Yellow Squash Chutney

I’ve talked about chutneys here before, right? I’m always talking about chutneys (not to be confused with Indian pickled condiments like aachaars) in class, telling my students that in Indian cooking they are not always chunky, nor even always cooked. They can be raw or cooked, and usually are highly-seasoned with a smooth consistency, unlike the fruity chunky chutneys I see served on roast meats here in the West (though this one looks GREAT!) Westerners tend to use my chutney recipes for anything and everything: as dipping sauces for vegetables or chips and as all-purpose condiments in lieu of say- ketchup. But a very traditional way is to have some chutney just on your plate next to the rest of your food. And have your ketchup too, if you must. This chutney recipe came about since I shopped at my regular grocery store this week, the Wheatsville Co-op, and was surprised to see an overabundance of local produce. The crops must have just exploded with these colorful edibles since I was just there a couple of weeks ago and saw very little. I picked up some sunshine yellow squash and thought I’d make a chutney out of them since they’re a water-laden vegetable and could blend up nicely after a quick saute. You only need a dollop of this South Indian style condiment for your whole dinner. Use it to add a dimension of flavor to your already flavorful curries. By that I don’t mean mix it into your curries. Set it on the side of your plate (it does look ugly, but then so does a lot of Indian food!), next to your chhole, kheema, chappattis or rice, raita, and whatever else you might be lucky to enjoy today. With each forkful or handful of starch plus curry, scoop up a spoonful of yogurt or raita and a bit of the chutney. Another way to use these chutneys is to mix it into some khichri, a satiating porridge of overcooked lightly spiced lentils and rice (the British transformed this dish into kedgeree).  Or simply mix chutney into steaming plain basmati rice with a bit of ghee and some homemade yogurt. That’s how the South Indians do it! Save the rest of the chutney for dosas or idlis the next day, should you be so lucky to have them in your meal plan. I might even use this condiment as a base on bruschetta or pizza. If you make this, I’d love to know how you used the chutney!