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India’s love affair with chutney is no strange fiction. You give us anything and we can blend it into a chutney. From coriander to chillies, coconut to berries, there is no stopping us. Chutney is an Indian relish or side dish that is usually consumed with main meals. It can liven up any banal spread and make you lick your plates clean before you even realise. Moreover, chutneys can also double as spreads for your sandwiches or dressings for your desi salad. If you have run out of sambar for your idli, vadas and dosa, we have a chutney that will more than salvage the situation too. And no, we are not talking about the South Indian coconut chutney or even tomato chutney for that matter. We are, of course, talking about the Bombay Chutney.
What Is Bombay Chutney?
The Bombay chutney is a unique chutney because it is much thicker and luscious in comparison to other popular chutneys. It uses besan or gram flour as one of the core ingredients. That’s right, a flour that you would typically use to make snacks, chillas or parathas is used to give this condiment its signature texture. The flavour of this chutney is derived from mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, hing, ginger, tomato, onion and red chillies. The recipe also uses the goodness of lentils like urad dal, that ground the dish. This chutney is so wholesome in its appeal that it is very common for one to confuse it with a curry.
The Bombay chutney is very easy to prepare, but you have to ensure to serve it fresh otherwise the besan present in the chutney will make it more and more thick. When you are using besan make, sure you use fresh besan, else when you are mixing the chutney you may have to wrestle with the lumps.
In addition to Maharashtra, where Bombay chutney is served in breakfast, the side-dish is also very popular in South India.
Here’s a delightful recipe for you all.
