Recipe: Pear Date and Tamarind Chilli Chutney
Pear Date and Tamarind Chilli Chutney has a festive feel and taste that can be enjoyed all year round
Chutneys can be created in many ways but are always served as a condiment to complement other ingredients. From rich tomato relish, infused yoghurts, or Indian-style onions, lime pickle and mango chutney served with popadoms, chutney is a condensed sweet and often salty and sour pleasure.
Add some Korean gochujang for a lovely mild spice
This version has a little fusion element going on with Koren gochujang chilli paste adding a light touch of spice that lingers softly in the background. Pears being very sweet are balanced out by a dose of deliciously sour tamarind. Lovely flavours blended together harmoniously.
How to eat Pear Date and Tamarind Chilli Chutney
- Serve with cheddar or other cheeses and crackers
- Mixed with coconut milk, chilli, vegetables, grains and yoghurt got an instant curry sauce
- Spread over buttered bread with Philadelphia or another cheese for a decadent toasted sandwich
- As a condiment to sausages or steak
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Pear Date and Tamarind Chilli Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 kg pears
- 2 onions
- 2 tbsp gochujang paste
- 300 g light muscovado sugar
- 200 ml cider vinegar
- 80 g stoned dates chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Remove cores from pears and chop them into small cubes. Peel onions and chop fine. Chop dates into fine slices.
- Combine all ingredients in a cast iron or stovetop pot. Warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat to medium-high heat so the mixture comes to a boil. Don’t boil rapidly otherwise it will reduce too quickly and splatter out over the pot. Instead, keep it at a steady medium boil and allow it to take its time.
- Stir occasionally to stop the chutney from sticking to the bottom. The pear should slowly start to soften and break down. The process should take between 45 minutes – 1 hour.
- To check the chutney is ready, run a wooden spoon through the mixture, it should be thickened, similar to a jam without and runny liquid.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool before transferring to sterilised jars.
- Chutney can be eaten immediately but the flavour will be much better after a few days or even weeks as it infuses and develops a rich deep mature flavour. Will last in the fridge for up to 1 year.