Chapda chutney (red ant chutney)
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A sour, fiery chutney of red weaver ants and their eggs ground with chilli, garlic and salt, a traditional food of Bastar.
Region: Chhattisgarh (Bastar)Occasion: Everyday meals; sold at Bastar’s weekly marketsTime: 20 minServes: 4Non-vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup red ants with eggs (chapda), collected from their leaf nests
- 4–5 green or dry red chillies
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 small piece ginger
- Salt to taste
- A few coriander leaves (optional)
Method
- Collected nests are shaken over a cloth or basket to gather the ants and eggs; clean out any leaves.
- Dry-roast the ants lightly or use them fresh, as is the local custom.
- Grind them on a stone with the chillies, garlic, ginger and salt into a coarse paste.
- Serve in small amounts with rice or pej.
History
Red weaver ants build nests of leaves in sal and mango trees. The tribal communities of Bastar have long collected them as food.
Significance
Chapda chutney is sold in leaf cups at Bastar’s weekly haats. According to local tradition it helps fight fever and colds; its sourness comes from the ants themselves.