Sweet, Sour and Salty Fruit Chutney

Tag : Fruit Vinegar

From "Cooking," by James Peterson. This chutney is best made withunderripe or hard fruit, such as pears, apples, peaches, apricots,mangoes or papayas. Serve with meats or stews, especially stewswith Indian spices. Keeps in the refrigerator for months. Makesabout 2 cups.
Ingredients
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds
3 pounds underripe fruit or hard fruit
1 tablespoon canola or safflower oil
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon curry powder or garam masala
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almonds on a sheet panand toast in the oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes,or until they are fragrant and have taken on color. Pour onto aplate and let cool.
Core the fruit and cut into 1/2-inch dice. In a saucepan largeenough to hold the fruit, heat the oil over medium heat and add theginger, chiles, curry powder and garam masala. Cook for about 1minute, or until you smell the spices. Add the vinegar and 1/4 cupsugar and simmer for 1 minute, or until the sugar has dissolved.Add the fruit, cover the pan and simmer over medium heat for 10minutes or until the fruit releases its liquid.
Remove from the heat and pour off the liquid into another saucepan.Place the liquid over high heat and boil it down until it forms athick syrup, then pour it over the fruit.
Season the fruit with salt and pepper and add more sugar and/orvinegar if it seems too sweet or too sour. Stir in the almonds justbefore serving (they get soggy if put in too early).