Poodina Tomato Chaatni - Mint Tomato Chutney.

Mint reminds me of the feeling of young love... Ok, what is young love, do I know, not really. As giddy girls growing up in a all girls residential school, we obsessed for hours over what we felt was the difference between love and infatuation and how one lasted forever and the other was shortlived. Unfortunately 20 years after graduation and having experienced both pleasant and unpleasant encounters with men, the former category including a husband who is the amazingly devoted and patient father of my two children, I am not so sure...



I would like to classify my encounters or facination with boys during my teen years as "young love or exploration". It could be gigly, heady and sometimes just confusing. That reminds me of mintime or summertime in New York. I whipped up an attempt to replicate my dida's tomatoe ketchup and failed miserably so I decided to through in all kinds of ingredients and the result was this really interesting and confusing blend that is a cross between a chutney and ketchup and facinates most tasters.

Tomato-Pudina Chutney

Makes several servings

Ingredients

1/3 cup oil
1 tbsp panch phoron
3 lbs tomatoes coarsely chopped
6 finely chopped green chillies
1 cup vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp salt
1 onion coarsely chopped
2 tbsp dried mint

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and add the panch phoron, when it splutters add the tomatoes, onions, green chillies, vinegar, sugar and salt.
2. Bring to a boil and let this simmer on low for 2 hours.
3. This should be fairly thick, sweet and spicy.
4. Add in the dried mint and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Let this cool and store either in sterilized jars or in the refriderator.
6. I have to confess this goes pretty fast in my house, (just like young love), so I just leave it in the refrigerator.