A dynamic chutney duo to use like ketchup or pesto

tamarind-date chutney and cilantro mint chutney jazz up meals anytime

Hello everyone,

Thanks to all who enthusiastically entered last week’s Anyday giveaway. Congratulations to Linda for winning the set!

Some questions and comments from folks:

What do I often cook in Anyday dishes aside from the things mentioned in the article? I like to experiment with Anyday because it’s kinda fun. Right now, I often use them for sticky rice dishes (there are many PTFS sticky rice recipes you can use but I linked to the Master Recipe to get you started), steamed fish, and daikon radish cake.

One experiment I recommend you avoid: Using Anyday on the stovetop. They are not designed for that. Oven and microwave — yes. Stovetop — no.

How to store ginger?

• From Kristie: I have a tip regarding ginger. I cut it into 1-inch pieces and store it in the freezer so I always have some when I need it.

• From me: Freezing is fabulous. Peel the knobs first, if you like. I store ginger for at least a month in ziploc bags in the vegetable bin.

I just added these two tips to the Ginger Buying Guide so you have them all in one place.

Today’s content differs from the usual. Because we’re heading into a long national holiday weekend the U.S., and this Sunday will the be first one in July, all subscribers have open access to the content, I’m combining the two. That’s to say, today’s Midweek Gem is also a weekly Special. You won’t hear from me this coming Sunday because you ought be chillaxing by the grill.

If I’ve done my job well, one or both of these no-cook, instant chutneys will be part of your menu!

To build your tamarind repertoire (you’ve made tamarind liquid from the master recipe or are pondering doing it, yes?), let’s prepare Tamarind-Date Chutney.

Tamarind plays a rich, deep role in Indian cuisine so it’s appropriate to take cues from the Subcontinent. In fact, its name is rooted in the notion of tamar-in-hind (“the fruit of India”), which it was called by Arab traders who likely identified tamarind as being similar to their beloved dates of the Middle East. Given that, combining tamarind and dates in one condiment is a winning situation.

Tamarind-date chutney is thick, smooth, and luxurious looking, like the “Fine Corinthian Leather” that Ricardo Montalbán hyped for Chrysler in the 1970s. Its flavor is sweet-tangy with back notes of chile and cumin. When making it the other day, I couldn’t resist licking the last bit off the spatula as part of my clean up duties. The chutney is nearly candy-like.

Tamarind-date chutney is so thick that a spreader stands straight in it (I'm not holding it up). And cilantro-mint chutney (aka green chutney) is wowza green. Whirl them up in no time!

Tamarind-Date Chutney is simply made in a blender or processor, so while you have the machine out, why not make another instant Indian condiment — Cilantro-Mint Chutney? The two are often paired together. Plus, summer is when cilantro and mint are plentiful so put the herbs to good use.

Easy to make, eat, and clean up. Plus, I've got lots of mint in the garden for future batches.

Cilantro-mint chutney is vibrant green with a pungent lick of garlic and fruity chile heat. You can make it as hot as you like with green chiles. It’s a great counterpoint to the tamarind’s sweet bent. When either is prepared at home, you can control the consistency and flavor.

My recipes yield elegant, plop-able chutneys. They say something special and help the food they touch to be more than their original selves. Both keep extremely well in the fridge and freezer, too!

What can you use these chutneys for?

• Smear or use them to dip anything fried or baked to a crisp (e.g. samosas, French fries, tater tots, pakoras, aloo matar tikki)

• Spread onto a grilled cheese sandwich, quesadilla, hamburger, or hot dog

• Mix the cilantro-mint chutney into warm rice noodles or plain rice for an instant flavor uplift and jade green makeover

• Serve the tamarind-date chutney with grilled proteins or veggies. It was fabulous with Spicy Tamarind Glazed Tofu and Chicken, like a tamarind two ways, or tamarind on tamarind but not the same tamarind treatment. Rory said, “The tofu is extra amazing with the chutney! Who misses the meat?” I like dragging the green beans through the chutney as much as I like swiping tofu or chicken through it.

Equipment note

I’ve made both of these in a Ninja mini food chopper. Alex C. tipped me off that the small appliance functions like a cross between a small blender and a food processor. I was intrigued but admitted have been scared off by Ninja’s double blender blade design. As it turns out, the mini chopper blade and bowl design were just great for both of these chutneys.

Ninja mini chopper is proving to be very useful and efficient.

The material (ingredients) fit nicely in the smallish container so I didn’t have to pause and scrape it up very much. I could weight ingredients then put the lid and top on and whirl away. I like it and will keep testing it.

Do you have thoughts on the Ninja ‘express’ chopper? I’ve been meaning to review mini choppers because I’ve tried 3 of them in the past 5 years. I have thoughts on what’s good for different needs. But, the Ninja continues to surprise me.

Recipes

Tamarind and Cilantro-Mint Chutneys

220KB ∙ PDF file

Download

So easy to make and eat, you'll want to keep these in rortation.

Download

Tamarind-Date Chutney

✅ If your dates are hard and chewy, soak them in just-boiled water for about 1 hour to soften them. Drain and then use them for the recipe.

Makes 1 1/2 cups (360ml)

Ingredients

• 180ml | 3/4 cup Tamarind Liquid

• 120ml |1/2 cup water

• 150g | 5 oz pitted Medjool dates, coarsely chopped or torn (8 to 9 dates)

• 40g | 1/4 lightly packed cup light brown sugar, jaggery, or palm sugar

• 1/2 plus 1/8 tsp fine sea salt

• 1/2 plus 1/8 tsp ground Kashmiri chili or cayenne

• 1/2 plus 1/8 tsp pounded toasted cumin or ground cumin

• Lemon or lime juice, to taste

Instructions

Whirl away: In a processor or blender, combine the tamarind liquid, water, dates, sugar, salt and cayenne. Whirl into a smooth, thick mixture, pausing as needed to scrape down the walls. Ideally, the result is thick enough to mound on a spoon. If you want a thinner sauce, whirl in water by the 1 Tbsp.

Check and finesse flavor: Scrape into a bowl and stir in the cumin to craft a pungent finish. Let sit for 10 minutes, then taste and add pinches of salt for savoriness, chili for heat, or cumin for pungency. Squeeze in some lemon (or lime) juice to curb sweetness. You’ll have to adjust flavors if you added lots of water or if the tamarind is on the sweet side. The chutney blooms in flavor when left to sit for a few hours. Enjoy or refrigerate in a jar for up to 2 weeks. Freeze for up to a month or more!

Green Chutney

✅ Keep the chili seeds and fleshy placenta for fruity heat.

✅ If peanuts are not your thing, use cashews or sunflower seeds. The nuts add body and richness while helping to prevent the color from turning too dull.

✅ The chutney’s color fades over time but the flavor remains good.

Makes 2/3 cup (180ml)

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp peanut butter or 3 Tbsp coarsely chopped peanuts

• 1 or 2 hot green chiles, such as Thai or serrano, coarsely chopped

• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

• 1 tsp white granulated sugar

• 60g | 2 cups packed coarsely chopped cilantro sprigs

• 15g | 1/2 cup packed mint leaves

• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Instructions

In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients. Whirl into a smoothie-like texture. Pause as needed to scrape the sides. If needed, add water by 1 tsp to get things moving. Scrape into a bowl, let rest 10 minutes, then taste and adjust flavor with extra salt or sugar, if needed. Eat up, or chill for up to 3 days or freeze for a month or so.

Have a terrific weekend with or without these luscious chutneys. (I hope it’s the former, not the latter.) As a parting note, here’s a Duolingo Vietnamese language lesson that I got today:

How to say that phrase: