CHETTINADU CHUTNEYS

Where would I go looking for the most fabulous Chettinadu chutney recipes? In Chettinadu home-kitchens of course, where the brilliant aachis rule. But to my surprise and delight here's what I found — recipes from home kitchens, which are being made with meticulous precision at Chennai's iconic Connemara hotel, where heritage tangos with modernity.

Here, in Raintree, an elegant look-alike of a traditional Chettinad, we conducted our What's Hot Tasting Session, where I got a taste of these chutneys. But it was at night, as I sat by a limpid lotus pond and sampled the brilliant Chef Jaffar Ali's exquisite Chettinadu food, that I got the full experience. Having honed his skills and set up several new restaurants, chef Jaffar Ali visited several homes in Karaikudi and unearthed many rare recipes. I pop into the kitchen and am thrilled to see the masalas being rhythmically ground on the conventional grinding stone.

The fragrance of many an essential traditional spices be it anasipoo (star anise), sombu (fennel seeds) or venthiyam (fenugreek seeds) fills the air. I trip out on the aachis samayal thali served on a banana leaf, and on many perennial favourites. I am dazzled by the meal, starting with the vibrant deep-fried prawns karuveppellai yera, and ending with the exquisitely delicate, tender coconut elaneer payasam. But through it all, the chutneys dot my dinner, each one adding a shine and sparkle to the meal. So, I request the chef Jaffar for the recipes which he generously shares with us — broccoli chutney, kathamba chutney, mango and ginger chutney.

JAFFAR ALI'S CHUTNEY RECIPES

BROCCOLI CHUTNEY

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 8 portions
Ingredients
Broccoli:150gm
Red chilli(whole): 50gm
Onion (sliced): 25gm
Tamarind :10 gm
Garlic peeled: 5gm
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Ginger slice: 5gm
Salt to taste

For tempering

Oil: 50ml Mustard seeds: 5gm
Urad dal:10gm

Method

Make tempering with the given ingredients and add all the chutney ingredients to it. Saute the ingredients well and grind to a course consistency in a grinding stone.

KATHAMBA CHUTNEY

Preparation

Time: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 10 portions

Ingredients

Onion (sliced): 200gm
Tomato (sliced): 50gm
Coriander leaves: 30gm
Mint leaves: 50gm
Red chilli: 10gm
Tamarind 5gm
Coconut (grated) 15gm
Oil for saute Salt to taste

For tempering: Oil 50ml
Mustard seeds: 5gm
Urad dhal: 10gm
Channa dhal: 10gm
Curry leaves: 2 sprigs.

Method

Make tempering with the given ingredients and add all the chutney ingredients to it. Saute the ingredients well and grind to a course consistency on a grinding stone

MANGO GINGER CHUTNEY

Preparation

Time: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 6 portions
Ingredients
Mango ginger: 150gm, Red chilli(whole): 50gm, Onion (sliced) 25gm, Tamarind: 10gm, Garlic 5gm, Curry leaves: 1 sprig, Ginger (sliced): 10gm, Salt to taste

For tempering

Oil: 50ml, Mustard seeds: 5gm, Urad dhal: 10gm

Method

Make tempering with the given ingredients and add all the chutney ingredients to it. Saute the ingredients well and grind to a course consistency in a grinding stone.