Growing up in India, fruit chutneys were almost always a regular part of our daily meals. We would have chutneys made with whatever fruit was in season - dates, mangoes, plums, tamarind, pineapple, tomatoes, gooseberry, olives, star fruits - all incredibly delicious and eagerly slurped up by us! <br />The key to the Bengali chutney is often the spice mix known as paanch (five) phoron (spice). Paanch phoron is made up of equal parts of nigella seeds, black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds. Paanch phoron is readily available at Indian grocery stores, and if you have some of the pre-made mix, then just add 1/2 teaspoon of it in this dish. <br /> In the part of India that I come from (West Bengal), meals are still served in a course-by-course manner and the chutneys would be served right after the meat dish and just before dessert. It is usually served with papads/poppadoms and the sensation of biting into a salty and crunchy papad dipped in a sweet and tangy chutney is something that you just have to experience for yourself! Enjoy! <br />

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