Food
My Baghdadi-Indian Jewish Comfort Food is Green Chutney
A story within a family recipe.
Perfect storm: Pandemic. Discovering that the type of Jewish I was raised to think we were was not entirely the type of Jewish we actually were. Thanksgiving.
In other words, I was quarantined alone at the time — not counting two cats and a turtle — gradually realizing that the Baghdadi-Indian heritage I took for granted (a.k.a. my “normal”) was really very beautiful and in danger of vanishing, and unable to travel to see family for the holidays.
Actually, we’re half Baghdadi-Indian. Dad’s half is Ukrainian. Lots to think about. Thankfully, the next generations have begun shining a light on stories, recipes, songs and dialects before they slip completely away.
(Baghdadi-Indian Jews? This is supposed to be a recipe article, so I’ll be brief: In about the 6th century BCE the kingdom of Judah was overcome by the Neo-Babylonians and a significant number of Judeans were deported to Babylon. About 2–3 generations later that empire fell and they were allowed to return, but a portion remained. There were a couple of much earlier migration waves to India and ours, the Baghdadi wave, began arriving around the 18th and 19th centuries. They settled mostly in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. That community is nearly gone, having followed a cousin or an opportunity to another part of the world.)
Thanksgiving was nearly here and I was stuck in the Bay Area, many miles from the crowded table, growing offspring and catch-up chatter. Fortunately, a couple of dear friends with a huge back yard decided to spring for the outdoor heaters that were being hoarded/gouge-priced and host a Thanksgiving potluck. What to bring? The answer was heartbreakingly obvious.
After a lifetime of leaning on cousins to be the carriers of the family recipes, I would either have to learn to continue my favorite Thanksgiving tradition or let COVID rob me of another little pleasure: spicy green chutney made with huge quantities of cilantro.
I texted my cousin and she sent the recipe right away. Then she followed it with an easy chickpea curry recipe (“What were you planning to eat it with?”) and suggested pita bread if I couldn’t find naan.
For years, along with the turkey and pumpkin pie, a family tradition had also been green chutney and badjas — starchy vegetables deep fried in a chickpea flour breading. Badjas are more work and I’m not that committed. I just wanted the chutney.
Here. I’ll spread the wealth:
SPICY GREEN CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS (FULL BATCH)
6 bunches cilantro
1 medium sweet onion
2 Tbsp crushed ginger
Juice of lime or lemon (2–3)
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
2 serrano peppers
Salt — start with 2 Tbsp
1/3 BATCH
2 bunches
1/2 a small sweet onion
2 tsp crushed ginger
1 lemon
1 tsp garlic
Peppers to tsp
Salt
Start with 1/2 tsp
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut the cilantro in ½, throw away most of the stems, soak it in water while you do the rest of your prep, and then rinse it before using it.
- Peel the onion and chop it into large chunks.
- Juice the lemon or lime.
- If you’re using fresh ginger instead of crushed, peel and slice it into blender-friendly pieces.
- Might as well peel the garlic cloves now, too.
In your blender, begin pureeing the onion in the lemon or lime juice.
Add the garlic, ginger and hot peppers.
Once this gets going, I use higher speeds to liquify the mix.
Slowly add cilantro to the blender, ½ bunch at a time.
This can be done through the hole in the blender lid.
If it gets stuck, turn off the blender and mix with a spoon, then continue blending.
Add salt to taste.
Add sugar if bitter.
More lemon or lime and/or hot peppers can be added if desired.
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At the pot luck (my first try!), I was given high-to-the-point-of-intimidating compliments by an Indian party guest whose mother is a gourmet chef. Using all fresh ingredients may have had something to do with it. At any rate, everything was delicious, the gathering was lovely, and both my stomach and my heart were fed.
If there’s interest, I might be convinced to find and share our badja recipe, but there are plenty of versions to be found in the digital netherworld.
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For more about these and other Mizrahi Jews, a great place to start is themizrahistory on Instagram.
