Tomato ginger chutney recipe

Directions

1. Get a heavy-bottomed saucepan warm over medium to medium-low heat and add the oil. Swirl it around the pan. When the oil moves around the pan as easily as water, add the garlic, flipping it every few moments so that it cooks without too much browning. The longer it cooks without browning, the smoother and cleaner the flavor will be. When the garlic is softened and maybe a little blistered, add the ginger and cook, stirring, for a minute or two, until you can smell it.
2. Add the onions, stirring them constantly. Don’t let them brown either. Watch how they change, from opaque to translucent. You’re softening them, releasing the juices and sugars without caramelizing them. I know everyone loves caramelizing things, how bold and complex those flavors become, but by keeping those flavors in line here, the ginger and tomato can shine. Taste a piece. When it’s soft -- hardly any snap left -- give the pan a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Add the tomatoes and stir to mix well. Add another couple of pinches of salt and pepper, until it tastes OK, but a little under-seasoned. Turn up the flame to get it all boiling, then turn it back down, until the tomato is bubbling gently. Partially cover the pan, and go have charming conversation. It’s best if you can come back to check on the pan every once in a while, to give it a stir and check on the heat level.
4. Let it ride in the pan until the liquid has cooked off and you’re left with a tight, almost pasty chutney, maybe 30 minutes total. Give it a taste. Does it need more salt? Give it another taste, and notice how the ginger flavor plays a little hide-and-seek with the tomato, a lovely little trick.