A simple homemade apple chutney flavoured with butter, star anise and paprika, inspired by a failed relish that turned into a delicious kitchen success.

Not every kitchen experiment is a success. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the result is inedible. In fact, some happy accidents turn into delightful surprises, like this apple chutney.

Inspired by a friend’s superwoman-like ability to make relishes, I set out to make an apple relish. Unfortunately, I’d picked the wrong kind of apples — or rather, found them languishing in the fruit tray. Instead of being crisp and crunchy, they were soft and brittle, crumbling as I peeled them. But hey, no one ever called me a quitter!

So I forged ahead, peeling apples to the tune of Kishore Kumar’s Mere Saamnewali Khidki Mein. (Music is an essential kitchen ingredient. Good mood equals good food.)

The mini mound of roughly chopped apples ready to be dealt with, I reached for butter, because darlings, irrespective of what it does to your arteries and your hips, it makes the world right. In went all the goodies into the pan and with a little bit of this and that thrown in, I had this apple chutney which, my dear friends, got a huge thumbs up from the parents. I’ve made it twice since, is being used to slather on butter-toasted sourdoughs sprinkled with sumac powder or smoked cheese shavings. It is also being slathered on rotis and parathas to make rolls for the instant hunger moments.

NOTE: If you aren’t in a rush, then let the apple chutney rest for a day. It tastes so much more deliciouser the next day.

Give it a shot and stick around for when I get the apple relish right! Until then, happy cooking.

A spicy, robust pickle made with garlic and potent red chilli from Nagaland, this pickle will add the good kind of heat to your palate

As an introvert, I tend to avoid stepping into spaces that are traditionally marked as belonging to the ‘family’ – for example the kitchen, the dining area, the family room, etc. But all of that respect for space went flying out of the window in the face of the Khonoma’s bone-numbing cold that had my teeth clattering out unheard of tunes. A and I shuffled into the kitchen looking for something warm to ensure we stayed alive until dinner… and the taste of this garlic chilli pickle made me sit up, quite literally!

Offered rather tentatively by the homestay owner – she was probably afraid to let us face the wrath of the local red chilli that Nagaland is famous for – the sharp, spicy and robust taste opened up the sinuses and had my blood rushing to all those cold-number places.

I am a garlic girl through and through so of course I loved it a lot but oh my my…

Understanding the recipe was a bit of a struggle as the homestay owner grappled with words and terms to explain the process, until we resorted to hand actions. Made with pantry essentials and ingredients that are available in most Indian (and non-Indian) kitchens, the Garlic & Naga Red Chilli Pickle makes for a deliciously fiery achaar to your dal chawal, the drizzle to your sad sabji, the exquisite touch to your sourdough cheese grilled sandwich and more.

I’ve used the local garlic I bought in Khonoma village along with the red chilli powder I picked up from a farmers’ market outside Kigwema village. The mustard seeds, mustard oil and tomato are from the provision store and vegetable vendor a few steps from my home.

And obviously, you won’t have the Naga garlic and chilli so feel free to use whatever you have… I’m sure it’ll taste brilliant!

Things to remember

• Roughly chop the garlic cloves but don’t mince; we want the garlic pieces to roll on your tongue when you eat the pickle
• Be patient with the ‘let it sit’ portion of the recipe; the more you let the pickle sit, the more it’ll develop flavours and potency
• Be sure to store in a clean, dry glass jar.

Do let me know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram at from.the.corner.table and hashtag it #fromthecornertable. I’d love to see it

If you like to keep your refrigerator stocked with condiments that uplift the mundane, check out the recipes for the Apple Chutney, the Mixed Fruit Chaatni as also the Tomato & Dates Chutney.

For regular updates on recipes, recommendations on things to read and watch and ramblings that make sense, subscribe to the newsletter – you’ll find the form in the sidebar if viewing on a screen and at the bottom if viewing on the phone. Since spamming or flooding your inbox is a huge no for me, these newsletters go out only when I’ve put up a new post or sometimes, once in a month only.

This apple chutney flavoured with butter and star anise is perfect as a dip, a spread and an ideal addition to your grazing plate for parties

Not every kitchen experiment is a success. But it isn’t necessary that the ‘not success’ dish is unpalatable. In fact, some of these end up being delightful, tasty surprises, like this apple chutney.

Inspired by a friend’s superwoman-like ability to make relishes, I’d set out to make an apple relish but with the wrong core ingredient – the apples I’d picked (or rather, found piled on the fruit tray) had a strange texture. Rather than being crisp and crunchy, they were of a soft, brittle variety that started to crumble when peeled. But hey, no one called me a quitter! I forged ahead, determined to make something out of the apples I’d peeled to the tune of Kishore Kumar’s ‘Mere saamne wali khidki mein’ – please note, tunes are important during the act of peeling because ‘good mood is important to make ‘good food’!

The mini mound of roughly chopped apples ready to be dealt with, I reached for butter, because darlings, irrespective of what it does to your arteries and your hips, it makes the world right. In went all the goodies into the pan and with a little bit of this and that thrown in, I had this apple chutney which eventually got a huge thumbs up from the parents. It has now been made twice, is being used to slather on butter-toasted sourdoughs sprinkled with sumac powder or smoked cheese shavings. It is also being used generously on rotis and parathas to make rolls for the instant hunger moments.

NOTE: If you aren’t in a rush, then let the apple chutney rest for a day. It tastes so much more deliciouser the next day.

Give it a shot and stick around for when I get the apple relish right! Until then, happy cooking.

