Loquat Chutney

Name: Loquat Chutney
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 jars (around 600ml)
Ingredients: 2 tablespoon oil; 1 teaspoon cumin; 2 teaspoons mustard seeds; 2 teaspoons curry powder; 20 loquats, peeled, pitted, and roughly chopped (800g-1kg de-stoned weight); 1 large onion, chopped; 5 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (not the powdered type); 2 red chillies, thinly sliced (add more or less depending on preference); 1 cup cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons dark sugar; Salt to taste

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 2 jars (around 600ml)

Loquats have to be one of the most underrated fruits around, although their season is so short fruiting briefly in the springtime. While it's a short season, the trees produce a vast amount of fruit all at once. Here's a great way to preserve some of that excess fruit. It goes great on poppadoms, on an Indian dip tray, or try with eggs on toast or a sharp cheddar.

This recipe will make around 600ml of chutney. I often scale it up to 5x when the loquat season hits. You'll need a longer cooking time for that amount.

Tags:

British Fusion Indian Condiments Chutney

Ingredients

2 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons curry powder
20 loquats, peeled, pitted, and roughly chopped (800g-1kg de-stoned weight)
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (not the powdered type)
2 red chillies, thinly sliced (add more or less depending on preference)
1 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons dark sugar
Salt to taste

Method

fa-regular fa-lightbulb fa-lg If you can't get loquats, you can substitute other stone fruit. I've made this with white plums to great success, just use the rest of the recipe as a rule of thumb and experiment.

Heat the oil in a small pot and add the cumin, mustard seeds, and curry powder. Toast for 1 minute, stirring frequently, or until the mustard seeds begin to pop.

Add the onion and sauté on a medium heat until it has started to turn translucent and golden.

Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

Add the loquats and slowly bring to a simmer. Be gentle when stirring throughout the rest of the cooking process, you don't want to pulp the fruit, it's better to preserve the chunks as best as you can.

Stir in the vinegar, sugar, chilli, ginger and salt. Simmer gently, uncovered, for about 30 minutes (more if cooking bulk), or until liquid is mostly absorbed and mixture is syrupy.

This will store refrigerated for a long time in jars. You can also freeze it, though you will lose a little of the texture of the fruit.