In the Standard's Simply Spiced series, each fortnight food writer Mallika Basu will create a recipe around a specific spice. In this instalment, Mallika blends a ginger with Bengali five spice to make her in-season plum chutney.
Plums are in season and if you can’t get enough of them, this sweet, warm and gently spiced chutney will give you yet another way to keep them bottled for much joy to come.
The spice in this chutney is Bengali five spice, which is a collection of fennel, fenugreek, nigella, brown mustard and cumin seeds in equal quantities.
It’s very versatile and can be used to temper dal, in meat and fish curries so grab a jar if you don’t have it.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil (mustard if you have it)
- 1 dry red chilli
- Half tsp Bengali five spice
- 1 star anise
- 300gm plums, washed, pitted and cubed
- Quarter cup hot water
- 4-6 tsp dark brown soft sugar
- 1 cm ginger, grated
Method
In a medium frying pan or small saucepan, bring the oil to heat on high. When it’s hot, toss in the chilli, panch phoron and star anise.
As they sizzle up, mix in the plums. Then add the hot water and sugar and bubble for 10 minutes until the plums lose shape and the chutney thickens. Mix in the grated ginger and turn the heat off.
This is delicious eaten fresh, but you can double and triple the quantities to refrigerate, store in airtight jars and use for up to one month.
You can find more of Mallika Basu's 'Simply Spiced' recipes here and follow her on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
