We Indians love our mango, but mango season only lasts from April to July. How do we get our mango the rest of the year? Inventive Indians solved this problem long ago by finding ways to preserve mango so they could eat it all year. One answer is chundo. Chundo, or chunda, is one of the… Continue reading Chundo, A Sweet Gujarati Mango Pickle
Tamarind chutney is a condiment that is the Indian version of sweet & sour. It is made from a combination of tamarind pulp with sugar. Tamarind chutney is used on almost all Indian snack foods, from bhel to samosas. The tamarind chutney I serve is almost always chutney that I have made myself. It isn’t… Continue reading Tamarind Chutney: India’s Sweet and Sour
Beetroot raita must be the prettiest of all raitas. It will add amazing color to any plate. That’s just an added bonus because beet raita also tastes delicious. Beet raita is a yogurt side dish made by mixing shredded beets and a vaghar (tempered spices) with yogurt. Like other raitas, it provides a cooling counterbalance… Continue reading Beet Raita
My family always had pickled marchu (peppers) around. Lal Marcha nu Athanu was a condiment at every meal. My mom would pretty much automatically add two chilies from the jar to every plate she prepared. It’s not hard to understand why pickled marchu was so important. Can you imagine life without a refrigerator? Where do… Continue reading Lal Marcha nu Athanu (Chili Pickle)
I love looking at the bright yellow turmeric next to the deep red of chili powder and the neutrals of cumin and mustard seeds in my masala dubba. Turmeric is indispensable in any Indian kitchen. So many of my favorite Indian comfort foods, like a big bowl of yellow Kadhi or my Grandma’s Gujarati Dal,… Continue reading Turmeric and a Recipe for Turmeric Pickle
I accidentally spilled some fresh cranberries on the kitchen floor as I was opening the package. Our dog, Xaxi, ran into the kitchen (her superpower is the ability to instantly appear in the kitchen as soon as something falls to the floor) like she does and licked up all the cranberries in seconds. I quickly… Continue reading Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Chutney
Tomato chutney was a special Sunday treat when I was at boarding school. One of my friends, whose parents taught at the school, would let our group of four friends know that mom was making some tomato chutney later. We would quietly sneak up to their place (we had to be sneaky because we weren’t… Continue reading Tomato Chutney Bruschetta
