Elephant apple chutney comprises a combination of fresh elephant apple and just a few spices such as mustard seeds and Indian five spice blend or panch phoron. Follow my recipe to learn the steps and get proper guidance to make the elephant apple chutney at home.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Elephant apple chutney is very easy to make at home.
- Refrigerate the chutney properly in an airtight container to preserve its freshness and flavor.
- This chutney goes well with grilled meats, rice dishes, Indian bread, cheese platters, South Indian dishes, sandwiches, wraps, pakoras, fritters, and other snack items.
- Elephant apple chutney offers a sweet and savory taste with a hint of earthiness and tanginess.
- Raw mango chutney and amla chutney will offer a closely similar taste as elephant apple chutney.
I came across this recipe while watching a nostalgic 90s cooking show rerun on TV. The host made it look so easy, I paused everything and jotted it down. That weekend, I gave it a try, expecting a decent dish—but it turned out amazing. The recipe brought back fond memories of my school days when I typically carried it in my lunch box. Every time I cook this dish, I feel travelling back in time into a memorable and emotional cooking journey, that reflects and revives the loving taste and experience.
How to Make Elephant Apple Chutney? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take 1 elephant apple (chalta), wash it, and cut thin slices of it.
Step 2: Now, take a wok and heat it on a high flame on your gas stove. When the wok is hot, put the slices of elephant apple in it. Add water to it along with a little bit of turmeric powder and salt. Let it boil for about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the wok and strain the water. Keep the partially cooked elephant apple slices aside.
Step 3: Now, take a frying pan and heat it on a low to medium flame on your gas stove. When it heats up, put 1 tsp of Indian Five Spice Blend (panch phoron) and 1 piece of dry red chili, without its stalk, in it. Stir them for about a minute to dry roast them until you can smell the aroma of roasted spices. Cool them and grind them in a mortar and pestle or your mixer grinder. Keep this powder aside.
Step 4: Now, put 1 tbsp of cooking oil in the hot frying pan. When it heats up put 1 tbsp of mustard seeds in it.
(Pro tip: You can use any type of white oil to make this chutney. You can even use mustard oil if you want a unique taste and flavor in your chutney. Also, be careful about the hot oil sprinkling due to the crackling mustard seeds).
Step 5: When the mustard seeds stop crackling, add the slices of elephant apple to it. Stir it for about 2 to 3 minutes to mix the oil and mustard seeds nicely with the elephant apple slices and cook them a bit.
(Pro tip: Before adding the elephant apple, you can mash the slices a bit in a mortar and pestle. This will ensure that every piece is sweetened properly).
Step 6: Now, add a little bit of turmeric powder and regular table salt to it. Mix them nicely.
(Pro tip: Do not add too much of salt and turmeric powder because you have already added them while boiling the slices of elephant apple).
Step 7: Now, add enough water so that all of the slices are immersed in it. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 5 to 6 minutes.
(Pro tip: Do not add too much water. It will unnecessarily take a long time to cook and also make the chutney too runny. Moreover, the slices of elephant apple are parboiled. So, you do not need too much water).
Step 8: Now, add 3 tbsp of sugar in it and mix it nicely. Let it cook for another couple of minutes until the elephant apple slices are cooked nicely and the sugar melts completely.
(Pro tip: You can increase or decrease the amount of sugar according to your preference).
Step 9: When the chutney thickens a bit, check the consistency. If you are happy with it, add 1 tsp of the powder you made from Indian Five Spice Blend (panch phoron) and 1 dry red chili before. Mix it nicely and cook for another minute or so. This will enhance the flavor of the chutney.
Step 10: When the chutney thickens further, turn off the flame and let it cool. Transfer it into a bowl, and your sweet and tasty homemade elephant apple chutney is ready to be consumed.
Recipe Card
Elephant Apple Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 piece elephant apple chalta (cut into thin slices)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Indian Five Spice Blend panch phoron
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 piece dry red chili without their stalk
- Water as required
Instructions
- Take 1 elephant apple (chalta), wash it, and cut thin slices of it.
- Now, take a wok and heat it on a high flame on your gas stove. When the wok is hot, put the slices of elephant apple in it. Add water to it along with a little bit of turmeric powder and salt. Let it boil for about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the wok and strain the water. Keep the partially cooked elephant apple slices aside.
- Now, take a frying pan and heat it on a low to medium flame on your gas stove. When it heats up, put 1 tsp of Indian Five Spice Blend (panch phoron) and 1 piece of dry red chili, without its stalk, in it. Stir them for about a minute to dry roast them until you can smell the aroma of roasted spices. Cool them and grind them in a mortar and pestle or your mixer grinder. Keep this powder aside.
- Now, put 1 tbsp of cooking oil in the hot frying pan. When it heats up put 1 tbsp of mustard seeds in it. (Pro tip: You can use any type of white oil to make this chutney. You can even use mustard oil if you want a unique taste and flavor in your chutney. Also, be careful about the hot oil sprinkling due to the crackling mustard seeds).
- When the mustard seeds stop crackling, add the slices of elephant apple to it. Stir it for about 2 to 3 minutes to mix the oil and mustard seeds nicely with the elephant apple slices and cook them a bit. (Pro tip: Before adding the elephant apple, you can mash the slices a bit in a mortar and pestle. This will ensure that every piece is sweetened properly).
- Now, add a little bit of turmeric powder and regular table salt to it. Mix them nicely. (Pro tip: Do not add too much of salt and turmeric powder because you have already added them while boiling the slices of elephant apple).
- Now, add enough water so that all of the slices are immersed in it. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 5 to 6 minutes. (Pro tip: Do not add too much water. It will unnecessarily take a long time to cook and also make the chutney too runny. Moreover, the slices of elephant apple are parboiled. So, you do not need too much water).
- Now, add 3 tbsp of sugar in it and mix it nicely. Let it cook for another couple of minutes until the elephant apple slices are cooked nicely and the sugar melts completely. (Pro tip: You can increase or decrease the amount of sugar according to your preference).
- When the chutney thickens a bit, check the consistency. If you are happy with it, add 1 tsp of the powder you made from Indian Five Spice Blend (panch phoron) and 1 dry red chili before. Mix it nicely and cook for another minute or so. This will enhance the flavor of the chutney.
- When the chutney thickens further, turn off the flame and let it cool. Transfer it into a bowl, and your sweet and tasty homemade elephant apple chutney is ready to be consumed.
