How to make
Making homemade chutney is no easy task, takes quite a lot of time (almost 2 days in my case) and effort, so it pays to have a tried and proven recipe on hand. I know this recipe comes from my mom, who in turn inherited it from her grandmother.
Peel the tomatoes and grind them through a meat grinder. Pour them into a large copper vat (or pot, tray, whatever container you have available), put them on medium heat and start the long process of stirring nonstop, to prevent the puree from burning.
Initially, the mixture is runny and needs to be stirred slowly but as more water evaporates and the tomato paste thickens, the more quickly and carefully you need to stir. Move the spoon along the entire bottom of the container, to prevent it from burning anywhere.
Bake the peppers and arrange them in a container with the lid closed or in a plastic bag, in order to smother them. Then peel and remove their seeds and stems. Leave them for 1-2 hours in a large container or tray at an angle to drain. Then mash them through the meat grinder.
Bake the eggplants. After they cool, peel them, dice them, salt them and leave to drain for 2 hours, then mash through the meat grinder. Wash the carrots, peel, boil in a container with salted water and mash as well.
Add the mashed peppers, eggplants and carrots carefully to the vat with the tomatoes while stirring nonstop for an extended period. Be careful because the chutney will eventually begin to spray a lot, so be sure to have a large wooden stirrer with a long handle, wear long sleeves and pants, plus an apron.
After the chutney is reduced by half, add the finely chopped chili peppers, oil (in a thin trickle while stirring nonstop), salt, sugar and spices - savory, cumin and black pepper. Add a little at a time and taste it - you can always add more if you feel you need to.
Boil the chutney on a slow fire, until the stirrer begins to leave noticeable furrows along the bottom of the container. Remove from the heat, wait for it to cool a bit and distribute into jars, seal them with pre-boiled caps and boil in a container with a rag or towel on the bottom, with the water level at least 2 fingers above the jars. After the water comes to a boil, wait 15-20 min. and take the vat off the heat.
Take the jars out and flip them with their caps down until they cool.
