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sweet spicy tomato chutney

Tangy Tomato Chutney: Sweet, Spicy and Easy to Make

Finely chop/mince onions and tomatoes; cook in microwave separately until some of the juices dry out. Heat oil, add pounded cloves and onions. Saute briefly, then add tomatoes, Kashmiri chilli powder, paprika, salt and sugar. Simmer until mixture is almost dry, then add raisins and set aside to cool. Stir in Garam Masala, clove powder and vinegar. Serve with your favorite snacks. Enjoy!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
resting time to allow flavors to blend 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Condiment
Cuisine East-West Fusion, Indian
Servings 8 people
Calories 42 kcal

Equipment

  • Electric chopper or food processor preferred if not available, use a manual chopper or a sharp knife to mince onions and tomatoes
  • Microwave oven preferred if not available, follow alternate directions in Recipe Notes
  • Microwave-safe glass/ceramic dinner plate I do not recommend using plastic plates; don't need if not using microwave
  • Vented Microwave-safe dome-shaped lid
  • Wide, heavy-bottom skillet / frying pan (10 inch/ 25 cm) non-stick or stainless steel Do NOT use cast iron for cooking tomatoes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup Onions - minced or finely chopped White/yellow onions preferred; shallots are fine; if not available, red onions are OK, but the deep purple color of the onions gives an unappealing color to the final chutney.
  • 2 cups Tomatoes - chopped 4-5 medium Roma; choose tomatoes that are ripe and deep crimson red - this gives the best color to the chutney.
  • 2 tsp Oil I like to use peanut oil; or use any mild flavored oil of your choice
  • 4-5 whole Cloves pounded lightly in a mortar and pestle to release flavor
  • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder gives lovely color without excessive heat; if not available, use 1/4 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne); add a bit more if you want it to be a bit more spicy - up to to 1/8 tsp more
  • 1/2 tsp Paprika for good color without heat - if not available, OK to omit
  • 3/8 tsp Salt adjust at the end - add up to 1/8 tsp more if you prefer
  • 2 tbsp Sugar adjust at the end - add up to 1/2 tsp more if you prefer a slightly sweeter Chutney
  • 12 whole Raisins about 1 tsp
  • 1/8 tsp Garam Masala powder if not available, see Recipe Notes for a workable substitute
  • 1/8 tsp Clove powder if not available, pound 1-2 cloves till finely powdered in a mortar and pestle
  • 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (add up to 1 tbsp more if you want extra tang) unfiltered (with the mother) preferred; if not available, see Recipe Notes for using other varieties of vinegar

Instructions
 

Prep the onions, tomatoes and cloves; Follow the suggested work plan to save time.

  • Dice onions- medium, then finely chop/mince in chopper.
    mince chopped onions
  • Chopped/minced onions
  • Transfer minced onions to a microwave-safe dinner plate (glass/ceramic)
    minced onion -to cook
  • Cover with vented microwave-safe lid and microwave on Hi for 2 min - the onions become translucent
  • While onions cook in the microwave, dice tomatoes -medium - then chop/crush in a chopper or food processor - do not blend smooth
    making crushed tomatoes
  • Crushed tomatoes
  • Stir the partially cooked onions,, collect in the middle of the plate cover and microwave on Hi for another 1-2 min
  • Stir, collect to the middle and microwave on Hi for 1-2 min: stir after one min to check for scorching in the middle. (You might not need to cook any further after 1 min.)
  • The onions should look fairly dry and very lightly browned in the middle.
    lightly browned onions
  • Transfer the cooked onions to a small bowl and add the crushed tomatoes to the same plate.
    crushed fresh tomatoes
  • Cover with a vented microwave-safe lid and microwave on Hi for 3-4 min. The cover catches splatter from the tomatoes as they cook and the vents allow steam to escape, which helps dry out the tomatoes. (This saves time while making the chutney)
    cooked crushed tomatoes
  • Meanwhile, lightly crush/pound 4-5 cloves in a mortar and pestle - this helps to release its flavors into the chutney.

