I’ve been on a chutney kick lately. Chutney goes well with rice, pasta, corn cakes, and idli (fermented bean and rice cakes). It makes a great dip, but it’s so good that I’ve been known to eat it by the spoonful. If you struggle with finding new ways to pack a ton of vegetables into a meal, then chutney is a great choice.

The Recipe:

• 6 peeled purple carrots
• 1 small onion
• 1 inch peeled ginger
• ½ cup of water or more
• 1 ½ tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp black mustard seed
• 2 dried chilies, broken
• Juice from 1 lemon
• Salt to taste
• 1/3 cup of urad dhal
• 1 ½ tbsp crushed coriander seed
• 2 tsp crushed cumin seed
• 4 curry leaves if you can find them in your area, but don’t worry if not

In a food processor, blend the carrots, ginger, and onion. Heat half of the ghee. Add the urad dhal, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrot blend and sauté for a few more minutes. Once the carrot and dhal mixture is cooked, add it back to the food processor and blend.  Continue to add water until it blends smooth. Transfer to a bowl. In another small pan, heat the remaining ghee and add the black mustard seed. When the mustard seed begins to pop, add the chili, curry leaves, coriander seed, and cumin seed. Cook the spices until they just begin to brown. Pour this over the blended carrot mixture. Stir in the lemon juice and salt.

For a quick dinner, I like to add leftover chutney to quinoa pasta with a few cashews.

Ayurvedic notes: chutneys typically have a blend of all 6 tastes.  They provide a wonderful means to balance a meal.

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