Kai Chutney (Red Weaver Ant Chutney)
A traditional forest-foraged chutney of the Mayurbhanj tribal belt made from red weaver ants and their eggs, prized for its distinctly tangy, citrusy flavour.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 60 kcal
Equipment
- •Stone mortar and pestle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 60 kcal
- fat
- 3 g
- carbs
- 2 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 7 g
- calories
- 60 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Carefully pick through the foraged red ants and eggs. Remove all leaves and bits of dirt.
- 2
Dry roast the ants in a pan on low heat for a short time to dry them out.
- 3
Gently roast the dried red chillies until they smell fragrant.
- 4
Put the roasted ants, chillies, garlic and ginger into a stone mortar (grinding bowl).
- 5
Crush the mixture coarsely by hand using the pestle. Keep some rough texture.
- 6
Add salt and mix everything together well.
- 7
Drizzle a little mustard oil over the top if you like. Serve straight away.
Chef's tips
Use only fresh ants and eggs gathered by trusted, experienced local foragers. Eat the chutney fresh on the day you make it.
Ingredient substitutions
- red weaver ants → none — this is a specific foraged tribal ingredient with no true substitute
Storage
Best consumed the same day; does not store well.
Reheating
Not reheated; served fresh at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Saving the chutney for later instead of eating it fresh, which loses its sharp citrus flavour.
- •Pounding it into a completely smooth paste instead of keeping it rough and textured.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Kai Chutney (Red Weaver Ant Chutney)?
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