Not just a sidekick: This new book highlights the uniqueness of Indian chutneys

Chutneys are an integral part of Soam and Aamchee’s food. PIC COURTESY: SOAM/AAMCHEE

Ghildiyal feels that because chutneys (and pickles) sit at the edge of the plate, they’ve long been treated as secondary. Her book is a conscious attempt to change that perception. “A conversation with my eight-year-old nephew in Australia, who thought chutney was just ‘that spicy green stuff’, highlighted how Indian cuisine is often reduced to clichés. Around the world, our menus present chutney as only green coriander or sweet tamarind, while packaged versions add sugar, salt, and preservatives, far from their true essence. Add to that the colonial legacy that mislabels chutney as sweet, fruity preserves, and the distortion is complete. This book aims to challenge and correct those stereotypes.”

“For us, this collaboration felt personal,” says Pinky. “We’ve worked together on many projects, but this one is special because it marks Rushina’s first foray into self-publication and chutney is something that finds its way into our meals, conversations, and kitchen instincts all the time. We often spoke about how these condiments don’t just sit on the side; they carry memory, flavour, and identity. That’s why this venue felt like the right place to celebrate her book. When we curated the menu, we were very clear: chutney wouldn’t just be served as an accompaniment, it would live inside the food. Dishes weren’t simply plated with chutney; they were built with it, layered with it, and inspired by it. Some dishes already existed on our menu, others were created especially for this collaboration.

Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal

Interestingly, in 2017, Ghildiyal had created the Indian Food Observance Day calendar, including #ChutneyDay, which sparked an incredible nationwide response of recipes and memories. This book grew from that movement, as an attempt to document, celebrate, and preserve this vital part of our culinary heritage. As traditions fade with modern lifestyles, she feels, the ancient, regional, and diverse chutneys that live in home kitchens are at risk of extinction. “Far beyond flavour, chutneys carry history, nutrition, seasonality, sustainability, and emotion. They’ve always been zero-waste, instinctive, and ahead of modern food trends. If this book has taught us anything, it is that Indian food cannot be standardised or confined. For every chutney documented here, countless others exist and many more are still waiting to be born,” she adds.

Pinky Chandan Dixit

Packed with stories of Chef Ranveer Brar’s Biji plucking fresh coriander to make chutney on the spot, or Shanti Petiwala turning ridge gourd peels into a soulful Ghosale Gojju, or Tanisha Panbuh, treasured ‘jamaw’ bite of rice absorbing the last oils in the mortar, make the book personal. It showcases how resourcefulness and instinct shape our palate far more than professional kitchens ever could.

The book has beautiful illustrations, and documents more than 230 chutneys, covering nearly every state and major culinary tradition in India. “I wanted to capture the widest possible representation within a strategic framework. Mapping every single recipe in existence would be a lifelong task requiring hundreds of volumes; instead, I aimed to move beyond the ‘best-known’ common denominators to uncover the soul of each region. We began with an archive of over 400 unique recipes, which we then subjected to a rigorous process of selection, elimination, and grouping. My goal was twofold: to represent the limitless forms and flavour profiles of chutney,  and to showcase the massive biodiversity of India’s ingredients,” she adds.

Fifty years from now, Ghildiyal hopes this book serves as a testament to the instinctive intelligence of the Indian home cook. “Beyond the measurements and the ingredients, I want it to preserve the memory of a culture that didn’t need a manual to be sustainable, or a ‘superfood’ label to be healthy. Specifically, I hope Chutney preserves three things: The Philosophy of Enough — future generations must remember that we were a people who respected the ingredient. We didn’t see “waste” we saw hidden flavour; The Art of Andaaz — in an increasingly automated world, a reminder of a time when cooking was a sensory dialogue; and The Democratic Spirit of the Indian Plate: Chutney proves that India refuses to be a monolith. Even when we eat the same meal, we are individuals who customise every bite. It is a memory of a country that is exhilaratingly diverse, where the “edge of the plate” held as much importance, complexity, and soul as the center.”

Mohini Raturi’s til ki tamatar wali chutney

Ingredients
 1/2 cup coriander seeds, toasted
 1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted
 1/2 cup vegetable oil
 12 dry red chillies, broken
 2 tbsp cumin seeds
 1 kg tomatoes, chopped
 500 g potatoes, parboiled, peeled and diced
 Salt, to taste

Method
Grind the toasted coriander seeds and sesame seeds to a coarse powder and set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy wok over a medium flame. Add the dry red chillies and cumin seeds; let them crackle. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until soft and the oil begins to separate. Add potatoes, mix well, and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add the coriander–sesame powder and salt; stir well and cook until the chutney thickens, potatoes are fully cooked, and oil separates again. Turn off the heat, transfer to a serving dish, and serve immediately. Alternatively, cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week.

“Nani, as we called my grandmother-in-law, loved to feed her clan. I only got a chance to spend time with her on a few occasions, but I am fortunate to have learned some of her dishes, including this chutney. I had forgotten all about it, till years later, when I found it in my notes,” says Ghildiyal.

For Bhaja Masala

Ingredients
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 whole dry red chillies
2 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
Dry roast, cool, and grind to a fine powder
For the chop layer 
300 g beetroot, cooked and mashed
200 g potatoes, cooked and mashed
100 g carrot, cooked and mashed
2 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
1 tsp ginger paste
1–2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp raisins
1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
¼ cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
For  kashundi potato mash
300 g potatoes, boiled & mashed
 2 tbsp melted butter
 ¼ tsp salt
 ¼ cup grated cheese
 2 tbsp kashundi
  Mix everything till smooth and creamy
For crispy topping
  11/2 cups breadcrumbs
  ¼ cup roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
  2 tbsp melted butter or oil 
  ¼ tsp salt
  Toss together until evenly coated

Method
For the chop layer, heat oil/ghee; add ginger paste and green chillies; sauté 30 seconds. Add beetroot and carrot; cook 5–7 minutes until moisture reduces. Stir in mashed potatoes, Bhaja Masala, sugar, and salt; cook till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from heat; mix in raisins and coriander leaves; adjust seasoning.

To assemble and bake: Preheat oven to 180°C, grease a baking dish. Spread a thick layer of beetroot chop mixture. Add a thin layer of Kashundi potato mash. Top with the breadcrumb mixture and press lightly. Bake 30–35 mins until golden and crisp. Let rest 5–10 mins. Serve hot with Kashundi or ketchup.