Make the Chutney : Yields about 1 scant cup of chutney

  • Heat oil in a wide, heavy bottom frying pan, then add cloves and onions.
  • Saute for 1-2 min on low heat, stirring constantly, till onions are lightly browned - do not let them become too dark.
    browned onions with cloves
  • Add the cooked crushed tomatoes
  • Add Kashmiri chilli powder (or red chilli powder/cayenne), paprika, salt and sugar.
    Making sweet tomato chutney
  • Stir and cook, uncovered on low-medium heat for 3-4 min till most of the juices dry out. Stir periodically to prevent sticking and burning on the bottom.
    Stir in raisins and set aside to cool - uncovered.
  • When cooled to lukewarm, add Garam Masala and clove powder. Stir and set aside for 5-10 min to cool further.
    add garam masala to chutney
  • When the chutney cools to room temperature, add apple cider vinegar and sir to mix well. Taste-test and adjust salt and sugar. Also add more red chilli powder if you like. Set aside to rest for 10-15 min.
    If it looks too dry, add a little water (1-2 tsp) - don't add too much, you don't want it to become too runny. See pic for texture and consistency.
    Serve with your favorite snacks - Samosa, Kachori, Pakoda, Appey (pictured), Tempura, Spring rolls, Quesadillas... and even plain old potato chips or simple salted crackers (pictured).... or spoon some over a chunk of cream cheese and serve with crackers.
    Enjoy!
    sweet spicy tomato chutney

Notes

No Microwave oven?
No worries... you can do all of this on the stove-top too, it will just take a bit longer. 
  • If you have TWO heavy bottom skillets, it will save you some time:
    • Cook the onions on one pan and the tomatoes in another pan.
      • Heat pan, add oil , cloves and the minced onions, stir, cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 min, stirring periodically to prevent sticking and burning
      • Meanwhile, place minced tomatoes in a second heavy bottom pan (or you can use a heavy bottom saucepan too - 2 qt/2L), cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 min, stirring periodically to prevent sticking and burning
      • Remove cover and continue to cook the onions until they start to brown an caramelize a bit - just little hints of brown - see the pic in the main recipe directions - do NOT brown them too much!
        • if you let the onions become too brown, the color of the final chutney will not be quite as pretty
      • Repeat the process with the tomatoes in the other pan - allow the juices to dry out a bit  and turn the heat off.
      • Proceed as per the directions in the main recipe.
 
No Garam Masala on hand?
Make a small batch of a substitute "quick mix" that you can use in a pinch...
It's not quite as flavorful as "real" Garam Masala, but will work fine in this recipe, adding some complex flavor notes to the chutney.
Mix the following together: press the mixed powders with the back of a sturdy spoon to really blend the spices together (or use a small mortar and pestle):
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/8 tsp clove powder
  • 1/8 tsp freshly crushed black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom powder - pound the seeds from one black cardamom ( use green cardamom if black is not available)
  • a tiny pinch of mace powder (or nutmeg powder): do not add more!
This will make more than you need for this recipe: store leftover mixture in the freezer if you don't plan to use it often. I would recommend using a small glass jar to store it.
 
No Unfiltered Apple-cider vinegar?
If you only have filtered and sterilized apple cider vinegar, no worries, just use that instead. The unfiltered vinegar with the 'mother' is probiotic and has more nutritional benefits.
Use one of these alternatives instead:
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar + 1 tbsp water + 1/8 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar +1 tbsp water + 1/8 tsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp Rice vinegar + 1/8 tsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp white distilled vinegar + 1 1/2tbsp water + 1/8 tsp sugar
    • this is usually a bit sharper in taste and is not nearly as flavorful
      • add a pinch of clove powder to enhance the flavor
 
Want to make a larger batch? Do it in advance!
If you're planning to make this for a larger crowd, it's easy to scale up. However, know that it will definitely take significantly longer to get all the juices from the onions and tomatoes to dry out sufficiently.
  • I would highly recommend making a larger batch a day or two in advance and storing it in the refrigerator.
  • Alternatively, at least get the onions and tomatoes prepped and cooked in advance (1-2 days is fine). Then you can finish making the chutney on the day you wish to serve it.
 
Storing Leftovers:
Store any leftover Chutney in a glass jar with a good lid
In Refrigerator:
  • Good for about a week, possibly longer
In Freezer:
  • Good for about 2 months, possibly longer
 

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbspCalories: 42kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.5gTrans Fat: 0.001gSodium: 197mgPotassium: 153mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 185IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Apple Cider Vinegar, Chatni, cloves, Dipping sauce, Fresh Tomatoes, Indian Chutney, Onion, Raisins, Sweet and Spicy, sweet-spicy, Swwet & Sour Chutney, tangy, Tangy dip, Tangy spread, Tomato dip, Tomato relish, Tomato spread, Vinegar
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