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Kul er chutney
Jujube chutney
কুলের চাটনি: sweet-sour ber fruit chutney with jaggery and panch phoron
Many Bengali families do not eat kul (Indian jujube, or ber) all winter until it has been offered to Goddess Saraswati, so on Saraswati Puja the first taste usually comes as this glossy chutney at the end of the khichuri bhog. Fresh or dried kul is simmered with jaggery, a tempering of panch phoron and dried red chilli in mustard oil, and finished with a touch of roasted spice powder, giving a sticky, sweet, sour and mildly hot relish. Dried kul gives a darker, chewier chutney; fresh kul is brighter and tangier. Common mistake: cooking it too thick on the stove; the chutney sets firmer as it cools, so stop when the syrup coats a spoon and runs off slowly. Chef's tip: prick each fresh kul with a fork before cooking so the syrup gets inside instead of the fruit bursting.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the chutney
- 9 oz kul (ber), fresh or driedrinsed; fresh ones pricked
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp panch phoron
- 1 ¼ cups water400 ml for dried kul
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 oz jaggerygrated
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: If using dried 9 oz kul (ber), fresh or dried, soak it in warm water for 20 minutes and drain.
20 minStep 2: Heat 1 tbsp mustard oil in a pan until it just smokes, then lower the heat. Add 1 tsp panch phoron and 1 dried red chilli and let them crackle.
1 minStep 3: Add the kul, stir for a minute, then add 1 ¼ cups water, ¼ tsp ground turmeric and ½ tsp salt. Simmer for 10–12 minutes until the fruit is soft and the skins wrinkle.
12 minStep 4: Add 4 oz jaggery and simmer for 8–10 minutes more, stirring, until the syrup is glossy and coats a spoon, running off slowly.
10 minStep 5: Stir in ½ tsp roasted cumin and chilli powder (bhaja moshla), cool and serve at room temperature. It keeps for a week in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kul er chutney take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of dried red chilli?
- ½ tsp chilli flakes per chilli.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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