Bengali Tomato Khejur Chutney Date Tomato Sweet

Method

1. 1

   Heat oil: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add panch phoron — all five seeds crackle. Add dried red chilli. Darken 10 seconds.

2. 2

   Add turmeric: Add turmeric. Stir 5 seconds.

3. 3

   Add tomatoes: Add roughly chopped tomatoes. Stir.

4. 4

   Cook until soft: Cook on medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes completely break down.

5. 5

   Mash: Use the back of a spoon to mash the tomatoes into the sauce as they cook.

6. 6

   Add dates: Add the pitted and halved dried dates. Stir.

7. 7

   Add sugar: Add sugar. Stir until dissolved.

8. 8

   Cook until thick: Cook on medium-low for 8 to 10 more minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until the chutney is thick and jam-like. The dates will soften and partially dissolve, adding sweetness and texture.

9. 9

   Add salt: Add a pinch of salt. The salt balances the sweet-sour character.

10. 10

    Cool and serve: The chutney is served at room temperature — never hot. It is served in a small bowl as a separate course before the sweets at a formal Bengali meal.

11. 11

    Note: The sweet chutney course at the end of a formal Bengali meal — served after the main courses and before the dessert — is a specifically Bengali and Odia tradition not found in other Indian regional cuisines. The sweet-sour chutney acts as a palate transition from the savoury meal to the sweet dessert. Tomato-date chutney (tomato khejur chutney) is one of the most commonly made versions — the dried dates (khejur) add both sweetness and a different texture from plain sugar. Served at all formal Bengali ceremonies and the Durga Puja bhog.