Discovering chutneys and pickles, their characteristics, their ingredients in particular variations and their benefits.
The chutneys
The chutneys are the famous Indian condiments, delicious sauces that are served separately and with which you can give substance to the various Indian breads (naan, chapatti, parotta, etc.) to rice-based dishes, or to cereal and legume crepes .
The secret of chutneys is a delicate balance between sweet, bitter, sour and salty, in fact fruit, spices, vegetables, aromatic herbs, chilli, salt, vinegar, oil (often coconut, mustard or of sesame) and sugar and molasses.
Chutney is a cross between a sauce and a condiment: too strong and intense to be used as a main sauce, very pleasant and rich in flavors that woo the mouth and corrupt even the most rigorous palate.
Depending on the cooking time or according to tradition, the consistency can be liquid or pasty, and often we find many medicinal herbs in the form of leaves or powder.
To give an idea of the complexity and aromatic richness of chutneys here is a succinct list of spices that are generally found there: fenugreek, curcuma, cardamom, curry, star anise, anise, cumin, poppy, coriander, asafetida, basil, mint, chives, ginger, chilli, pepper, garlic.
Regarding the types of fruit used? Apricot, mango, lime, lemon, pomelo, grapes, tamarind, tomato. What about seeds? Cashew nuts, coconut, sesame, peanut, poppy, mustard, etc.
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The pickles
The pickles are sauces similar to chutneys, made of spicy fruit and vegetables, fermented under vacuum, with a very intense flavor, so much so that often a pin is enough to flavor whole dishes.
They are of ancient origin, dated even 2000 BC, and even then primitive methods of fermentation with antimicrobial herbs were in use, especially in wet areas where the bacterial load is in itself very high.
It is a common practice everywhere in the world: in Asia the Indian pickles and the Korean kimchi are very popular, but also in South America we find the curtidos, as well as the infinite Eastern European variants of this conservation technique .
Benefits of chutneys and pickles
The benefits of chutneys and pickles are mainly linked to the numerous terpenes present in the endless list of ingredients used, often herbal remedies and spices with antimicrobial, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic properties .
They help fight diarrhea, vomiting and fever, they are effective in fighting free radicals; they are rich in minerals and vitamins, stimulate the appetite and help digestion.
Those based on fruit generally balance the bile production and help the skin stressed by an excess of UVA rays.
Which are the most popular chutneys and pickles
Which are the most popular chutneys and pickles around the world and those that you will have to ask in the restaurants that use them? First of all the pudina, the mint chutney typical of northern India, fresh, digestive, delicious.
The coconut chutney deserves a first place, sweet, tasty, refreshing, moisturizing, nourishing, perfect for the skin and very rich in mineral salts.
A wheel follows the chutneys of cashews and peanuts, pasty, hearty, appetizing, you would want to never stop, energizing .
Another brilliant chutney is that of beetroot, with vinegar, curry and lemon juice, exotic flavor, refined, with a whole range of nuances ranging from sweet to savory through a persistent creaminess on the palate; lighter than the previous one is tomato, onion and poppy chutney, generally more liquid than creamy, digestible, tasty, ideal with pasta, rice or bread.
Chutney al mango is ideal in the morning, creamy, resinous, pleasantly spicy with crepes.
The tomato pickle, just a little spicy and blended in order to obtain a cream, is simply a superfine, measured, stimulating delight, ideal with rice dishes, legumes or to accompany potatoes.
What about the pickle of spicy carrot smoothie and turned into cream? A delicacy for adults and children, subtly sweet, reminiscent of batata and pumpkin, but gives substance to the basic dishes. In recent times, the very intense ginger chutney has to be used, to be dosed with the tip of the spoon, but ideal for making the quality leap to the dishes.
