Puli Inji 1- Ginger Tamarind Chutney

One of the key elements of the Onam Sadya (harvest festival lunch) is the puli inji. Sweet, sour, hot and tangy, it plays on the tongue long after you have finished your meal. It is supposed to have digestive benefits because of the ginger.  It is generally made into a smooth chutney form, today I have left it a bit lumpy so I can taste the ginger bits in the sauce.

Ingredients:

1/2 a cup of peeled roughly chopped ginger

1 lime sized tamarind soaked in hot water (or 3-4 tablespoons of tamarind paste)

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/2 a teaspoon of mustard seeds

1/2 a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds (roughly ground)

10-12 green chillies chopped

2 sprigs of curry leaves

1/2 a teaspoon of chilli powder

salt to taste

1 lump of jaggery / brown sugar - roughly powdered (about 2 - 3 tablespoons)

Method:

Squeeze the tamarind and get the juices out - about 200 ml in a cup.

Put the roughly chopped ginger in the blender and give it a whiz to get smaller pieces. Do not make it ginger paste.

Heat oil in a wok, add mustard seeds.  When they burst, add the fenugreek seeds, chopped chillies, ginger, chilli powder, salt and curry leaves.  Saute for a few minutes till the oil gets infused with the smell of ginger. At this stage the ginger gets a golden brown hue.  Next add the tamarind water and the jaggery. Cook on a low flame till the jaggery melts and the tamarind reduces to a thick and honey like consistency, and the oil floats on the top.

Take off the flame, cool and store in a sterilized bottle.  Keeps for up to two weeks in the fridge.  

Goes well with cold meats as a chutney and also with all rice dishes.

Note:

Traditionally, the finely chopped ginger is fried in the oil till golden brown and only then blended to make a paste.  I have left the lumps in here as I am planning to use it as a pickle / sauce for marinating meats.