Tomato chutney

The preserve of the Victorian Anglo-Indian kitchen: tangy slow-cooked tomatoes with ginger, vinegar and warm spices

Origin: Victorian Britain (Anglo-Indian tradition)

From the journey of Tomato.

Tomato chutney is a direct product of the British Empire; specifically the traffic of recipes, techniques and ingredients between India and Britain through the colonial kitchen. British colonial households in India employed Indian cooks who prepared chutneys daily from whatever was to hand; tamarind, mango, coconut, and eventually the tomato once it became available in Indian markets. British memsahibs brought the chutney habit back to England, and the British domestic cookbook absorbed it completely. Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (1861) contains chutney recipes, and by the Victorian era the preserve jar of chutney was a fixture of the British larder. Tomato chutney (slow-cooked with ginger, vinegar, sugar and warm spices into a thick, tangy-sweet preserve) became particularly popular as a condiment with cheese, cold meats and the great British institution of the ploughman's lunch. It is the Anglo-Indian kitchen's most durable gift to the British table.

Ingredients

Main

  • 1 kg ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 2 onions, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 cm fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 150 ml cider vinegar or malt vinegar
  • 150 g soft brown sugar

Spices

  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 0.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 0.5 tsp ground coriander
  • 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp salt

Method

  1. Combine all ingredients in a large heavy-based pan. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  2. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered for 50–60 minutes, stirring regularly, until the mixture is thick, jammy, and a wooden spoon dragged across the base leaves a clear trail.
  3. Taste and adjust: add more vinegar for sharpness, sugar for sweetness, or salt for depth. The flavour should be tangy, sweet, and warmly spiced in equal measure.
  4. Spoon into sterilised jars while hot and seal immediately. Leave to cool, then store in a cool dark place. The chutney improves markedly after 2 weeks and keeps for up to 1 year sealed.
  5. Serve with mature Cheddar, cold meats, a ploughman's platter, or as a condiment alongside curries and grilled meats.
The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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