Delicious Chutneys and Chaats

It’s hard to believe that, with all its variety, Indian cuisine does not really have cheese in its repertoire. Of course, there are some Western cheeses being produced in different parts of India these days. I also have it on good authority that there are some really stinky cheeses being produced in the relatively undiscovered cuisine of the Northeastern states of India. But, apart from these, the only cheese we can call our own is paneer, or cottage cheese. So I was stumped with what to write for a cheese theme.

I was having my favourite snack – bites of crunchy, juicy apple alternated with nibbles of Parmigiano-Reggiano – when the idea struck. Why not create some chutney to go with cheese?

The word “chutney” stems from the Sanskrit word chatan, which literally means “to lick.” Chutneys occupy a minuscule spot of real estate on an Indian thali, but an Indian meal would be incomplete without these zingy sides. Not only do chutneys add zing to just about every cuisine in India, but the variations are as abundant as the number of hands that make them! Spanning the spectrum of flavours from hot, sour, salty, sweet and bitter – and millions of combinations thereof – these condiments come in a wide range of tastes, textures and colours and are used as dips, sauces, gravies and dressings.

Chutneys fit into two broad categories: There are fresh chutneys, which are blended with fresh ingredients and spices, do not require any cooking and have a fairly short shelf life. One example is coconut chutney, a grainy, pale-green chutney made by blending freshly grated coconut with green chilies, curry leaves and split chickpeas. This is served with the spicy masala dosa from South India, a thin pancake that is filled with a mixture of tempered potatoes.

And then there are the cooked chutneys, in which all manner of fruit, vegetables, spices and herbs are combined and slowly simmered over low heat until they form a delicious blend of flavours. Tamarind chutney, made of tamarind pulp, jaggery (unrefined sugar), ginger and spices, is a glazed, dark-brown, hot, sweet, spicy, tangy, savoury mélange of flavours and a welcome companion to many Indian snacks and the distinctive ingredient in many street foods called chaats. 

It is from this second that I took inspiration for a couple of fruit chutneys. Cooking figs with spices like cinnamon, clove and peppercorn (which is what garam masala contains) and apples with chilies creates both a sweet and savoury profile that coaxes both complementary and contrasting flavours in cheese. Pair the Spicy Fig Chutney with blue-veined cheeses, such as blue and Gorgonzola, and serve the Apple and Chili Chutney with semi-soft cheeses like havarti, Muenster and Monterey Jack.

While I was shopping for the ingredients for the chutneys, I spotted purple California grapes and luscious red strawberries. Chilled fruit chaats came to mind.

In the wedding story I did last month, I wrote about chaats. Like chutney, the word “chaat” also stems from the Sanskrit word chatan and describes a variety of dishes that belong to the street-food section of Indian cuisine. Chaats are so delicious that it is hard to resist licking the last morsels off the environmentally friendly leaf “plates” that they are traditionally served on!

Chaats need not be hot enough to blow off the top of your head (although that is a favoured option), but they are most often irresistible combinations of flavour, texture and taste!

While chaats cover a huge range of offerings, one version that is favoured all over India is fruit chaat. Fruit is combined with spices, chilis and rock salt and tossed into a sort of spicy, fresh-fruit salsa. It makes for a mouth-watering combination! Try these fruit chaats as an alternative to fruit on a cheese platter. The succulent strawberries and purple grapes, bursting with sweet juice and playing peekaboo with aromatic coriander (or mint), are a treat for the senses and will quickly become a favourite pairing with salty soft cheeses, such as feta.

Apple and Chili Chutney Recipe

Spicy Fig Chutney Recipe

Strawberry Chaat Recipe

Grape and Green-Chile Chaat Recipe

Photography by Mrigank Sharma