack that hearty herbs generally have woody stems and you’ll be good to go.  

If you decide to use dry basil for this recipe, add it to the pot along with the rest of the ingredients to simmer. Dry herbs are more concentrated than fresh so follow a 3:1 (fresh: dry) rule. For this recipe, I’d suggest adding 1 1/2 tablespoons to start with and then adjusting up if you need to.  

Condiment, more than an afterthought

I think a lot about food. Seriously. I wake up most mornings with a recipe idea on my brain. Lately, I’ve been thinking about condiments. I’m not talking salt and pepper, but those special extras that can make all the difference. Whether it’s quick pickling onions making Escabeche, or adding 5-spice almonds to a salad just a tiny bit of effort can really pay off. Besides, that fun stuff keeps food interesting.

Another spoonful, please

I’ll be truthful here. We eat a lot of chips. Now that I’ve perfected them, we eat even more. This is honestly one of the best places for tomato chutney. You aren’t in roasted potato land anymore, these are gourmet chips, by gosh. Seriously, make up some tomato chutney a day or two before, invite friends over for burgers, sit back and enjoy how impressed they are.

Final thoughts

I’m aware I’ve been gushing about condiments. Perhaps because it reminds me about how ‘sides’ support the ‘main’. Supporting isn’t just promoting the main, it’s a power unto itself. Peace.

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