By Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff

KIDS, LET’S MAKE A CHUTNEY FOR MOTHER’S DAY!

Every culture worships its mothers. Historically, African, Indian, Greek and early Christian civilizations had specific rituals dedicated to worshipping the Mother Goddess.  In the United States, Mother’s Day began in 1872 when Ann Jarvis, an anti-war activist, called for Mothers’ Peace Observance Day, urging all mothers to rise up for peace so that their young ones will not be sacrificed.  However, later on, Mothers’ Day became commercialized with flowers and gifts.

Food, cooking and nurturing have all become synonymous with motherhood. Our mothers are loved, feared and praised, but they are often not nourished by other family members. Therefore, kids, this year on Mother’s Day, make your mom an edible and enticing gift — a jarful of chutney!  It is an easy to make, delicious and nutritious!  And all the ingredients are available at Other Avenues.  You may need to get your dad, an elder sibling or a guardian to help out in the process of making this dish.  Happy Mothers’ Day!!

Equipment you will need:

A small knife

A food processor or an electric blender

A mixing bowl

A Mason jar

 

Ingredients (makes about a pintsize jar):

1 cup dried goji berries

1 cup dehydrated cranberries

2 cups of hot water

1 ½ tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger root

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon sugar or honey

Few pinches of powdered cardamom and cinnamon (available in Other Avenues bulk herbs section)

One pinch of ground cloves (also available in Other Avenues bulk herbs section)

½ teaspoon salt

First of all, what is a chutney?    Chutney is a popular condiment in Indian cuisine. No meal goes without a chutney and every meal becomes more interesting with a dab of a chutney. There are two types of Indian condiments—chutneys and pickles. Pickles are often salty, oily and/or sweetened, and they take a long time to prepare. On the other hand, chutneys can be made quickly.

Place the goji berries and cranberries in a bowl of hot water and let them soak for approximately 30 – 40 minutes.  During this time the berries will get soft and plump.  Remove the berries from their soaking water and reserve the water.  Next place all ingredients in the jar of a food processor or a blender and add a few tablespoons of the reserved water to the mixture.  Puree the mixture adding more water, if necessary, to obtain a consistency that is close to a crunchy peanut butter. Allow the chutney to stand in the food processor or the blender, without opening the lid, for few minutes to half an hour to settle the flavors.  Then, transfer into a mason jar (or two) and wrap with gift paper or a ribbon.

Note: If refrigerated, this chutney will keep for a few weeks.