Aalu bukhara chutney
Chutneys are one of the most eaten condiments in the South Asia. Chutneys can be sweet or sour or a mixture of both tastes. They usually are spicy too. Some chutneys can be eaten as they are and some chutneys are a side to sweet dishes, savoury dishes or chats and other snacks. Chutneys are usually made without any sort of heating or cooking process. But some chutneys require to be cooked.
Aalu bukhara chutney is made up of dried plum. It has a sweet taste mostly but with a hint of spiciness to it. Aalu bukhara chutney has been a famous chutney made mostly on special occasions and festivals. This chutney has been most popularly cooked on weddings. The use of melon seeds and almonds points towards the tastes of Mughal era. It is a delicious treat that is not only famous in subcontinent but also in the Britain.
Ingredients:
- Aalu bukhara (dried plum) 1 kilogram
- Sugar 1 kilogram
- Cloves 4-5
- Salt ½ teaspoon
- Red chilli powder 3 teaspoon
- Black salt 1 teaspoon
- Dried melon seed (char maghaz) 50 grams
- Almonds 20
- Nigella seeds ½ teaspoon
Directions:
Step 1:
Soak the almonds in warm water for five to ten minutes. Afterwards, remove the almond peel using a knife or squishing the almonds in hand. Halve the almonds and set these aside.
Step 2:
Soak the dried plums in water. Make sure that the water only barely covers the dried plums. Let these sit for an hour.
Step 3:
In a pot, pour in the soaked dried plums along with the water that they were soaked in. Put this pot on a medium flame.
Step 4:
After letting the aalu bukhara cook for five to ten minutes, add in the sugar, salt, black salt, red chilli powder and cloves. Let the chutney cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 5:
Add in the melon seeds (chaar maghaz), nigella seeds (kalonji) and halved almonds. Let it cook for 5 more minutes and turn the flame off and dish the chutney to serve. The chutney can be additionally decorated with silver leaf.
|
Preparation time |
Cooking time |
Serves |
|
1 hour |
30 mins |
10-12 |
