Shah Jahan, Major Grey and the tale of chutney
Pachadi, podi, chammanthi, chukh, chetin, thogayal, thecha or bata – call it what you want – but you can’t miss the irrefutable place that chutney holds in Indian cuisine. A thick, delicious sauce made up of fruits and spices, this word has been derived from the Hindi word ‘chaatna’ which means ‘to lick’. You’ll be surprised to know that the origin of our beloved chutney is as old as 500 BC! Typically, it is used as an accompaniment. You can say, it’s the Indian equivalent to ketchups and sauces. In fact, the thick, delicious chutneys were so popular in Indian cuisine that they made it to the English dictionary in the 19th century! A 2019 Hindi film ‘Axone’ (pronounced as Akhuni) was even inspired by a Nagaland-based chutney of the same name. Let us dive a little deeper into the history and legends behind this much-loved Indian condiment.
Chutney and its origin
Chutney, a paste made from a few ingredients, crushed or pounded in a mortar and pestle or mixer and grinder, originated in India. Their genesis, as already mentioned, can be traced back to 500 BC, a time when food wastage was supposed to be nil. So, the inception of this condiment took place as a method of food preservation. Later, chutney was adopted by the Romans and the British as a result of their encounter with Indians. However, it fell out of favour in Britain when more foreign and diverse dishes were imported into northern Europe. This, combined with the capacity to refrigerate fresh foods and an increase in the number of glasshouses, chutney and pickle consumption in Britain got restricted to the army troops. However, around the 1780s, chutney resurfaced as an appetiser in England.
The legend of Shah Jahan
Legends would have us believe that once upon a time, the Mughal ruler, Shah Jahan, fell ill. Then, the emperor's hakims (physicians who used traditional remedies) advised him to eat something that was hot and tasty to revitalise him. However, as part of the treatment, it had to be easy to digest.
Now, this led to the development of chaat, a dish made with nutritious ingredients such as pulses and lentils and seasoned with spicy coriander, mint paste, and the sweet and tangy tamarind. One school of thought suggests that this led to the origin of chutneys in India. Since it is made fresh with raw ingredients like mint, cumin, coriander, flax seeds, garlic, dried ginger, and other spices, chutneys are packed with micronutrients, vitamins and minerals needed by the body in very small amounts. Hence, the chutneys helped Shah Jahan improve his digestion as was advised by his hakims!
Chutney makes its way to America
Arguably, the early 1800s witnessed the first branded bottles of chutney in the West. Major Grey, a British officer, who had journeyed to India, too it to the West. Grey's chutney was the name given to the recipe he obtained, and made its way to America. His chutney appears to have weathered the test of time and it was named the most popular variety of chutney in the United States in 1982. In fact, it is mass-produced in the United States and Canada even today!