Zesty green tomato chutney (Kacha tamatar chutni)

Green tomatoes are common in India if you know where to look for them. They are used as a souring agent in numerous dishes, dals, curries, and chutneys. Here is a lovely, robust chutney.

This elaborate chutney also uses saffron and green mangoes. The perfect combination of sweet and sour makes it a lovely condiment. The hint of sweetness is ideal, but do not expect it to be spicy. I like to serve this as a condiment, but smeared on burgers and sandwiches.

Yamuna Devi's cookbook is probably the first I bought when I moved to the US 30 years ago for my Ph.D. Over the years, I have cooked almost half the recipes. It is the cookbook that taught me techniques and flavour profiles and always gave me wonderful meals. This vegetarian cookbook is essential on any shelf; it is the bible of Indian vegetarian cuisine.

For more recipes from this fantastic cookbook, click here.

Ingredients: 2-3 tablespoons mustard oil or ghee

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

10 curry leaves

1-2 green or yellow chillies, minced, or to taste

4 medium green tomatoes, finely diced

A generous pinch of saffron

Salt, to taste

1 tablespoon candied ginger, minced

1/2 cup green papaya or green mango, finely diced or grated + to garnish

Water, as needed

1 tablespoon cilantro, minced

Heat the oil in a small saucepan. If you are using mustard oil, get it to smoking temperature to temper the spiciness of the oil. Add the mustard seeds, they will pop in 10 seconds. Add the curry leaves and green chillies and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 20 seconds.

Add the green tomatoes, saffron, and salt, and cook for 15 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and beginning to break down. Add a half cup of water if the mix gets too dry.

Add the green mango/papaya and ginger and stir in well. Cook for an additional 10 minutes on a low flame to allow the flavours to integrate—taste for salt.

Remove from the flame and mix in the cilantro. Ladle into a small bowl and garnish with extra green mango. Serve at room temperature.