Jola - mitha cranberry chutney l Assamese style hot and sweet cranberry chutney
This hot and sweet cranberry chutney is exactly what it says; hot and sweet! Spoon a little into your mouth and you are greeted by the initial sweetness and very slight tang followed by a kick of heat at the back of your throat. Utterly delicious. And it is made in the Assamese style of hot and sweet pickles. It is layered with spices and sweetened with jaggery.
Ingredients
- 300 gms fresh cranberries, washed and halved
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 whole red chilli
- 1 2 inch piece of cinnamon
- 4 green cardamoms
- 1 tsp pas puron ( a whole spice blend of equal parts of fenugreek, nigella, fennel, cumin and black mustard seeds)
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 sp cumin powder
- 1½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ cup water
- 1 cup jaggery ( I scraped off a block)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan.
- Add the bay leaf, whole red chilli, cinnamon, cardamom and pas puron.
- When the seeds splutter, add the cranberries and stir well for a minute over low to medium heat.
- Add the turmeric, cumin and chilli powders and stir well for 30-40 seconds.
- Add ¼ cup of water and stir well.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes, adding another ¾ cup of water in batches until the cranberries soften. Check by pressing the ladle against the berries. Keep smashing the berries while stirring.
- Add the jaggery along with ½ cup water and stir well.
- Cook over low heat for 6-7 minutes or till the mixture begins to thicken. Do not let it thicken too much, it will thicken further on cooling.
- Cool completely and transfer to a clean dry air tight jar. Store in the refrigerator.
- Serve as condiment in the Indian way along side Indian flatbreads, fritters etc or with crackers and cheese.