Chutney

Poem by Radha Chakravarty

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amsotto— tart tang of candied mango
tempering the sticky sweetness
of dates and raisins cooked
to a delicious oozing translucency
in ripe red tomato pulp, tampered
with fivefold fragrance of paanchphoron—
cumin, nigella, fennel, fenugreek, mustard—
careful balance of salt and sugar invaded
by the sharpness of dry red chilli
spluttered in hot oil
with bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves
 
tomato chutney melts in the mouth—
moment of euphoric union,
a whole world
of flavours, textures, tastes,
coming together
in sheer ecstasy

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Radha Chakravarty is a poet, critic, academic and translator based in Delhi, India. She has over 20 books to her credit, including poetry, criticism and translations of major Bengali writers. "Subliminal" is the title of her new collection of poetry. She contributed to "Pandemic: A Worldwide Community Poem," nominated for the Pushcart Prize 2020.