Indians love fruit in both their fresh and dried forms. We love to add them to just about anything and enjoy them most right off the tree (or bush or vine). If you love fruit, then this will be the perfect recipe for you. My delicious Fig & Date Chutney works well with just about anything. I tend to refer to this recipe as my “Dessert Chutney”, since I use it as a sweet topping on many desserts such as cakes, puddings, flan and ice cream. But you can just as easily use this chutney as a condiment for any savory meal or grilled dish such as kebabs. This delicious and versatile chutney tastes great with just about anything and can also be made year round. In the spring and summer months, I tend to make this chutney using fresh seasonal figs. In the cold winter months, I make this dish with dried figs. If you are using dried figs, soak them in a little warm water until softened.

Figs are thought to have many natural health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, aiding in weight management and promoting good vision. In addition, figs are very rich source of both dietary fiber & calcium. Any type of fig will work in this dessert such as Black Mission figs, Kadota figs, Calimyrna figs, Brown Turkey figs or the Adriatic fig varieties. The Marathi/Hindi word for fig is “anjeer”.

Making home made chutneys are a lot easier than most people think. Chutneys are a delicious Indian condiment. The word “chutney” is actually a British term derived from the Hindi word “chatni”, meaning, “to crush”. They are very popular all over India and are quite simple to make. Chutneys come in a wide range of bold and exciting flavors ranging from spicy to sweet, savory, tangy and even sour. They also vary in textures depending upon the ingredients used and their preparation. There are two main types of chutneys: fresh and preserved and they can either be wet or dry in nature. Regardless, fresh home made chutneys will always add an exotic Indian touch to any meal.


FIG & DATE CHUTNEY

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh (or dried) figs, stems removed & quartered
1 cup pitted dates, (soaked in warm water until softened & finely chopped)
½ piece of ginger, peeled & finely grated
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup honey or brown sugar, to taste (I used orange blossom honey)
pinch of salt, to taste
pinch of red chili powder, to taste
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
pinch of ground cloves
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp fresh orange zest

METHOD:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cider vinegar with the orange juice. Bring to a gentle boil & add the honey (or brown sugar), stir well dissolve. Then add in all of the spices (salt, red chili powder, nutmeg, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom & ground allspice) along with the orange zest. Mix well & now add the figs along with the dates. Bring to a gentle boil (adding ¼ cup or so of water if needed) & simmer on low (uncovered) for at least 30-40 minutes until the figs/dates have completely softened, broken down & absorbed all of the liquid. Let cool & serve with just about anything ☺.

Store in your refrigerator in an airtight, sterilized jar with a lid for about 2 weeks or so.


VARIATIONS:
Feel free to add your favorite dried fruits to this recipe such as raisins, golden raisins, cranberries…



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