Chapda Chutney

Chapda chutney or red ant chutney is a traditional chutney originating from Chhattisgarh, although it’s also popular in Odisha and Jharkhand. The chutney is made with a combination of crushed and dried red ants and their eggs, coriander, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, hot peppers, sugar, and salt. The ingredients are mashed into a smooth paste that’s sometimes cooked with chopped onions in hot oil. Once prepared, the chutney is traditionally sold in local markets wrapped in sal leaves. The flavors of this chutney are very spicy and hot. Interestingly, the method of collecting these ants is a painful one, as male ants attack and bite the harvesters while trying to protect the egg-laying female ants.