I came up with this chutney when I needed to use up some uneaten fruit that had seen better days (I know, I should *never* allow that to happen with persimmons!), and needed a sweet, fruity accompaniment to an Indian feast……

…and it turned out to be the best chutney ever! The full-flavoured sweetness of persimmons means you can pack out the flavour in this chutney so it really smacks you in the face with yumminess. Seriously, if you’ve never thought about making chutney out of persimmons (not something that would naturally occur to most folks who appreciate a good persimmon in its natural state…), it’s time to start cranking those cranial cogs!

You’ll never go back to store-bought chutneys once you learn to master your own freshly-made home-cooked versions. You get all the flavour without any nasty chemical preservatives, less sugar than the store-bought brands, and all the pleasure of having made something impressive yourself 😉

Here’s how to whip up a batch of persimmon chutney to die for to go with your Indian feasts, and have your dinner guests swiping the bowl clean… 😀

Flavour: Sweet, spicy and tangy

Yield: 1 small jar of sauce, enough for 2-3 meals, depending on how much you like to use

Ingredients:

• 2 large persimmons, or 3-4 smaller ones
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced
• quarter teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon curry powder of your choice
• quarter teaspoon salt
• 6 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon vinegar (I like to use rice vinegar)
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. Chop persimmons into small chunks, approximately 1cm cubed
2. Chuck all your ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan, stir to blend, and bring to the boil
3. Reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook, stirring periodically until your ingredients are well blended and you have a chutney with a thick consistency – the flavour should be well developed after about 30 minutes
   • Amateur tip: do a spoon-test to check the consistency of your chutney – it’s perfect if you have to tap the spoon on a plate to remove the chutney 😉
4. Pop your freshly made chutney into a glass jar and store until you plan to use it – it’ll keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks

Serve as a condiment to an Indian meal, or as a dipping accompaniment with crispy, crunchy pakoras, bhajis or samosas…. yum! 😛