Do let me know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram at from.the.corner.table and hashtag it #fromthecornertable. I’d love to see it

For regular updates on recipes, recommendations on things to read and watch and ramblings that make sense, subscribe to the newsletter – you’ll find the form in the sidebar if viewing on a screen and at the bottom if viewing on the phone. Since spamming or flooding your inbox is a huge no for me, these newsletters go out only when I’ve put up a new post or sometimes, once in a month only.

A spicy, robust pickle made with garlic and potent red chilli from Nagaland, this pickle will add the good kind of heat to your palate

As an introvert, I tend to avoid stepping into spaces that are traditionally marked as belonging to the ‘family’ – for example the kitchen, the dining area, the family room, etc. But all of that respect for space went flying out of the window in the face of the Khonoma’s bone-numbing cold that had my teeth clattering out unheard of tunes. A and I shuffled into the kitchen looking for something warm to ensure we stayed alive until dinner… and the taste of this garlic chilli pickle made me sit up, quite literally!

Offered rather tentatively by the homestay owner – she was probably afraid to let us face the wrath of the local red chilli that Nagaland is famous for – the sharp, spicy and robust taste opened up the sinuses and had my blood rushing to all those cold-number places.

I am a garlic girl through and through so of course I loved it a lot but oh my my…

Understanding the recipe was a bit of a struggle as the homestay owner grappled with words and terms to explain the process, until we resorted to hand actions. Made with pantry essentials and ingredients that are available in most Indian (and non-Indian) kitchens, the Garlic & Naga Red Chilli Pickle makes for a deliciously fiery achaar to your dal chawal, the drizzle to your sad sabji, the exquisite touch to your sourdough cheese grilled sandwich and more.

I’ve used the local garlic I bought in Khonoma village along with the red chilli powder I picked up from a farmers’ market outside Kigwema village. The mustard seeds, mustard oil and tomato are from the provision store and vegetable vendor a few steps from my home.

And obviously, you won’t have the Naga garlic and chilli so feel free to use whatever you have… I’m sure it’ll taste brilliant!

Things to remember

• Roughly chop the garlic cloves but don’t mince; we want the garlic pieces to roll on your tongue when you eat the pickle
• Be patient with the ‘let it sit’ portion of the recipe; the more you let the pickle sit, the more it’ll develop flavours and potency
• Be sure to store in a clean, dry glass jar.

Do let me know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram at from.the.corner.table and hashtag it #fromthecornertable. I’d love to see it

If you like to keep your refrigerator stocked with condiments that uplift the mundane, check out the recipes for the Apple Chutney, the Mixed Fruit Chaatni as also the Tomato & Dates Chutney.

For regular updates on recipes, recommendations on things to read and watch and ramblings that make sense, subscribe to the newsletter – you’ll find the form in the sidebar if viewing on a screen and at the bottom if viewing on the phone. Since spamming or flooding your inbox is a huge no for me, these newsletters go out only when I’ve put up a new post or sometimes, once in a month only.

This apple chutney flavoured with butter and star anise is perfect as a dip, a spread and an ideal addition to your grazing plate for parties

Not every kitchen experiment is a success. But it isn’t necessary that the ‘not success’ dish is unpalatable. In fact, some of these end up being delightful, tasty surprises, like this apple chutney.

Inspired by a friend’s superwoman-like ability to make relishes, I’d set out to make an apple relish but with the wrong core ingredient – the apples I’d picked (or rather, found piled on the fruit tray) had a strange texture. Rather than being crisp and crunchy, they were of a soft, brittle variety that started to crumble when peeled. But hey, no one called me a quitter! I forged ahead, determined to make something out of the apples I’d peeled to the tune of Kishore Kumar’s ‘Mere saamne wali khidki mein’ – please note, tunes are important during the act of peeling because ‘good mood is important to make ‘good food’!

The mini mound of roughly chopped apples ready to be dealt with, I reached for butter, because darlings, irrespective of what it does to your arteries and your hips, it makes the world right. In went all the goodies into the pan and with a little bit of this and that thrown in, I had this apple chutney which eventually got a huge thumbs up from the parents. It has now been made twice, is being used to slather on butter-toasted sourdoughs sprinkled with sumac powder or smoked cheese shavings. It is also being used generously on rotis and parathas to make rolls for the instant hunger moments.

NOTE: If you aren’t in a rush, then let the apple chutney rest for a day. It tastes so much more deliciouser the next day.

Give it a shot and stick around for when I get the apple relish right! Until then, happy cooking.

Do let me know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram at from.the.corner.table and hashtag it #fromthecornertable. I’d love to see it

For regular updates on recipes, recommendations on things to read and watch and ramblings that make sense, subscribe to the newsletter – you’ll find the form in the sidebar if viewing on a screen and at the bottom if viewing on the phone. Since spamming or flooding your inbox is a huge no for me, these newsletters go out only when I’ve put up a new post or sometimes, once in a month only.

A spicy, robust pickle made with garlic and potent red chilli from Nagaland, this pickle will add the good kind of heat to your palate As an introvert, I tend to avoid stepping into spaces that are traditionally marked as belonging to the ‘family’ – for example the kitchen, the dining area, the family room, etc. But all of that…

This apple chutney flavoured with butter and star anise is perfect as a dip, a spread and an ideal addition to your grazing plate for parties Not every kitchen experiment is a success. But it isn’t necessary that the ‘not success’ dish is unpalatable. In fact, some of these end up being delightful, tasty surprises, like this apple chutney. Inspired…