Hey its Thanksgiving, people!. Cranberries need to be on the menu! Honestly speaking, cranberry sauce has never been my thing. I think all that sugar that goes in it is what puts me off. Because I really love cranberries – I really do! And like to use them in a lot of my curries! I make cranberry rasam often. And for the past two years, I became even more close to cranberries since I have been avoiding tomatoes. I find cranberries to be a perfect substitute for tomatoes in my indian curries and stews. In fact it is a perfect substitute for tamarind also which is another pantry item that I have stopped using now. So cranberries have been my ‘go to’ and pretty reliable friend 🙂
Now this cranberry and cherry sauce has been on my mind for the longest of times. I have been wanting to make a sugar free cranberry sauce and once when I was making a smoothie with cherries, this thought came to mind. I thought of combining it with cherries to balance the tartness with the sweetness of the cherries. And that did seem like a wonderful idea considering both cranberries and cherries are so high on nutrients. The nutrients in cranberries have been linked to a lower risk of urinary tract infections, prevention of certain types of cancer, improved immune function, and decreased blood pressure 1. And cherries are not far behind with their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cancer prevention properties2.
So my idea of combining cranberries and cherries seems like a perfect marriage made in heaven right? Well, my inclinations were certainly right. The combined flavor is a perfect balance of tart and sweet and the Indian in me couldn’t resist adding cayenne pepper and garlic for an additional kick:) I started by roasting the berries and the garlic and throwing them in a blender to make a smooth sauce. Then just a little bit simmering with some cayenne and fresh herbs – cilantro and curry. And a final tempering of mustard seeds in coconut oil! Yum!
It tastes fabulous as is and I can only imagine how good it would taste with roast chicken or turkey! I cannot wait to bring it to our Thanksgiving dinner! This will be a great dip for crackers and plenty of other savory stuff!.
Sharing this recipe at the AIP Recipe Roundtable hosted by Phoenix Helix.
Cranberry and Cherry Sauce || Cranberry and Cherry Chutney (Paleo, Vegan, AIP)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup cherries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 large cloves of garlic with skin on
- About 3/4 cup water
- About 3/4 tsp sea salt or per taste
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or kashmiri chilli powder (per heat level desired; omit for AIP)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- 4-5 fresh curry leaves
For the tempering (omit for AIP):
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 deg F (200 deg C).
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the cranberries, cherries and the whole garlic cloves with skin on it. Bake at 400 deg F (200 C) for about 13-15 mins until the berries are roasted - dark skin on top. Peel the skin of the garlic away.
- In a food processor or blender, blend the cranberries, cherries and the garlic cloves with some amount of water to form a thick smooth paste. Then add the rest of the water and blend again. Pour this blend into a cooking pot.
- Place pot on low heat and add the salt, cayenne (if adding) and stir well. Let simmer for 5 mins on low.
- Then add the fresh cilantro and curry leaves and let simmer for another couple mins and turn heat off.
- For the tempering, in a small pan, add the coconut oil. When hot, add the mustard seeds. When they splutter add the fenugreek seeds. Continue heating on low until the fenugreek seeds all turn brown and turn heat off. Pour this oil garnish on top of the cranberry cherry sauce.
- Store in a refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
[…] Cranberry and Cherry Sauce – Indu’s International Kitchen (follow AIP notes) […]
Fabulous idea to add cherries instead of sugar here.
I also love the idea of using cranberries instead of tomatoes. Brilliant! 🙂
thanks Ronit. Yes I am glad I tried it – it came out absolutely delicious. perfect balance of tartness and sweetness. And yes I use cranberries now in all my Indian tomato based curries! Happy thanksgiving to you!