Ammiji‚ Rasbhari Chutney

 Big, fat, golden rasbharis, made into a sweet-sour-spicy chutney. Because jams are pass and chutneys are here to stay.

 Spring was the season that Ammiji’s garden burst into bloom. It was also the season that big cane baskets of ripe Cape Gooseberries arrived in Ammiji’s verandah. Before neat bunches of peeled Rasbhari appeared on fruit carts, the fruit was delivered with the peels on. And wouldn’t you guess it – it was the job of us kids to peel them. Ammiji’s strict instructions about not bruising them while peeling fell to deaf ears. And there was no question of bruising – we ate all the rasbharis that were even slightly marked during the peeling. (We also ate a lot that were perfectly fine, but we don’t tell that to Ammiji.)

 Once the rasbharis were peeled, Ammiji placed them in small bowls around the house – to be eaten as is. But she reserved a large amount of them to make one of her favourite chutneys. Ammiji’s Rasbhari Chutney lasted us throughout the early summer. We would sit in front of the cooler, and eat the chutney with thin, cold ajwain paranthas and the season’s first melons.

 For us, the Rasbhari Chutney is not just another chutney – it is nostalgia and emotion and memory in a jar. It is a grandmother’s passion for giving her children and grandchildren the best that she could, with whatever resources she laid her hands on. And we hope to replicate her passion with this chutney.

 Ammiji’s recipe for her Rasbhari Chutney not only has the super nutritious cape gooseberries, but also incorporates raw turmeric, bolstered by cumin and black pepper. Each spoon of this chutney will not only provide you with deliciousness, but with the good intentions of a grandmother’s heart.

Pair this chutney with anything that your heart desires. We promise that it will taste good on any plate that you want to put it on!

Ingredients: Cape gooseberries, Salt, Jaggery, Sugar, Lemon, Cumin, Cinnamon, Fenugreek seeds, Bay leaves, Raw turmeric, Black pepper, Mustard Oil

 Weight: 200 gm

 Good for: 3 months

Keep this chutney refrigerated. Use only a clean, dry spoon to scoop out Ammiji‚deliciousness.