Y'all. Don't be like me. A good chutney needs a couple hours to slowly simmer and thicken, so don't start yours at 9:30pm like I did this time. But if you do, stick your face as close to the pot as you can without singing off your eyebrows and get a good whiff of this deliciousness right when it all starts to melt together. And then put on your favorite Christmas record. Not a CD or playlist. It has to be a record for some reason. I don't know why. And it has to be Christmas, because for some reason the smell of this stuff makes me think of the holidays. Again, I don't know why. It just does.
But no matter what else you do or what time of day you make this, just promise you'll make it often. It is so rich and flavorful, and it can be used in dozens of ways. Top meat or fish, pour it over pasta or quinoa, or even just use it as a dip all by itself or ladled over cream cheese. So good. So versatile. And aside from taking awhile to simmer away, it is super easy to prepare.
Ingredients:
2-3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes. Pretty much any kind. This time I used one pint of grape tomatoes and 4 or 5 plum tomatoes.
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon powdered stevia
1 large green pepper, finely chopped
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons ketchup
a generous splash of Sriracha
1 teaspoon sweet basil paste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
Instructions:
Stir all ingredients together in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Once mixture begins to bubble a bit, reduce heat and simmer for up to 2 hours, stirring regularly until mixture has thickened to desired consistency.