I’d say “it’s that time again!” except that it’s not– this is my the inaugural post for Asian Food Friday. It’s a good idea, right? After all, what better time that the weekend to sit in front of the TV peeling ginger for a stir fry or a curry or… the wonderful tomato chutney recipe here!

Maybe I’ll start with “It’s that time again” next Friday, and we can get a Mr. Rogers thing going on here. How would you like that, kids?

Sweet-and-Simple Tomato Chutney

I love this recipe. Partly because it’s sweet and tangy and really really good. And partly because it doesn’t need to sit in a dark cave for three weeks while you whisper voodoo spells over it like most chutneys. I think the fact that it’s easy make it taste better– but I think that about most foods. This is wonderful with just about any Indian dish, but also tastes wonderful spread on toast with a little cream cheese, and even makes a wonderful salad dressing. Very versatile.

If you have tasty summer tomatoes, use fresh. Otherwise, canned is great, too. Makes 2 1/2 cups of chutney.

Ingredients:
1 head garlic
2 tbsp. peeled sliced ginger
1 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne
2 tbsp. golden raisins (I chop mine)

Instructions: Peel and coarsely chop the entire head of garlic.

Dump the can of tomatoes (with juice), the vinegar, the salt, sugar, and cayenne into a heavy bottomed pot. Break up the tomatoes slightly and bring the mixture to a boil.

Meanwhile, combine garlic with 1/2 cup of vinegar and the sliced ginger in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.

When tomato mixture is boiling, add the garlic mixture.

Bring back to a boil then lower heat and simmer chutney uncovered for a 1.5 to 2 hours, til thick. Add raisins. Simmer another 5 minutes.

The amount of cooking time will depend on the amount of liquid and the cooking heat. You may need to adjust cook time depending on the amount of liquid. The cooked and completed chutney should coat the the back of a spoon.

Let cool, then refrigerate. Should keep about two weeks in the refrigerator.

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