Bengali Jujube Tomato Chutney with Jaggery
Bengali chutney combining soft jujubes and tomatoes with the sweetness of jaggery, tempered with panch phoron and mustard oil. The jujubes are gently pressed to soften while keeping seeds intact, then cooked low until jammy. Served cool alongside rice as a condiment.
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz ripe topa kul (jujube), whole
- 7 oz tomato, whole
- 7 oz gur (jaggery), whole
- ½ tsp panch phoron (Bengali five spices), seedscumin seeds + fennel seeds + fenugreek seeds + nigella seeds + mustard seedsmixed equal partsspice_blend
approximate substitution
- ¼ tsp panch phoron powder, groundcumin seeds + fennel seeds + fenugreek seeds + nigella seeds + mustard seedsmixed equal partsspice_blend
approximate substitution
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 whole dried red chili
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp mustard oilvegetable oil1:1cooking_oil
neutral flavor, mustard oil provides distinct heat
Instructions
- 1
Cut each tomato into four pieces.
- 2
Wash and pat dry the jujubes.
- 3
Press each jujube by hand or with a fork to tear the skin, keeping seeds intact inside.
- 4
Heat mustard oil in a pan and temper with panch phoron seeds and dried red chilis.
- 5
Add tomato pieces and semi-mashed jujubes, stir thoroughly.
- 6
Cover the pan and cook on low heat until tomato and jujube soften, around 5 to 7 minutes.
- 7
Add salt, panch phoron powder, and jaggery, mix thoroughly.
- 8
Cook uncovered until jaggery melts and the chutney becomes runny.
- 9
Switch off heat and cool completely before serving with rice at the end of the meal.
Tips
Pressing the jujubes with hand or fork tears the skin and allows the fruit to cook faster from inside while keeping seeds intact for texture and nutrition.
Cook on low heat with the pan covered to allow juices to release and soften the fruit properly.
Good to Know
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Make completely and cool before storing. Texture and flavor hold well when chilled.
Serve at room temperature or chilled alongside rice at the end of a meal.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip pressing the jujubes to avoid uncooked fruit in the finished chutney.
Do not cook on high heat to avoid the chutney becoming too thick or the jaggery burning.
Do not remove the seeds from the jujubes to avoid losing the distinctive texture and nutritional benefit.
Substitutions
approximate substitution