A tiny bit tart, a hint of sweetness, and a playful nip of ginger. This bright chutney is the perfect accompaniment for Apple-Barley Chickpea Curry. You can serve it immediately, but you’ll enjoy it even more if you make it a day or two ahead of time.
I don’t remember where I got these cute little mini-measures. They come in handy when cooking for two and needing smaller amounts while remaining accurate. If you don’t have these, you can estimate from a ⅛-teaspoon measuring spoon. A smidgen will fill it about ¼ full, a pinch fills it about halfway, and a dash about ¾ full.

You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

10 to 12 clementines (18 to 20 oz, or 500 to 600 g); substitute navel oranges if you want your chutney a little sweeter

1 large knob of fresh ginger (not as large as the one in my picture)

2 teaspoons olive oil

¾ teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

⅛ teaspoon ground coriander

a pinch of ground cinnamon (see above)

a smidgen of ground ginger

a smidgen of crushed red pepper (we call it “crushers”)

¼ cup (60 ml) cider vinegar

¼ cup (53 g) brown sugar

1 large apple

¼ cup (40 g) yellow raisins

Preparation:

1.) Grate about a tablespoon of zest from the oranges. You’ll have to use more than one to get enough. Avoid the bitter white pith, just grating the top orange layer. Set aside. Peel the oranges, scraping off as much of the pith as you can. You can either remove the membranes around each section, if they’re loose enough, or leave them on. Slice each section into three parts. Set aside, keeping the pieces of 3 oranges separate from the rest.

2.) Peel the ginger, then dice into ¼” (½ cm) pieces. You need ¼ cup (about 1 oz, or 28 g). Set aside.

2.) Heat the oil in a small saucepan. With a lid or splatter screen handy, add the mustard seeds and immediately cover the pan. Without covering, your seeds will fly as they pop, ending up everywhere but in the pan.

3.) When the popping slows down, add the onion and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion begins to soften and turn a bit brown at the edges.

4.) Add the coriander, cinnamon, crushers, and ground ginger. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the diced fresh ginger, vinegar, and brown sugar, reducing the heat to a gentle simmer.

5.) Peel and dice the apple. Add it, the zest, and the larger portion of the orange pieces to the pan.

6.) Cover the pot and cook on low for one hour, stirring frequently. You’ll want to keep a close eye on it so that it doesn’t scorch. When it’s finished, there will still be some liquid, but the mixture won’t be runny. If it’s still too runny, cook a while longer uncovered until you reach the desired consistency.

7.) Stir in the remaining oranges and the raisins, cover the pot again and turn off the heat. The residual heat will warm & plump the raisins. Let cool for half an hour, then refrigerate until needed.