Relish the Swap

Checking out the fine lines dividing chutneys, jams and relish.

India is renowned for its numerous surprises that await visitors to this South Asian country. And many who have been there enthusiastically encourage others to journey through its immense diversity of culture, architecture and the natural to savour its layers and complexity.

Little wonder then that the same can be said of its variety of traditional chutneys. That they are delicious is an understatement upheld by the fact that they were prized Indian exports to Europe and the whole world since the 17^th century. And eventually, the Anglo-Saxon communities came up with their own versions, especially the fruity variations.

And they have taken to include it as a vital ingredient for recipes, making the red meat dishes even more luxuriously delicious: the crumbed lamb noisettes seal the coating of sweetly tart mango and apple fruit chutney onto the loins and into the bones. And the curried meatballs enjoy the balance between the hot and spicy with the appealingly saccharine.

But before you go load up with an enviable range of fruity chutneys to subtly vary the taste of both these dishes, you would be delighted to know that chutneys are actually a category of relish, in which belongs the jams as well. So freely stir into the freshly minced beef and sausage mixture the apricot chutney, and melt into its spicy gravy wickedly purplish black current jam; which was added only after the lid refused to pop off the newly bottled fig and orange relish.

Then the difference in both sugary components provides a successful depth of sweetish contrast between the finely ground up meat mixture and the heartily spicy gravy – and it’ll transcend as a dish above others that you already truly relish!