A homage to the delicious apples of Shimla, this recipe is adapted from Vicky Bhogal’s excellent book Cooking Like Mummyji: Real British Asian Cooking. South Asian pickles take no time to cook and offer almost instant gratification.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 level tsp black or yellow mustard seeds
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 6 small green chillies, deseeded if you can’t stand the heat, and sliced as finely as possible
- 450g Jonagold or Bramley apples (1 large or 2-3 small), peeled, cored and sliced thinly
Method
- 1. Pound the whole spices in a pestle and mortar. Dry-fry for 30 seconds or so in a small pan. Set aside.
- 2. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until very soft. Add all the spices, the salt, sugar and chillies and stir well. Add the apple and cook for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until soft. Allow to cool, ideally overnight, before eating.
Nutritional info
Per tablespoon: 17.8kcals, 1.2g fat (0.1g saturated), 0.3g protein, 1.8g carbs, 1.7g sugar, 0.2g salt
Chef's tip
Note that this, like apple sauce, is not a chutney for keeping, though it is fine for a week or so. Traditionally you need Bramleys, but if you’re happy to do some sleuthing, seek out the savoury-sweet Jonagold – a great apple for juicing, cooking and eating.