and here’s my recipe for a simple tamarind chutney. (please don’t use the vile tamcon tamarind concentrate though.)
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Ugh, I made the mistake of buying a jar once to make some sandwiches. Tasted like ground up twigs and leaves. No mint or coriander flavor whatsoever. I ended up throwing it away.
i have to say that most coriander/mint chutney in your average indian curry house in the u.s is not much better (and is almost certainly not being made in-house).
I think this depends on where you are. Here in Southern CA, fresh mint and cilantro are available year-round, at at very cheap prices. It’s cheaper to make it than to buy that awful ready made stuff. I usually buy cilantro at 3-4 bunches for $1, and sometimes even 6-7 bunches for $1. Mint is anywhere from 2-4 bunches for $1.
All the indian restaurants we frequent have fresh chutneys. Of course, I can’t speak for places in other parts of the country where the produce may not be available year-round.
yeah, the average curry house even in southern california is reheating sauces out of large commercial vats and adding a few extra spices on top. i doubt they’re spending so much time on items that are of marginal interest to most of their clientele. my experience, of course, is not very up to date.
Is this a very thin/loose chutney? All the recipes I’ve seen before (and the way I was taught) is to simmer the ingredients together to thicken it up a bit. I don’t think I’ve seen an uncooked version before.
the thickness depends on the water-tamarind pulp ratio. but no, it’s not very thin, and it thickens further as it sits.
and uncooked tamarind chutneys are pretty common.
So has the party already happened, and what did you end up making?
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Stunned. Thank you! (Re: paneer at s&f)