Bangali Tomato Chaatni

Ever since I discovered Bong Eats website and Youtube channel I have been smitten. Love watching them cook and listening to the earthy music. There are only a few things that I can make from their channel though as I am vegetarian. So I made their Bengali Tomato Chutney and Khichuri with papor to go along.

I adjusted the recipe to my pantry while I kept the essence intact. I used dried figs to replace dates as that is what I had on hand and used coarse red chili powder instead of whole red chili since I did not have any. Yet another change is I used lime juice instead of citric acid, natural is always better. It gives nice thickening and tartness required in this chutney. I skipped cashews because we use cashews so commonly in everything I am tired of them and don't like them in my chutney. So actually this Chaatni as the Bangali call it is now my own recipe. So here are the ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

500 g tomatoes

40 g pitted dates 

(I used dried figs)

80 g aam shotto (mango pulp candy) / aam papad 

40 g raisins

400 g sugar 

(Reduce to half next time to let the tomatoes shine)

6 g salt

2 g turmeric

20 g mustard oil

1 pc dried red chilli 

(I used 1/2 teaspoon Kutti lal mirch)

½ tsp panch phoron

½ tsp citric acid

(I use juice of 1/2 lime)

So first chop the tomatoes. Keep non-reactive material kadhai on the fire. Heat the mustard oil to smoking. Add in the panch phoron and let it release fragrance. Tip in the chopped tomatoes. Follow in with turmeric, salt and now add the red chili powder. Cook until soft and mushy. If using citric acid add at this time but if using lime juice add after complete cooking at the end after putting off the heat.

Now is the time to add sugar after the tomato is a complete mush as sugar will arrest further cooking and create a syrup. Chop the dried figs and separate out layers of aam papad (Just my thing). Once the syrup looks deep red add the dried fruits like raisins, dates/ figs and aam shotto/ aam papad. Mix well. Let it simmer till its not too thin n watery but just slightly thick and pourable.

Like they suggest remove to a clean dry jar and store in the fridge. Stays good for 2 months, that's what they said. I am sure mine will be licked up clean before that. 

This chutney is so lovely and crowd pleasing I am going to make bottles of these as giveaways soon.

Also how could I not make Khichuri to go with it. Yet again I followed their Bhoger Khichuri recipe but I used Masoor dal instead. My friend Shaswati pointed out that traditionally masoor is marked as non veg so not used in Bhog I suppose. Bichari masoor why is it red? green would have made it acceptable.  We LOLed together.

This meal was enjoyed thoroughly. Bangalis eat meals in courses unlike us Maharashtriya, we dip our fingers into multiple vatis in a Taat. This chaatni is their concluding course and not a dip or tondi lavna. More like an digestive I guess due to tartness and sweetness. 

I loved eating the gelatanious aam shotto from this chutney the most!