Achutney (pronounced[ˈʧəʈɳiː]) is a condiment associated withcuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, some raw such as with coriander, others cooked with sugar, likemango chutney. In India, the spices are freshly ground each day, and a chutney is served with every meal. During theBritish Raj,Anglo-Indian cuisine adapted Indian chutney and brought it back to Britain, wheregreen mango chutney in particular became popular. In the Western world, chutneys may be made with local fruits and vegetables, or purchased.
The wordchutney derives fromHindi/Urdu (Nastaliq: چٹنی, Devanagari: चटनी)chaṭnī, deriving fromचाटनाchāṭnā 'to lick' or 'to eat with appetite'.[1][2][3] InSouth India, chutneys are known aspachadi (Telugu:పచ్చడి,Kannada:ಪಚಡಿ,Tamil:பச்சடி,Malayalam:പച്ചടി,Marathi:पचडी) meaning traditional South Indian sauces or chutneys served as side dishes. Roughly translated, a pachadi is a pounded or crushed plant.[4]
Similar in preparation and usage to apickle, simple spiced chutneys can be dated to 500 BC.[5] Originating in India,[6] chutneys are used as spicy relishes to accompany plain staples such as rice.[3] Indian meals typically comprise a dish of meat, a dish ofpulses, rice or bread, a yoghurt relish (raita ordahi), and a homemade chutney.[7]
Some chutneys, such as freshcoriander chutney, are uncooked: they consist simply of the fresh green leaves ground up with flavourings, such as fresh green chili, lemon juice, salt, cumin, and black pepper.[9] Other kinds contain fruits cooked like a preserve with sugar and flavoured with spices such as garlic, cayenne pepper, and ginger.[10]
Anglo-Indians during theBritish Raj greatly liked chutneys and pickles, and prepared many kinds. For the pickled varieties, vegetables such asaubergines andbell peppers may be packed with chilies, mustard seed, andturmeric to give them a strong flavour; these may be cooked in mustard oil or sesame oil. Some fruits are prepared by pickling, soakingmangoes andlimes in salty water in a pot which is left in the sun. For the sweet chutneys, fruits such as mango are cooked with sugar, vinegar, and spices. Uncooked chutneys use ingredients such as green coriander leaves and coconut, flavoured with chili, tamarind, and sugar; these are prepared afresh each day.[11]
Major Grey's Chutney, a sweet andspicy variety, was supposedly created by a likelyapocryphal 19th-centuryBritish Army officer of theBritish Raj, adapting Indian cuisine toAnglo-Indian taste. Its characteristic ingredients are mango, raisins, vinegar,lime juice, onion, tamarind extract, sweetening and spices. Several companies produce a Major Grey's Chutney, in India, the UK and the US. The formula was sold toCrosse and Blackwell, a major British food manufacturer, probably in the early 1800s.[12][13]
In the 17th century, in the time of theEast India Company, British travellers to India noticed the many chutneys andpickles, calledachar. Sailors found that the preserve-like varieties were useful accompaniments to their maritime diet ofsalt meat and dryship's biscuit. Quantities were brought home to Britain, whether by individual travellers or by merchants, soon to be copied by cooks.[14] These imitation chutneys were called "mangoed" fruits or vegetables.[5]
In the absence of the heat of the Indian sun to ferment their chutneys,vinegar was added to pickle the chutney vegetables.[14] Instead of Indian limes, mangoes, andtamarind, British cooks used fresh fruits and vegetables such as apples,marrows, and onions with an equal weight ofbrown sugar,[14][15] with the addition ofdried sultanas.[14] Hot British spices like mustard powder andhorseradish substituted for chili.[14] A liking for Indian pickle-style chutneys led Anglo-Indian cooks to devisepiccalilly relish made with vegetables, vinegar, salt, and yellowturmeric.[14][15] Influenced by Anglo-Indian cuisine, chutney is often eaten withhard cheese or with cold meats.[15] Western-style chutneys may include spices and flavourings such assalt,garlic, tamarind,onion orginger.[16]
Dahiya, Ashish.Food of Haryana: The Great Chutneys. Vol. 1. India.ISBN978-93-81818-05-3.
Weaver, William Woys. "Chutney". Ed. Solomon H. Katz.Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. pp. 417–418. 3 vols.ISBN0-684-80568-5.
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