
Gooseberry Chutney
A tangy, jam-like gooseberry chutney scented with fennel, onion seed and Kashmiri chilli. Sugar and salt balance the fruit's sourness.
Whole spices for the oil
10 gAdded to the hot oil at the start (step 2)Turmeric for the pan
6 gStirred in after the whole spices (step 3)Everything else
Method
- Heat 183 g vegetable oil in a heavy pan over medium heat.
- Add the whole spices for the oil and stir briefly.
- Add the turmeric for the pan and stir continuously for 30 seconds, taking care not to let it burn.
- Add 500 g gooseberry, lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes, until thick and jam-like.
- Season to taste with sea salt and caster sugar, adding enough sugar to balance the sourness.
- Pack into sterilised jars and refrigerate; use within 2 weeks.
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Vegetable oil

Peanut oilUse 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
GheeUse 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oilUse 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Fennel seed

AniseedUse 75% of the weight. Fry in hot oil or ghee; has a sharper, more pronounced liquorice flavour, so use a lighter hand.
Ground fennel seedUse 60% of the weight. Stir into the sauce with ground masalas; provides identical sweet aniseed flavour without whole seed crunch.
Star aniseUse one point (single carpel) per 1 g of fennel seeds. Simmer in gravies and remove before serving; gives a deeper, woodier liquorice aroma.

Nigella seeds

Black cumin seedsUse equal weight. Imparts an earthy, slightly bitter note in temperings, though it lacks nigella's oniony sharpness.
Black sesame seedsUse equal weight. Gives a similar speckled appearance and light crunch on breads, but provides a nutty rather than herbaceous, onion-like flavour.

Dried kashmiri chilli

Kashmiri chilli powderUse 1 g powder for every 1.5 g whole dried chilli; whisk with a spoonful of warm water and stir into the masala to provide identical ruby colour and mild heat.
Dried red chilliUse 35% to 40% of the weight; discard seeds before tearing into oil to temper. Delivers a much fiercer heat, with significantly less red colouring.

Ground turmeric

Ground gingerUse 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.
SaffronSteep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Gooseberry

Star gooseberryUse the same weight; it is more sour and astringent, so taste and add sugar. Good for chutney or pickle.
Green appleUse the same weight, sliced; add a little lemon juice to sharpen. Softer and less astringent.
Raw mangoUse the same weight, grated; sharper sourness, so reduce any lemon or tamarind in the recipe.

Caster sugar

Granulated sugarUse the same weight. It is slightly coarser, so stir a little longer to dissolve; in baking, grind briefly if a fine texture matters.
Demerara sugarUse the same weight, but dissolve it earlier as it is coarser. It adds a light caramel note and a little colour.
Ground jaggery or soft brown sugarUse the same weight; crush or grate jaggery first. It darkens the dish and adds molasses flavour, so reduce other liquid slightly.
Similar dishes

- Same: Both use gooseberry, onion seed, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli, caster sugar, salt and vegetable oil to make a tangy chutney.
- Different: It adds mackerel fillet, mustard oil, kasundi mustard, ginger, flaked almonds, cucumber, pickling liquor, bay leaf, green chilli, chaat masala and coriander, lacks fennel seed, uses kashmiri chilli powder instead of dried kashmiri chilli, and uses 200 g gooseberry versus 500 g in this dish.

- Same: Pumpkin Pickle shares vegetable oil, onion seed, dried Kashmiri chilli, turmeric and sugar with this dish.
- Different: Pumpkin Pickle uses pumpkin, white distilled vinegar, Kashmiri chilli powder and jaggery or caster sugar, while this dish uses gooseberry, fennel seed, sea salt and caster sugar and has no vinegar.

- Same: Kamrakh ka Achar shares vegetable oil, dried chilli and a sour gooseberry fruit with this dish, and both are cooked in spiced oil with salt.
- Different: It adds garlic, garlic paste, curry leaf, mustard seed, chilli powder and white malt vinegar, and it lacks this dish's sugar, turmeric, fennel seed and onion seed.

- Same: Grilled Sea Bream with Coconut & Coriander Chutney shares vegetable oil, dried Kashmiri chilli, onion seed, fennel seed, ground turmeric, sea salt and caster sugar with this dish.
- Different: Grilled Sea Bream with Coconut & Coriander Chutney is a griddled and grilled whole fish with a spiced salt marinade and a fresh coconut-coriander chutney soured with lime and lemon juice, while this dish is a cooked gooseberry chutney soured by the fruit and thickened to a jam-like consistency, with no fish, coconut, coriander, lime or lemon.


















