One Bold Bite: Tomato Chutney

A Recipe from Leda Scheintaub

Some readers may know my food through Leda’s Kitchen, Dosa Kitchen, or my cookbooks, while others are meeting me for the first time. Either way, I’m excited to share recipes inspired by the bold flavors I love, featuring ingredients you’ll generally find right here at the Co-op. Many of these dishes grow out of the recipes I cook each week through Leda’s Kitchen and the diverse foods that capture my attention. This recipe celebrates two things I love most: peak-season tomatoes and one of my favorite Co-op discoveries.

TOMATO CHUTNEY

ingredient highlights: seasonal tomatoes / curry leaves

Tomato season doesn’t quite begin for me until there’s a pan of this tangy, hot, sweet jam-like chutney on the stove. Marion Patel taught me the recipe years ago, and Lizi Rosenberg at the Co-op once filled a room with people eager to learn it from her. It was never on the menu at Dosa Kitchen, but it found its way onto many plates and into many conversations. My first spoonful this season brought back familiar flavors and the scent of curry leaves crackling in hot oil.

Curry leaves come from the curry tree and bear no relation to the spice blend curry powder. Their flavor is pungent, herbal, and brightly citrusy. They are an essential Indian aromatic that you can find right here in the produce department of our Co-op.

Before the Co-op started carrying fresh curry leaves, I relied on visiting family, friends, and special trips to find them. Spotting them in the produce department one day felt like striking gold. Thank you, Produce Manager John Truncale, for keeping them stocked. If you cook with curry leaves too, write me. I’d love to see what you’re making and help keep them on our shelves for years to come.

Tomato lover’s tip: Since the tomatoes cook down significantly, consider doubling or

Serving suggestions:

• With scrambled eggs, omelets, or breakfast sandwiches
• Alongside dal or any number of curries
• On a grilled cheese sandwich
• As a condiment for grilled fish or roast chicken
• On cheese board with crusty bread
• Scooped up with a dosa

Tomato lover’s tip: Since the tomatoes cook down significantly, consider doubling or tripling the recipe. I make two batches in separate pans, then combine them once they’ve reduced.

Makes: about 2 cups

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sunflower oil
• 1½ teaspoons black mustard seeds
• 6 dried Indian red chilies (optional; see Note)
• 3 tablespoons chana dal (optional; see Note)
• Handful of fresh curry leaves
• 4 pounds tomatoes, chopped
• ½ to 1 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Instructions:

1. Temper the spices: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. One immediately after the next, add the spices without stirring: first the mustard seeds (they will start to pop), followed by the red chiles, chana dal, and curry leaves. Let the red chiles, chana dal, and curry leaves darken a couple of shades, without burning.

2. Simmer the chutney: Add the tomatoes, red chile powder, turmeric, and salt, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring often once the tomatoes start to thicken, for about 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are completely broken down and jam-like and the oil starts to separate. You’ll have to stir a lot, which is why making a large batch is ultimately a time saver. (Tip: most people don’t cook it down far enough. You’re looking for the point where the oil is coating the tomatoes and the mixture has reduced to about 2 cups. That’s when you’ve reached the tomato chutney sweet spot. Before then, your chutney will still be good, but it won’t have developed its fullest flavor and texture.)

3. Finish and store: Pour into a small bowl to cool. Remove the red chiles or instruct diners to eat around them, and serve. Store covered and refrigerated for up to 10 days.

Note: Indian red chilies and chana dal aren’t currently available at the Co-op. Feel free to omit them, or write to me and I’ll happily put together a care package for you.

Leda Scheintaub is a Brattleboro cookbook author and the chef-owner of Leda’s Kitchen, where she creates globally inspired weekly meals with local co-op ingredients. Visit ledaskitchen.com to join her mailing list, explore her menus, and use code CO-OP for 10% off your first order. You can reach Leda at [email protected].