Currant chutney is one of the variations of the famous Indian sauce. It is served with fish, meat and side dishes to highlight the tasting qualities of the dishes. In addition to its unusual taste, currant chutney has a whole range of beneficial properties. This sauce will be a healthy addition to the table in winter.
Redcurrant chutney
Chutney is a popular Indian seasoning sauce made from fruits, berries or vegetables. In addition to introducing new taste sensations, the purpose of this sauce is to stimulate appetite and stimulate digestion processes.
Currant chutney is a storehouse of vitamins, which includes:
- ascorbic acid;
- tocopherol;
- nicotinic acid (B3);
- adermin;
- pantothenic acid (B5).
In addition, red currants are a source of important micronutrients: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper and iron. Together, all these beneficial substances improve the immune system, strengthen the heart muscle, cleanse blood vessels and increase the efficiency of the gastrointestinal tract.
The chutney has a pleasant sweet and sour taste with a piquant spicy accent.
Even a novice cook can prepare redcurrant chutney. First, you need to rid the berries of plant debris (leaves, branches) and rinse them in running cool water. Then you can proceed directly to the process.
Required:
- red currants – 1 kg;
- granulated sugar – 500 g;
- wine vinegar – 75 ml;
- cinnamon – 2 sticks;
- cloves – 8 pcs.;
- allspice (peas) – 5 pcs.
Cooking process:
- Place the berries in a saucepan, add sugar, mix everything and leave for 1-1.5 hours to release the juice.
- Place the pan over low heat and simmer until the currants are completely boiled (60-80 minutes).
- Place cinnamon, cloves and pepper in a mortar and grind until smooth.
- Add spices and vinegar to the sauce and cook for another 25-30 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly.
When preserving for the winter, hot sauce can be immediately poured into pre-sterilized jars and screwed on with lids. As soon as the workpieces have cooled, they are stored in the basement. It is best to use the chutney after a couple of days, when the sauce has completely infused and absorbed all the flavors of the spices.
Redcurrant chutney complements game, fish and cheeses well
Blackcurrant chutney
The zesty blackcurrant chutney goes perfectly with the bird. You can prepare it not only from fresh, but also from frozen berries.
Required:
- black currant – 350 g;
- sugar – 60 g;
- water – 50 ml;
- balsamic vinegar – 50 ml;
- cloves – 3 pcs.;
- star anise – 1 pc.;
- salt and ground pepper - ½ tsp each;
- refined oil – 30 ml.
Blackcurrant chutney sauce will be more exotic if you add ginger to it
Cooking process:
- Heat the oil in a saucepan, then pour in the dried currants.
- Place cloves and star anise over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
- Grind the spices in a mortar.
- Add spices and sugar, pour in vinegar and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add water to the chutney, bring the sauce to a boil and simmer, stirring for 30 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
- Place the finished product in jars and store in the refrigerator after complete cooling.
- The sauce should be consumed no earlier than eight hours after preparation, as it must infuse.
Sugar can be replaced with honey, so the flavor of the chutney will be much richer.
Beetroot and blackcurrant chutney
Beetroot and blackcurrant sauce is very beneficial for digestion. At the same time, it has a low calorie content - only 80 kcal per 100 g.
Required:
- medium-sized beets – 2 pcs.;
- balsamic vinegar – 100 ml;
- sugar – 50 g;
- black currant – 300 g;
- cloves (ground) - on the tip of a knife.
You can serve currant sauce for breakfast either on toast or on an omelet.
Cooking process:
- Wash the root vegetables, dry them, wrap them in foil and place them in the oven to bake for 1 hour (200°C).
- Once the beets have cooled, chop them into cubes.
- Pour sugar into a thick frying pan and bring it to caramelization.
- Add beets, spices and balsamic vinegar there.
- Simmer everything under the lid for 15-20 minutes.
- Add currants to the pan and simmer the mixture until the berry-vegetable mass becomes soft and homogeneous.
- The sauce can be immediately rolled into sterilized jars or poured into airtight containers, where it can be kept until completely cooled.
Beetroot and currant chutney should be consumed only after 10-12 hours.
If desired, you can add ginger, black and red pepper to the seasoning sauce, and replace the vinegar with lemon juice.
Conclusion
Currant chutney is an exotic sauce that goes well with meat, fish and vegetable dishes. There is nothing complicated in its preparation. This is the perfect stocking sauce for winter. After all, the more it infuses, the more expressive and rich its taste becomes.
