This chutney is made by removing the nest of ants from the trees carefully along with the eggs and the ants.
Siddis, also known as Habshis or Abyssinians, are descendants of the Bantu inhabitants of East and Central Africa.
The diversity in India’s culture is prominent with different languages, attire and cuisines. Some cultures are so different that one may experience shock when exposed to other traditions all of a sudden. This happens most often with cuisines as traditional dishes of one community may come across as completely bizarre to another. We will talk about one such dish today. We have all tasted chutney at some point in our lives. Chutneys can be made out of mango, tomatoes, pineapple, coconut and much more. But we are not here to talk about any of these. We are here to talk about red ant chutney, famous among the Siddi community of Karnataka.
Yes, you heard that right. The very red ants that we detest and stay away from are eaten in the form of chutney by the Siddis of Uttara Kannada. Siddis, also known as Habshis or Abyssinians, are the descendants of the Bantu inhabitants of East and Central Africa. The slave trade, which began in the seventh century with Arab traders and merchants and continued into the 16th century with the Portuguese and British, is said to have brought them to India. According to history, they were sent to Goa as slaves. In pursuit of food and shelter, the group first made its home in Goa and then eventually moved to Karnataka.
In Karnataka, the Siddis preferred to live in seclusion among the forests and established their community. Red ants, which are found in abundance in the forests the community inhabit, are devoured as a tasty chutney. This chutney is made by removing the nest of ants from the trees carefully along with the eggs and the ants present. Salt is poured on the nest which kills the ants.
After they are dead, they should be fried in a pan and then seasoned with ginger, ramapatra, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and turmeric. Then it is grinded by a stone and your delicious ant chutney is ready.
The roots of this dish lie in Africa as that is where the Siddis are from in general.
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