Dried Fruit Chutney
Serves 6
"Every year at Diwali, the Hindu New Year, my father was given boxes of dried fruit as gifts," recalls Mumbai-born chef Floyd Cardoz. "One Thanksgiving, I was reminded of that tradition when I was given some organic dates, and decided to make this chutney instead of cranberry sauce for our holiday table."
Ingredients
¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cinnamon stick
3 star anise pods
2 cloves
½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
¼ dried pasilla de Oaxaca chile
2 cups orange juice
2 cups apple cider
1 cup dried sour cherries
2 cups sliced dates
1 teaspoon packed grated orange zest
¼ cup peeled ginger julienne
2 cups quartered dried apricots
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 ½ tablespoons fennel, preferably Lucknow
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
¼ cup cider vinegar
Kosher salt
Directions
- In a heavy 6-quart pot, heat oil over moderately high heat until it shimmers; add cinnamon, star anise, and cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add brown mustard seeds and chile. When seeds pop and are fragrant (after about 30 seconds), remove pan from heat and carefully add orange juice and apple cider. Bring mixture to a boil and add cherries, dates, zest, ginger, apricots, cranberries, fennel, yellow mustard seeds, and vinegar. Simmer mixture briskly, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced and fruits are softened and tender, about 1 ½ hours. Stir in salt to taste.
- Let chutney cool completely before serving. The chutney keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week.
Adapted from One Spice, Two Spice: American Food, Indian Flavors (Morrow Cookbooks, 2006) by Floyd Cardoz with Jane Daniels Lear.
For more Thanksgiving recipes, including Floyd Cardoz's Turkey Cafreal, see the November 2007 issue of Natural Health.
Nutrition Facts
132 calories, 3 g fat (0.34 g saturated), 28 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 4 g fiber, 156 mg sodium (7% Daily Value).
