KELE KI CHUTNEY – tangy, sweet, savory, spicy, and lip smacking with every spoonful, this instant chutney uses ripe bananas and some amazing Indian spices like black salt, roasted jeera powder, chili powder and tamarind for the tang!
This tamarind chutney (sometimes called “saunth” which is used in chaats, an array of lip smacking Indian street foods) with bananas, can be made ahead of time and served chilled! Unlike the traditional saunth, this chutney is no cook, slightly dilute and watery.
Rummaging through my huge collection of cookbooks (about 40 years and still going!), I came across a lip smacking and easy chutney using ripe bananas in a cookbook authored in 1988! ! Loved the no cook idea and all the simple spices that go in it, so book marked to make it someday and that day is today; albeit with a few changes!
Bought in 1998, this amazing cookbook, “Rotis and Naans of Indian” is by author Purobi Babbar, who on checking online has written just a few cookbooks and I own one of her most famous one!
All Indians love chaat and the best part of any chaat is the chatpata or piquant tamarind sauce that smothers any chaat, be it aloo tikki, pani puri, ragda patties or even the cooling and delicious dahi bhalla!
With all the taste elements in it that make any dish mouthwatering; sweet, salt, spicy, tangy and mildly sour, imli chutney/tamarind chutney is almost always in any Indians refrigerator. Kele ki chutney encompasses all these elements and as it is no cook, no excuse not to make it!
KELE KI CHUTNEY:
This divine chutney is actually not a regular “chutney” like you find elsewhere. No blending, no cooking and very easy to make. It is more of a tangy, piquant tamarind “sauce” with fresh, ripe bananas swimming in its yummy goodness!
Slices of ripe bananas (kele) are added to a lip smacking tamarind sauce which is flavored with jaggery, kala namak (black salt), roasted cumin powder, dry ginger powder and some red chili powder/cayenne pepper powder for some heat and spice; all things good and healthy!
Soak fresh tamarind for a few minutes and extract its tangy deliciousness! This is then diluted with a bit of water. If you cannot find fresh tamarind, you can use store bought tamarind paste too.
Spices powders like cumin, ginger powder and chili powder are added (according to personal taste) and then flavored with some black salt and jaggery (unrefined cane sugar). Ms. Babbar uses sugar and fresh ginger.
The taste should be a balance of sweet, salty, spicy and tangy! Slices of fresh, ripe bananas (a great idea to use over ripe bananas which no one wants!) are added along with a handful of raisins (black or golden). That is it!
Chill and serve or enjoy at room temperature.
If you want to keep it for a longer time, just cook the sauce until slightly thick (about 10 minutes) and then cool and store. Add bananas and raisins just before serving.
Freshly chopped mint leaves can be added but it is optional.
HOW DO I SERVE IT?
It is a great accompaniment to any Indian meal! If it is slightly thick, it goes great as a dip (of course without the bananas) with samosas, tikkis or any snacks!
I was spooning up this scrumptious and lip smacking “chutney” like nobody’s business, the best way to enjoy bananas I would say!
Hope you make this right away (of course you must have bananas!) and gorge on it like I have!
If you like bananas, then you must try these too:
Now, lets check out how to make Kele Ki Chutney:
Tangy, sweet, savory, spicy, and lip smacking with every spoonful, this instant chutney uses ripe bananas and some amazing Indian spices like black salt, roasted jeer powder, chili powder and tamarind for the tang!
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 ripe small bananas (or 2 large), peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- Lemon sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 1 cup of water (or 1 tsp or more of tamarind paste)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons jaggery (or sugar) or as needed
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder (or ½ tsp grated fresh ginger)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder/cayenne powder
- Rock salt to taste
- Few mint leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Extract juice from soaked tamarind and discard the pulp. Dilute with some water.
- Add roasted cumin powder, ginger powder, red chili powder, jaggery (to taste) and rock salt (or pink salt). Adjust the amount according to personal taste; a balance of sweet, salty, tangy and spicy!
- If needed add more tamarind water or paste.
- Peel and slice bananas, squeeze some lemon juice and stir to coat.
- Add to the tamarind sauce along with raisins. Mix well.
- Chill and serve!
- Enjoy foodies!
Notes
Adjust the amount of jaggery, salt, tamarind, chili powder and ginger powder according to personal taste.
To make roasted cumin powder, dry roast some cumin seeds on medium heat until slightly golden brown, cool and powder.
To store the sauce for a longer time, cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes until slightly thick, cool and refrigerate. Add bananas just before serving.
If making ahead, make the sauce and refrigerate; just before serving, add bananas and raisins.
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Vanitha I have the same book and that reminds me that I have not opened it for ages. An interesting chutney it definitely is. Will have to try it when I have some over ripe bananas to use up.