This recipe is an Indian twist on a traditional Italian appetizer. Savory curry leaf and warm-spiced Indian-style tomato chutney sits atop a mound of creamy whole milk ricotta atop a crusty grilled baguette, making it the perfect handheld appetizer that will impress your guests!
Jump to:
- Indian tomato chutney gives this bruschetta its special twist
- Ingredients in this fusion bruschetta
- Store-bought tomato chutney
- Tips for toasting bread for bruschetta
- Sourcing cheese for this bruschetta
- Tips for making this for a large crowd
- Other appetizers you'll love
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Indian-Style Bruschetta with Ricotta
Indian tomato chutney gives this bruschetta its special twist
To onlookers, this hand held snack still reads like bruschetta as they see a charcuterie board of thick and crisp baguette slices smothered with creamy whole milk cheese. But upon close inspection, this is actually a traditional Indian spread masquerading as an Italian dish. The tomato topping is a traditional South Indian classic called vengayam thakkali thokku or a chunky onion tomato chutney.
This chutney gets its bold flavors from the nutty whole cumin seeds, bitter whole mustard seeds, and peppery vibrant-green curry leaves, which are tempered in oil to enhance these flavors even more. As the tomato cooks in the spices, it surrenders its sweet juices which caramelize with the other ingredients, creating a complex, tangy, sweet, and tart tomato chutney.
Ingredients in this fusion bruschetta
- Italian Baguette - Choose a rustic Italian baguette that you love to eat. This should be the sturdy vehicle for the other ingredients to shine on.
- Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese - Whole milk ricotta cheese is a must for this recipe. It provides a creamy contrast to the tart chutney that the low fat version just can't achieve.
- Vengaya Thakkali Thokku (Chunky Tomato Chutney) - My recipe for a homemade South Indian style vengaya thakkali thokku can be made up to a week in advance and is the perfect addition to this fusion dish.
Store-bought tomato chutney
Although the vengayam thakkali thokku is fairly simple to make, sometimes you need a store-bought alternative. Brooklyn Delhi tomato achaar is a great choice that has a well-balanced flavor profile and brings great Indian flavors to the table. You can buy their products at your local Whole Foods or online!
Buy Now → Tips for toasting bread for bruschetta
When choosing bread for bruschetta, find a long crusty baguette that can be cut into bite size pieces. It makes a huge difference to cut the baguette into ½ inch slices and toast the slices. Toasting the slices ensures that the bruschetta won't get soggy while sitting out and gives a nice crunch to the dish. You can toast the slices with a few methods:
- Stovetop - Either on a grill pan or a regular pan with a bit of oil. Toast slices on both sides in batches.
- 350F in oven - Toast a large batch low and slow in the oven for 4-6 minutes. Rotate half way through to get even browning.
- Broiler in oven - Broil a large batch of bread quickly with the broiler set on high for 1-2 minutes. You need to closely watch the bread with this method because it can burn easily.
Sourcing cheese for this bruschetta
The recommended cheese for this bruschetta is whole milk ricotta cheese. Avoid using skim milk ricotta or low fat ricotta because it has an unpleasant grainy texture. You can alternatively substitute little bits of burrata or spread boursin cheese in place of ricotta.
Tips for making this for a large crowd
- Make the tomato chutney up to a week in advance
- Toast the bread using the oven to toast a large batch quickly
- Toast the bread on the day of the event
- Buy Brooklyn Delhi tomato chutney if you can't make it at home
- Assemble bruschetta right before the event to ensure freshness
- Serve on a charcuterie board or plate
Other appetizers you'll love
Frequently Asked Questions
You can easily make a vengayam thakkali thokku or chunky onion tomato chutney or buy Brooklyn Delhi tomato achaar for this recipe.
Once the bruschetta is fully assembled, it lasts for a couple of hours. However, you can prep the chutney a week in advance and leave the ingredients unassembled for the dish to last longer.
Serve the bruschetta assembled on a platter or leave the individual elements on a charcuterie board for folks to assemble on their own.
The best way to toast a large batch of bread is in the oven at 350F for ~5 minutes.
A crusty French baguette that is sliced into ½ inch slices is the best for bruschetta.
This bruschetta uses a spreadable and creamy whole milk ricotta cheese.
Indian-Style Bruschetta with Ricotta
Product Reccs
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups vengayam thakkali chutney or Brooklyn Delhi tomato achaar
- 1 long crusty baguette
- 6-7 sprigs cilantro coarsely chopped
- 8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- Optional flaky sea salt for garnish
Instructions
Prep ingredients
- If you are going to make homemade tomato chutney, follow the recipe here. Otherwise skip this step.
- Coarsely chop cilantro and set aside as garnish
Main recipe
- Slice baguette into ¼ inch slices.
- Toast bread slices on the stovetop in batches or in the oven on a sheet tray at 350F for 4-6 minutes or until the slices are lightly brown and toasted.
- Generously spread about a tablespoon of ricotta on each piece of toast and top with another generous tablespoon of tomato chutney.
- Garnish each piece of bruschetta with flaky sea salt and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Don Black
I used your basic recipe but instead of mixing my own spices I used a mix from the local spice store (PANCH PHORAN) but it was excellent.
Shri Repp
Yay! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
Shri Repp
Mike (UK)
We had Indian guests for Christmas dinner. Several were vegetarians. A friend made veg biryani and I made the Indian-style bruschetta, pinwheels and spinach dal (Keerai Paruppu). All recipes turned out great. Your recipes deserve more reviews and stars! I will post this review on each of the individual recipe pages.