Flavorful Chutneys: Homemade Season’s Eatings
Quick and Easy Recipes for Orange-Ginger Chutney and
Cranberry-Orange Chutney That Deliver on Taste
Orange-Ginger Chutney | Dara O’Brien
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
Some years ago I began making gifts for most of the people on my holiday list. Because I’m not much of a crafter but a pretty good baker, cookies and quick breads were my gifts of choice.
This year I chose to expand my options and add chutneys and spice blends to my bag of tricks. Like the rest of the world, it seems, I’ve been turned onto the pleasures of the charcuterie board—including those fancy condiments that opened my eyes to what a little burst of fruitiness can do. Chutney makes something ordinary just a little more special, and that is a great thing for a gift to do.
I started with Orange-Ginger Chutney, following a recipe from Indian Master Chef Vikas Khanna from his book “Flavors First,” published by Lake Isle Press. It’s a simple recipe, and the only change I made was to substitute shallots for onion, since onion seemed a bit harsh to me. I actually couldn’t imagine onion in the mix at all, but tried it anyway, and was so glad I did.
I was wowed by the flavor of this chutney from the first taste. The mild sweetness of the shallots blended perfectly with fruity orange, zesty ginger, and hot pepper. It put me in mind of sweet chili sauce but it offers a more complex and textured option with more zing. This recipe is a keeper.
Cranberry Redemption: Chutney for the Save
I planned to bring my homemade orange-ginger chutney as a hostess gift for Thanksgiving, but at the last minute I was inspired to add cranberries to mark the occasion and upgrade the traditional canned cranberry sauce our family table usually includes.
Cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving is like a substitute teacher on the day before school lets out—it’s there, but nobody pays any attention to it. That’s certainly true for my family. Every year our Thanksgiving table boasts a side of cranberry sauce that goes untouched. There it languishes: a gelatinous crimson log perched woefully on the outskirts of the table. I hoped making it into a chutney might rescue the cranberry from side dish sidelines and get it in the game.
And it did, kind of. I brought the chutney and we served it warm; it added a tangy complement to the turkey and stuffing and was a definite improvement on cranberry sauce. Not everybody availed themselves of the cranberries—after all, old habits die hard. But the chutney saw more action than the cranberry sauce, and that’s progress.
In terms of gifting, the orange-ginger chutney has my vote, and that’s what I’ll be making for folks this year. But next Thanksgiving, I’ll try cranberry chutney again, and we’ll see if it can’t make it to the fifty-yard line.
Orange-Ginger Chutney Recipe
Click here for printable recipe.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
INGREDIENTS
2 large oranges
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
One 2-inch-long piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red chile flakes
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
PREPARATION
Use a microplane (or other fine grater) to remove 1 tablespoon zest from the oranges and set zest aside. Cut away the remaining peel and pith from the oranges. Cut the individual segments over a bowl, retaining all the juice. Remove the seeds and discard.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat; add the ginger, onion, salt, and chile flakes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the orange segments, reserved juice and zest, the vinegar, and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature, and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Cranberry-Orange-Ginger Chutney |Dara O’Brien
NOTE
To add cranberries, place 1 pound of fresh cranberries in a medium saucepan with a half cup of water, and a tablespoon of orange juice and simmer, stirring occasionally for ten minutes (until the cranberries start to pop). Next add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of brown sugar along with a tablespoon of cider vinegar and cook for about five minutes more. When it’s thick enough, remove from heat, mix with orange ginger chutney and let cool.
Orange-Ginger Chutney Recipe
from “Flavors First” by Vikas Khanna, Lake Isle Press, 2011
OTHER RECIPES FROM THIS BOOK
Brown Basmati with Caramelized Onions and Broccoli
Cabbage and Mushrooms with Turmeric-Infused Butter
Chicken Tikka Masala
Dill and Cardamom Chicken
Spring Onion and Pea Soup
Sweet Eggplant Chutney
Yellow Lentils with Turmeric and Ginger
Flavors First draws from celebrated Indian Chef Vikas Khanna's culinary journey from his native India to his experience as a Michelin-starred chef in New York. With entire chapters devoted to every part of an Indian meal (even breads, chutneys, desserts and beverages) and an ingredient and spice glossary that includes tips on handling and storage, Flavors First is an indispensable resource on Indian home cooking.
“Vikas Khanna's enthusiasm for food is so intense that it practically explodes off the page. I could taste the dishes just by reading the recipes.” —Jean-Georges Vongerichten