At the risk of making you think that No Recipes has become a condiment blog, I’m writing about yet another ramp based accompaniment that you can pair with your favorite dish. I had originally made this for my own consumption, but it’s quickly become my new favorite condiment and I just had to share it!
The word “chutney” is an Anglicized version of the Hindi-Urdu word for a pasty sauce. As a category, chutney’s are probably the most versatile condiment you can find, filling the roles of ketchup, mustard, relish, AND hot sauce. Depending on where in South Asia you happen to be, chutney’s literally come in every color of the rainbow and vary in viscosity from fluid to chunky.
So far, I’ve paired my ramp chutney with everything from curries to sandwiches to hotdogs to scrambled eggs. Its sweet, pungent flavor is enhanced by the garlicky aroma of caramelized ramps. While not a traditional addition to tomato and onion chutney, I also added some shredded coconut which gives each bite a crisp texture.
After the tomatoes are cooked down, this chutney is thick enough to rest comfortably in a heap on the side of your plate, and yet it’s malleable enough to be spread on bread for a sandwich. Leave a comment and tell me what you like eating chutney with?
Ramp Chutney
makes 1 1/2 cups
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
6 whole cloves
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
150g ramp whites minced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat until hot. Add the oil, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and cloves and fry until the spices start popping. Add the ginger and coconut and continue to fry until the ginger is fragrant. Add the ramps and fry until the ramps have softened.
Add the tomatoes, honey, salt, tamarind concentrate, cumin, garam masala, and cayenne pepper then turn down the heat and simmer until the the ramps have melted into the chutney and the mixture is very thick (about 20 minutes).
