Tomato Date Chutney

Festive Bengali meals end on a sweet note, usually a chutney of which Tomato Date Chutney is the most common.

Ingredients:

6 large tomatoes
8 dates, deseeded and chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, cut in julienne strips
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, or to taste
1 small lump jaggery (gur)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or white)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. panch phoron *
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Cut a shallow + on the base of each tomato and submerge in boiling water until skin peels at +.  
2. Allow tomatoes to cool, peel, chop and set aside.
3. Heat oil, temper panch phoron, cinnamon stick and star anise until seeds begin to sputter.
4. Add remaining ingredients and cook for about an hour on medium heat until liquid evaporates.
5. Serve warm or chilled at the end of the meal.

* Panch phoron is a Bengali 5-spice mixture which comprises the following seeds in equal proportions:

• Fennel 
• Nigella  (Kalo Jeera/Kalonji)
• Cumin  
• Mustard 
• Fenugreek (Methi)

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