Aamsotto - Tentul r Chutney ( Chutney made of Mango leather and Tamarind )

Spring is here! Days are longer and brighter. After the chilly winter days, it is slowly becoming warmer. Spring, the season of colors, the best time of the year. Flowers start to bloom. Nature becomes more beautiful in this time. Though the recipe I will share today has no connection with the Spring, still couldn't resist myself from sharing some Spring photographs that I clicked last week.

Okay ! hope I didn't bore you ! Now I'm back to recipe. Will not write much today but give you a tongue-tickling recipe for ''Aam shotto - Tentul r Chatni '' which is made of dried mango leather and tamarind. 

Chatni / Chutney, a pungent relish is made of fruits, spices and herbs. An endless number of Chutneys are there in Indian Cuisine. The word Chutney has come from the Sanskrit word 'chatni' that means licking. The name itself tells you everything about its taste !!

Bengali Chatni is little different in taste from the Chutney in other parts of India. It’s totally tangy and sweet and usually made of  tomatoes, mangoes, pineapple, tamarind, papaya or a combination of fruits and dry-fruits, served in a meal just before the dessert.

Recipe of Aamshotto - Tentul r Chutney :

Ingredients :

1.     Aam Shotto ( Mango leather / Mango papad ) - 1 cup ( If you don't get that, use ripe mango )

2.     Tomato - 3 medium sizes

3.     Tamarind - 2 tbsp soaked in water

4.     Green chilies - 1-2 as per your taste

5.     Panch Phoron ( It is a whole spice blend consists of fengreek seed, nigella seed, cumin seed, fennel seeds and radhuni (celery seeds) in equal part )- 1/2 tsp

6.     Ginger julienne( cut into thin - small stripes ) or grated ginger - 1/4 tsp

7.     Bhaja Masla ( roasted spice powder) - 1/2 tsp

8.     Sugar - 5-6 tbsp ( or as per the taste) mixed in 1/4 cup of water.

9.     Salt -

10.   Oil - 2 tbsp

Method :

For Roasted Spice Powder (bhaja Masla) : Take a 1 tbsp cumin seeds and a whole dry red chili in a pan, dry roast them, until it becomes fragrant. Let it cool down at room temperature then grind them into a fine powder.

1. Chop the tomatoes, aam shotto into small cubes, chop the green chilies.

2. Get the pulp of tamarind which is being soaked in water and discard the other stem or seed parts.

3. Heat oil in a sauce-pan. Add the Panch Phoron, once it splatters and add the chopped green chilies and ginger. After few seconds, add the tomato pieces and keep stirring. Add salt which helps to become soft or cook the tomatoes quickly.

4. Once tomatoes are almost cooked, add the aam shotto pieces and stir it. After few minutes when it becomes soft, add the tamarind pulp and add sugar-water mixture.

5. Keep stirring at medium to high flame and mix them together. Check the seasoning and consistency. Yeah Aam shotto - Tentul r Chutney is ready, turn off the gas and sprinkle some bhaja masla.