Doon Chetin

My first taste of Doon Chetin was in Kashmir at ITC Welcomhotel Pine N Peak, on a lawn overlooking the Jhelum, eating freshly caught river trout with my hands. The chef had fried it in a simple Kashmiri masala and then smeared the crisp skin with this coarse walnut chutney. I remember thinking, where has this been all my life?

Doon is walnut, Chetin is chutney. Walnuts, green chilli, shahi jeera, mint, coriander and hung yoghurt — coarse, nutty, sharp, creamy and completely addictive.

I’ve been making it ever since. I recently returned to the property where I first encountered it and, thankfully, the chutney was still there. Some things don’t need fixing.

Last night I put it on soft scrambled eggs with pickled onions and fresh tomatoes, tucked everything into a soft slider and called it breakfast. Tomorrow, I’ll probably make it again.

There’s something about food memories that stays with you long after the meal is over. This one has travelled with me from a lawn by the Jhelum to my kitchen in Mumbai.

The Recipe is on the blog