Since we did like our pork and mango chutney, as soon as we came across another mango we decided we should give this recipe another go. This time we tried a more hands-on approach, making a proper chutney that we can store just like a store-bought one! Well, not that long unless you know how to seal it and all, but it can serve for some time thanks to all the honey and spices in it! Remember that even though we are not adding any sugar to this recipe the natural sugars are still very high! It has a good amount of honey in it and since we’re cooking the mango for a long time, we will have a good amount of natural sugars released from the fruit as well. It is a nutritional recipe, however, it is not a sin-free recipe especially if you have some sugar-related condition like diabetes! It is something to enjoy a table-spoon or two off, just like a healthier version of a jam.
Ingredients
- Mango
- Onion
- Spring Onion (optional)
- Cocktail Onions (optional)
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Black Pepper
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Aniseed
- Coriander
- Fennel
- Cumin
- Mustard
- Chili (optional)
- Bay Leave
- Honey
- Vinegar (preferably a sweet one)
Method
Start by roasting your spices, that is your black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, aniseeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin, and mustard seeds in a pan. Heat them up until you will start to smell their aromas filling your kitchen. Next, we added the ginger and turmeric (fresh is better, however, the powder still works!), chopped onion, and spring onion (optional). Grill until the onions are soft and start to get a slight color, this will make them sweeter and will help with the sweet taste the chutney has. Add the mango, if it’s ripe it will give some water to the mixture, if no water is added by the mango then add some water and leave to simmer with the bay leaves, and the rest of our spices and onions, add some chili if you want some extra kick. When the ingredients start to blend together add the honey, some sweet vinegar, and some cocktail onions for some extra fun! Keep simmering and adding water and honey until the mixture has the right consistency and your chutney is done! Cool it down and then store it in a refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy your homemade chutney!
Variations
As always you can play with the spices to your tastes, focus on the ones you like best! You can also add apples to the mix as well as we did in our pork and wannabe chutney recipe. Here I used it as a side sauce with my roll (it is simply some chicken rolled in a wrap and tossed in the microwave), I added some extra chilies on top both for presentation and for some extra kick! Great with onion bhaji or poppadoms too, as well as with some falafel (chickpea or fava beans patties)! Chutney is perfect with chicken, pork, and lamb dishes, giving an Indian flair to your dish. It’s great as a spread for your wraps or sandwiches and pairs well with cheeses (we do not encourage cheese platers, however, if you are making one, place some chutney as a dip along with some fruit and walnuts to freshen your pallet!). It is also a good option as a dipping sauce for your breaded nibbles, again, they are not the healthiest but it’s an option! The ideal use is as a side to any curry dish, it’s sweet taste will balance the heat in the curry perfectly. A more vegetarian-friendly option is to pair this with sweet potatoes or for an even healthier dish pair it with some winter squash. Hope you’ll give it a try and share with us your experiences, we’d love to hear from you!