Sometimes you make a recipe regularly and it’s everybody’s favourite. Then for some reason it falls off the radar and you don’t make it any more. I used to make a batch of this delicious Indian chutney every year, but haven’t made it for a very long time.
As you can see in the photo, I have a cupboard where I store my home-made preserves. While sorting through the contents recently – to see what needed to be used up – I came across one lonely jar of Tomato Kasundi, hiding at the back. It must have been several years old, but that’s one of the good things about making preserves – properly sealed while hot they keep for years. If you open them and there’s no mould, they’re still okay.
That lonely jar disappeared in just over a week, so I decided it was time to make another batch. It should keep us going for a few months, in sandwiches and wraps or with curries, cold meats and cheese.
1½ Tbs mustard seeds
1½ cups cider vinegar
¾ cup finely chopped fresh ginger
20 cloves garlic, peeled
4 long green chillies, seeds removed
4 long red chillies, seeds removed
1¼ cups vegetable oil
2½ kg ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1½ Tbs turmeric powder
4 Tbs ground cumin
1 cup sugar
3 tsp salt
Soak mustard seeds in vinegar overnight. Place in food processor with the ginger, garlic and deseeded chillies and process till chunky-smooth. Heat oil in a preserving pan or large heavy-bottomed pan until almost smoking. Add turmeric and cumin and stir-fry for a minute. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until thick and oil floats on top. This takes between 30 and 60 minutes. Check and stir often to prevent sticking.
Heat jam jars in microwave (without the lids) for 2 minutes. Fill the hot jars with the hot Kasundi and seal immediately with the lids. Store in a dark cupboard and refrigerate after opening.
Makes 6-8 jars
Note: if you like things hot, leave the seeds in the chillies.
