Raisin Chutney/Raisin Pickle

My kids love raisins may be the love the ones that we get in India I can say and that’s because they

are soft plump and juicy, so the one that I had got here was just lying in my kitchen pantry and was untouched for months. Yes sometimes I do get nice raisins here but still my daughter M tells me Amma what Ajja(my dad) gets is much more tastier, and I do agree.

My mamama always taught us unless you cannot digest or the food is really rotten do not waste Food, and till date I try following her words. She even said we can through it easily in the trash but have you seen how many people are hungry in this World? Every word she said is true. I teach the same to my kids. So remembering my mamama(mom’s mom) I kept the raisins thinking I would use them soon but what was the question! I thought of halwa, but was skeptical so never attempted and just yesterday while Kudpi Raj maam and I were discussing food he mentioned about his Angoori Chutney and there it was I soaked the raisins immediately and decided to make the same.

He has made it with fresh grapes which were sour and I have made with Raisins which were sweet so I had to balance the taste and add tamarind to give it a tangy taste.

This can be relished with Dosa, chapathi or even a spread on your toast.You can call it a chutney or a pickle call as you wish but do try it. So why wait just go ahead and try this recipe either with fresh grapes or raisins choice is yours.

This chutney tastes a little near my plum pickle(which is sleeping in my draft and i will post it soon) but the addition of roasted ginger and peppercorns give it a New flavor.

This Picture is clicked from my iPhone (as i will not have my camera with me for a month or so)but i had to post it as the blogging bug in me was insisting me to ;).

Lets see how to make Grape Chutney/Grape Pickle.

What we need:

Raisins - 400 gms

Black salt – ¼ tsp

Jaggery(powdered or grated) – 2 tsp

Thick Tamarind pulp – 4 tbsp (depends on how sour you want your chutney to be)

To be roasted

·         Mustard – 1 tsp

·         Nigella /Onion seeds/kalonji -2 tsp

·         Fennel seeds – 2 tsp

·         Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp

·         Jeera – ½ tsp

·         Black peppercorns – 2 tsp

·         Byadgi or Kashmiri red chillies – 5 -6

·         Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

·         Ginger – 2 inch pc cut into thin strips

Salt to taste

Oil – 3tsp

Method:

Wash the raisins thoroughly and soak them in water (1:2 ratio that is 1 ratio raisins then 2 water as the raisins with fluff up) for an and hour or 2. This helps the raisins plump and helps in chopping.

After they have gotten soft and plum drain the water and chop them into tiny bits or run in a food processor making sure its not a paste.

While all this is done heat a pan and add ½ tsp oil in it and roast all the spices mentioned under To be Roasted one by one starting from black peppercorns and ending with sliced ginger strips. Fry the ginger till they get crisp or dehydrated.

Now allow this mixture to cool down completely and then crush them in a mortar and pestle and if you don’t have one pulse in mixer grinder coarsely.

Heat the remaining oil in a deep pan and add chopped raisins, tamarind pulp, jaggery, black salt and salt to taste.

Saute it for a minute till all mixture gets mixed well and is mushy.

Now add in ground masala and mix well.

Add in a very little water maybe 2 tbsp(*check notes) and cover the pan for 2-3 minutes and simmer the flame. Stir in between a minute.

By now the mixture must have gotten dry and looks like a thick mass. Check for salt and if everything is right it is the time to switch off the flame.

Allow the mixture to cool down and then transfer to a Sterile Airtight Glass Jar or any airtight jar available.

Keep the mixture in room temperature for 24 hours then shift it to the refrigerator and enjoy it.

Aps Notes:

The actual recipe has not used Nigella seeds but I love the flavor of Panchporan mix so I have use nigella/onion seeds.

I have used a extra spoon of peppercorns as i love its flavor and skipped a few red chilies.  

If using Fesh grapes the addition of water isn’t required much so make sure the mixture doesn’t get charred as we are using raisins and jaggery both there are chances of it. If you feel the mixture is getting extremely dry then sprinkle a tsp of water at times.

If the raisins you use are soft then you can soak them only for an hour.

If using fresh grapes and they aren’t sour then follow the same recipe.

Adjust the spice,sweet and sour according to your taste.

Enjoy Making,

Happy Cooking,