the ordinary English spelling of the Indian word which used to be spelled chutni and is now chatni.
In Indian cuisine a chatni is a spicy relish eaten as a side dish to add interest to less piquant food, such as rice or dal. It is freshly prepared for each meal by grinding spices and herbs (e.g. ginger, chilli pepper, mint, coriander leaves) and mixing them to a paste with (e.g.) garlic, or tamarind, or limes, or coconut. Whole pieces of fruit or vegetable (especially mango) may be in the relish. An Indian chatni is always vegetarian and has a sour tang.
Generally, ingredients vary according to region and tastes. Thus coconut chutney is the most popular relish in S. India, while herb and coconut chutney is typical of W. India; purely herb chutneys are eaten in W. and N. India. A chutney made with unripe mangoes—the one which has become most popular in the western world—is also a favourite in N. India; while walnut chutney (also chutneys with sour cherries or pumpkin or radish) is popular in Kashmir. Tomato (green or ripe) chutney is the one which knows no frontiers; it is eaten all over India.
The British encountered chatni early in their colonial days and adopted it with enthusiasm, tending perhaps to emphasize the sweet aspect of what is essentially sour or sweet and sour. British chutneys are usually spiced, sweet, fruit pickles, having something of the consistency of jam. Highest esteem is accorded to mango chutney, imported from India, but the sorts of chutney have been legion; Law's Grocer's Manual (1895), listed, among others, chutneys called Bengal, Cashmere, Colonel Skinner's, Lucknow, Calcutta Howrah, and Major Grey's. The last named is famed in India as well as Britain.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
