Spiced memories in a jar

Chef Velton Saldanha moves on from a Goan restaurant to launch a start up that hopes to keep India’s chutney tradition alive with influences from here, there and everywhere. Pics/Rane Ashish

If food fills our stomach, chutneys fill our heart. Even an ounce of them can take us back to our childhood and unlock a box of memories. We had a similar experience when we sampled products from Chutney Collective, the pandemic baby of Chef Velton Saldanha, former sous chef at O Pedro.

The first jar we opened was of Aged Dates+Black Lime, a reminder of khatti-mithi chutney made from khajoor (dates) and imli (tamarind) that is used in North Indian chaats - a must with dahi bhalle and papdi chaat. Here though, the fermented dates are paired not with tamarind, but their in-house black lime (made from limes that have been boiled in salt water brine and then sun-dried). The chutney had just the right sweetness and tanginess to it.

Chef Velton Saldhana

The Ananas+Aam Kashundi is the chef's take on Bengal's bold and fiery mustard sauce. If you are Bengali, you might find the taste understated, but for a non-Bengali, it works just fine. We felt that while the pungency of mustard was noticeable, the runny chutney was mellowed to a large extent, perhaps by the fruitiness of pineapple or raw mango - though we couldn't guess that either were present. The chutney took this writer back to summers spent in Rajasthan where at meals, you are served a variety of achaar, including gunda (gumberry), which goes wonderfully with leftover parathas.

Before you blame us for being sentimental, know that the inspiration for this brand actually came from nostalgia. It started with Saldanha recreating his grandmother's Mangalorean prawn chutney with fresh prawns, which tasted so good that his friends asked him to start hawking it. The aim, says the official website, is to offer delicious accompaniments inspired by the plethora of regional chutneys in India.

The flavour that appealed to everyone on our team was the Black Garlic+ Tomato Thokku. Having no nostalgia factor, we looked this one up and learnt that it is inspired by thakkali thokku, a tomato chutney integral to every South Indian home. For us, this chunky chutney was a good balance of flavours, the tang of tomato perfectly balanced by caramelised garlic.

What failed to impress us, though, was the Fried Chicken+Thecha. The traditional Maharashtrian thecha we enjoy eating is made with red chilli, peanuts, garlic and oil. It's usually relished with bhakri, and can make for a delicious spread on breads and rotis. But, we think the very idea of a chicken chutney doesn't draw everyone in. For some reason, the experiment disappointed our palate.

The Chicken 65 Podi fared better. It had crunch and texture, and the regular favourites - cumin, garlic, ginger, and curry leaves - that go into its making. But an unusual ingredient that seems to have been co-opted into the preparation is the Knorr Chicken Powder. It gives it a saltier flavour that could work for some taste buds. Also, the chutney smelled more like a dried fish preparation, which somehow confused us, if anything. Maybe, it's best to leave chicken where it belongs.

Rs 300 onwards
www.chutneycollective.com

With inputs by Jane Borges