Bengali Tomato Aamsotto Khejur Chutney is a classic dish, a popular chutney for every occasion without which a traditional Bengali meal is incomplete. Preparing this chutney is easy, one can make it ahead of the occasion and store it in the refrigerator for later use. As it’s a popular dish, the recipe varies a little bit from home-to-home. I’m sharing my version here, and I hope you’ll enjoy making it for family, and friends. 🙂
Bengali style Tomato Dates and Raisins Chutney / Tomato Aamsotto Khejur Chutney
Bengali Tomato Aamsotto Khejur Chutney is a classic dish, a popular chutney for every occasion without which a traditional Bengali meal is incomplete.
Ingredients
- 4- Large Tomatoes (roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup- Aamsotto / Mango Bar (cut into small cubes)
- ¼ cup- Dates / khejur
- 1 tsp- Fresh ginger (optional)
- 1½ tbsp- Raisins
- ½ tsp- Fennel seeds / Mouri (read notes)
- 1- Whole dry red chili (halved)
- ½ cup- Sugar (or adjust as per your liking)
- ⅛ tsp- Turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp- Salt
- 1 tsp- Vegetable oil
Instructions
-
Discard the seeds of the dates, and cut into slices, keep aside.
-
Heat oil in a deep frying pan, temper with dry red chili and fennel seeds.
-
Next, add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix, cover and cook over medium heat until the tomatoes soften. I usually cook this chutney without water. However, if you feel that the tomatoes are drying up at this stage you can add a splash of water.
-
Add sugar, sliced dates, raisinis, ginger and aamsotto, mix and cook over medium heat until the chutney thickens. Keep stirring in-between.
-
Keep the consistency of the chutney medium-thick, don’t let it thicken too much, as when it gets cooled, it will thicken naturally.
-
Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Let it be cooled completely at room temperature, and then serve.
-
In Bengali cuisine, we serve this sweet, delicious chutney at the end of the meal, before serving the dessert.
-
This Tomato Aamsotto Khejur Chutney is often served with papad at Bengali weddings and parties.
Recipe Notes
- For tempering the chutney black mustard seeds can also be used. In our home, my mother always preferred fennel seeds over mustard seeds as a tempering ingredient for chutney. This chutney recipe belongs to my mother. That's why I kept the ingredients as she preferred.
- This chutney stays well in an airtight container for 10-12 days in the refrigerator.