The next wave in sauces: chutneys and salsas provide zing to an array of dishes - includes recipes

Vegetarian Times, August, 1995 by Yamuna Devi

THEY ARE THE PESTOS of the Asian and Mexican culinary worlds. Chutneys and salsas--relishes, really--are condiments that have seasoned foods for centuries. And though salsa has caught on here like wildfire, chutney, the Indian version, has not attained the same fame.

Chutney is a spicy relish of fruit, vinegar, sugar and spices. Ground daily on large stone mortars by Indian cooks, it has a consistency similar to that of pesto, but is nose-tingling hot from fresh chili peppers. It is served in smaller quantities than pesto, its milder cousin. Unlike pesto, however, chutneys are virtually oil-free, and can be spooned on casseroles and bean dishes; drizzled on cutlets, loafs or mashed potatoes; folded into pasta, grain or vegetable salads; spread on grilled breads or sandwiches; or thinned down to use as salad dressing or dipping sauces.

Salsa, the Spanish word for sauce, is now on practically every American table. But there are more varieties than tomato; salsas based on mango, papaya, avocado, pineapple and cucumbers abound. The common ingredient is the chili pepper, and you can control the heat to your taste by how much of the pepper you use: Use all of the pepper, including the seeds and membranes, for the hottest fire; use just the meat of the pepper for the least.

Following are eight recipes for chutneys and salsas. Keep them on hand to add flavor and fire to your meals.

Garden Tomato Salsa

Though simple, this salsa is layered with flavor. It works well with almost any broiled, grilled or fried entree or snack.

1 1/2 cups diced

plum

tomatoes

1/2 cup diced

orange bell

pepper

1/2 cup diced

yellow bell

pepper

1/4 cup diced fresh

fennel bulb

(see glossary)

1/2 Tbs. minced fresh

ginger root

1 Tbs. minced red or

green hot chili

peppers

1 Tbs. sugar

2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and freshly ground pepper

to taste

MIX ALL INGREDIENTS in ceramic bowl; cover and chill at least 1 hour. Serve cold or at room temperature. Makes 10 1/4-cup servings.

PER SERVING: 20 CAL.; 1G PROT.; 0.1G FAT; 5G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 64MG SOD.; 0.8G FIBER. VEGAN

Bell Pepper Chutney

This mint-spiked chutney is inspired by a zesty Spanish Romesco sauce. It works as a spread, or as a dip for grilled vegetables.

1/4 cup blanched almonds

3 large red bell peppers, roasted and

torn into pieces (see helpful hint)

1 to 2 hot chili peppers, seeded

6 sun-dried tomato halves, soaked

until soft and drained

1/2 cup coarse bread crumbs

1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. fresh mint

Salt and pepper to taste

PREHEAT OVEN to 375 degrees. Place almonds on a baking sheet; toast until golden, about 10 minutes; cool.

Place almonds and chilies in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Add roasted peppers, tomatoes and bread crumbs; puree. With machine running, slowly pour in oil; process until incorporated.

Scrape chutney into a bowl; stir in mint. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made up to 8 hours ahead; bring to room temperature before serving.) Makes 1 1/2 cups, or 6 1/4-cup servings.

HELPFUL HINT: To roast a pepper, trim, wash, seed and flatten pepper onto a baking sheet or piece of aluminum foil. Place under broiler until pepper is completely charred.

Place blackened pepper in a small paper bag, seal and set aside 15 minutes. Remove from bag. Peel off charred skin with fingers.

PER SERVING: 95 CAL.; 2G PROT.; 7G FAT; 7G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 146MG SOD.; 2G FIBER. VEGAN

Spinach Chutney

This cross between Indian raita and chutney makes a terrific dip or condiment for breaded tofu sticks or other grilled foods.

1 lb. spinach leaves

1 1/4 cups nonfat plain yogurt

1 to 2 jalapeno or serrano chili

peppers, seeded

2 Tbs. currants

1 1/2 tsp. mustard seed

1 tsp. dill seed

2 Tbs. minced fresh dill (1 tsp. dried)

Salt and pepper to taste

STEAM SPINACH until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Cool, squeeze dry and mince. In a bowl, combine yogurt, peppers and currants; stir until smooth.

Toast mustard seed and dill seed in a small nonstick pan over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add seeds, spinach and fresh dill to yogurt mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate 1 to 3 hours to allow flavors to meld. Makes about 6 1/3-cup servings.

PER SERVING: 56 CAL.; 6G PROT.; 1G FAT; 8G CARB.; 1MG CHOL.; 189MG SOD.; 2G FIBER. LACTO

Double-Tomato Salsa

This salsa goes well with anything from tacos to pasta.

2 Tbs. lemon juice

2 Tbs. orange juice

1 to 2 roasted and peeled poblano

or Anaheim chili peppers

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. tomatoes, seeded and

quartered

8 oil-cured, sun-dried tomato halves,

chopped

3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro or

parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 Tbs. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

COMBINE JUICES and roasted pepers in food processor; process briefly. Add fresh and sun-dried tomatoes; process into chunky sauce. Transfer to bowl; stir in remaining ingredients. Chill 30 minutes or serve immediately. Makes 9 1/4-cup servings.

PER SERVING: 40 CAL.; 1G PROT.; 2G FAT; 5G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 133MG SOD.; 1G FIBER. VEGAN

Roasted Corn Chutney

I made this chutney with just-picked Silver Queen corn, and it received raves from dinner guests. It was spooned over enchiladas stuffed with potatoes and corn, and offset with anchochili tomato sauce. It also works wonders as a topping for buttery-flavored Yellow Finn potatoes, or folded into a salad of roasted vegetables.