Instagram Is Applauding Padma Lakshmi's Chutney Tutorial
You know a Padma Lakshmi recipe when you see one. Whether it's giving classics a hot and spicy take or introducing her fans to the many underrated flavors of Indian food, Lakshmi is famous for playing with textures and punchy seasonings. Lakshmi has shared her culinary knowledge through her cookbooks as well as her recipe-filled memoir "Love, Loss, And What We Eat," which made the New York Times bestseller list. But fans don't need to own one of Lakshmi's books to learn some of her recipes. The "Top Chef" host is generous in sharing them on social media as well.
A recent video post that has Instagram swooning describes the recipe for Chaatpati Date & Tamarind Chutney from her bestselling memoir. Lakshmi explained that she and her aunt Neela — who she described as being more like an older sister — love Indian street food known as chaat. "The joys of chaat," she says, "come from the thrilling mix of textures, temperatures, and flavors – we couldn't get enough!" A recipe that brings back childhood memories, the "dark, gooey chutney was my first mother sauce of sorts and is one of the key components that takes a snack or dish to chaatpati status," Lakshmi says. The tangy chutney is served with different sorts of chaat in India.
Fans are loving the easy homemade chutney
In addition to the two main ingredients — dates and tamarind — Lakshmi's chutney only requires cumin powder, coriander powder, and cayenne (via Instagram). Once the tamarind and spices are let to dissolve in water over the stove, dates are added and the concoction is allowed to thicken and then blended into a chutney. The chutney can be used as a dip, a marinade, or a drizzling sauce. Lakshmi suggests brushing the chutney over a fish fillet or boneless chicken tenders. Fans may also remember her Hasselback potato chaat that called for a generous drizzle of the "chaatpati" chutney.
Instagram is applauding Lakshmi for just how good the easy date and tamarind chutney looks. It seemed that user bigtorta could practically taste an explosion of nostalgia: "The amount of flavor in that sounds like it would be [mindblowing]. The flavors of childhood live forever and there is nothing better than eating something that takes you back to the best years of our lives." Another fan, travelwithsamnyc, finds that the homemade chutney is a far better alternative to store-bought options.
Those who have already tried a version of the chutney are vouching for Lakshmi's use of flavors. "Padma this is the star sauce of my private dinners!!" exclaimed smitascookery. "I love you are talking about it. It's the umami of our dishes." Those who haven't tried the chutney sound eager to race to the kitchen and recreate it.