Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney cooks grated tomatoes down until most of their liquid has evaporated, then sharpens them with garlic, ginger, cumin, lemon, sugar, and chili.

Tomato paste and the seasonings are added only after the fresh tomatoes have reduced. A short final sauté concentrates the mixture without turning it into a long-cooked sauce.

Olive oil goes in at the very end. The source notes that the oil helps preservation, while the small batch size also makes the chutney practical to prepare fresh.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup tomatoes, grated
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

Sauté the grated tomatoes in a small frying pan over medium heat. When most of the tomato liquid has evaporated, add the tomato paste, garlic, ginger, cumin, salt, lemon juice, sugar, and chili powder. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the olive oil, stir for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat. Serve warm or cool. If desired, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; without the oil, the source limits storage to about 2 days. Makes 1/2 cup.