Author Notes
Adapting a plum chutney recipe from the Joy of Pickling, I started out with black mission figs. At the near end of my cooking, something just seemed missing, but I didn't know what. Something was lacking in this recipe despite all the curry spice. So I added some black sesame seeds, which added a fine scaled texture to play with the fig seeds....but that was not enough . So then I added some capote capers, and they added enough sour balance to make this chutney much more interesting. I am giving one version for immediate use, but also suggesting another version suited to canning in a boiling-water bath (in parenthesis). I like the immediate use version with less sugar. This is a sweet/sour curried chutney. Freely increase the amounts for future canning if you like this chutney. —Sagegreen
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Ingredients
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1
curry leaf, optional
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1 teaspoon
yellow mustard seeds, ground
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1 teaspoon
coriander, ground
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2 teaspoons
ground cumin
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1/2 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon
ground nutmeg
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1 tablespoon
black sesame seeds, optional
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1/4 cup
slivered crystalized ginger
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1
clove garlic, minced, optional
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1/2 cup
cider vinegar
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1/4 cup
organic cane sugar
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1/4 cup
real maple syrup
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(plus 1/2 cups
sugar, if canning)
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1 teaspoon
salt (pickling salt, if canning)
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1/4 cup
red onion, chopped
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1
jalapeno pepper, diced, optional
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1/4 cup
red peppers, diced
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1
lemon, sliced and depitted
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1/2 cup
pluots, diced (or yellow raisins, if canning)
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1 1/2 pounds
black mission figs, cut into eigths
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1 tablespoon
capote capers
Directions
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In a nonreactive hot pan add the curry leaf and all the dry spices for 1 minute.
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Pour in the vinegar and sugars/syrup and bring to a boil, stirring. Add the ginger, garlic, lemons, salt, onions, and peppers; simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The chutney should start to thicken. Add the diced pluots @half inch pieces (or raisins, or a mix of the two) and simmer 10-15 more minutes.
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Add in the cut figs and simmer 20-25 more minutes. Add the capers and simmer another 5 minutes.
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Ladle the hot chutney into 1 pint or 2 half-pint mason jar(s) (making sure to leave 1/4 inch of headspace, if canning, then close the jars with hot 2 piece caps and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Store cooled in a dark, dry, cool place). Refrigerate and enjoy this curried chutney.
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