Our readers RAVE about this mango chutney recipe! Fresh, vibrant, and absolutely BURSTING with flavor, you’re going to love this versatile and wonderfully delicious condiment!
As a huge Indian food fan I love exploring and creating a wide range of chutneys out of fruits, nuts, vegetables and a whole host of spices. This mango chutney recipe is one of our very favorites.
Chutney dates back to 500 BC. Chutneys are endless in variety and ingredients, but they generally consist of fruit, vinegar, and sugar cooked down to a reduction. The word “chutney” is derived from the Sanskrit word caṭnī, meaning to lick. In other words, finger-lickin’ good!
How to Make Mango Chutney
Ginger, garlic and red chilies are sauteed in oil and then cumin, coriander, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom are added to coax out their robust flavors. Fresh mango, sugar and vinegar is added and it is slowly cooked down to a sticky and delicious concoction.
What Are Nigella Seeds?
Another spice that is in this recipe is nigella, which comes from an annual flowering plant native to south and southwest Asia. Other names for it include black cumin, onion seed and kalonji. It’s hard to describe the flavor of nigella. Wikipedia describes them as “a combination of onions, black pepper and oregano, with a bitterness like mustard seeds.”
The flavor is really unlike anything you’ve tasted before. It’s fantastic! I love to use it at every possible opportunity when I make Indian or Middle Eastern foods. It’s wonderful in curries and it positively transforms breads and potatoes.
Nigella is also commonly sprinkled on naan bread in India and is a wonderful spice to use in any “carb-based” dish. It adds an incredible flavor dimension to this mango chutney.
How to Use Mango Chutney
This mango chutney is sweet and spicy and is delicious either as a spread, a dip, or used in cooking a variety of Indian cuisine (for example, I love to add it to my curry sauces for a touch of sweetness – SO good!)
Here are three recipes using this chutney:
Mango Chutney Recipe
Let’s get started!
Over medium-high heat, heat some vegetable oil in a medium stock pot and saute the garlic, ginger and some diced red chilies for about a minute.
Add the spices and saute for another minute.
Add the chopped mangoes to the pot.
Add the sugar and salt. Add the white vinegar.
Stir up the mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue on a steady simmer for one hour.
After an hour of simmering. Depending on how finely you diced the mango, you can either leave it as is, or you can use a potato masher or blender stick to mash up some of the larger pieces.
After a bit of mashing. Stored in jars in the fridge this chutney will last up to at least two months. You can also freeze it for several months. For long-term storage, can it in airtight jars: Pour the mixture directly into sterilized jars and process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Let sit undisturbed for 24 hours then store jars in a dark, cool place. Will keep for at least a year.
For long-term storage you can also can this mango chutney. I always make a double batch of this and can it so we can enjoy it all year long.
Canning Instructions:
Pour the mixture directly into sterilized jars and process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Let sit undisturbed for 24 hours then store jars in a dark, cool place. Will keep for at least a year.
Enjoy!
For more delicious Indian recipes be sure to try our:
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Butter Chicken
- Chana Masala
- Tandoori Chicken
- Masoor Dal
- Shrimp Curry
- Egg Curry
- Dosa
- Chicken Biryani
- Chicken Xacuti
- Curry Powder
- Garam Masala
BEST Mango Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil (neutral tasting)
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger , finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic , finely minced
- 1 red chili , sliced (optional: remove seeds and membrane for less heat)
- 2 teaspoons whole nigella seeds (optional but HIGHLY recommended for incredible flavor)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4-5 large mangoes (about 250-300 grams each), peeled and diced
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 1 cup white vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium-high in a medium stock pot. Saute the ginger, garlic and red chilies for a minute. Add the spices and saute for another minute. Add the diced mangoes, sugar, salt, and vinegar and stir to combine. Bring it to a rapid boil and reduce to medium-low. Steady simmer for 1 hour. Remove from heat and allow it to cool. If you prefer smaller chunks, use a potato masher to mash the mixture to the desired consistency.
- For storage, chutney will keep for a while because of the high acidity content. A conservative time frame would be up to 2 months in the fridge (in a sealed jar) or for several months in the freezer. Canning Instructions (for even longer shelf-life): Pour the hot mixture directly into sterilized jars and process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Let sit undisturbed for 24 hours, then store in a dark, cool place. Will keep for at least a year.This makes roughly 2 1/2 pints of mango chutney.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet March 9, 2013
Nicole says
This was absolutely delicious! The nigella seeds are a fantastic touch. I will never buy mango chutney again :)
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much, Nicole, I appreciate the feedback. I love the flavor of the nigella seeds too. So happy you enjoyed this, thanks again! <3
Jane Palma says
I’ve made this recipe many times and it’s always delicious and keeps well (if I hide it!)
Kimberly Killebrew says
Lol! I’m so glad this has become a regular, thank you so much Jane!
Joern (John) Wichmann says
Stick to either metric or imperial measurements but NOT both.Everything is given in metric quantities and at the very end ……makes 2.5 pints of chutney. For those of you in the real world 2.5 pints equates to 1.4 litres.
Kerry says
The flavor is amazing. I could not find ground cloves. So sadly had to omit it. I did cut back 1/2 cup of the sugar as some suggested as my mangos were ripe and sweet. It seems a but more liquid than I would expect. Should I have cooked it longer than an hour?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Kerry, did you leave the lid off while it was cooking? The length of cooking time also depends on how low the simmer is, the diameter of the pot, the thickness of the pot, etc. In other words, if the lid was indeed off then yes, it just needed some additional cooking time. Keep in mind also that the chutney will thicken a little as it cools. You can reheat and simmer your chutney again for a little while longer if needed.
Roger McCabe says
I just made this and it’s got a great flavour but I don’t think it needs all that sugar. My mangoes were already very sweet so I cut back half of the sugar and it’s still really sweet. Going to add a bit of lime juice to try and cut through the sweetness.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Roger, the sweetness of the chutney will vary depending the ripeness of the mangoes. This recipe can be made with everything from overripe mangoes to underripe green mangoes and so yes, adjust the sugar level as needed and per personal preference. The sugar also acts as a thickening agent though (as in fruit jams made without pectin) so if you cut back “too” much on the sugar, the chutney will be watery, in which case adding a thickener like pectin is an option.
ken says
Simmer for one hour ( lid on or off ) ????
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ken, simmer without the lid, it will allow some of the liquid to evaporate and thicken up the chutney.
Nikki says
How ripe do the mangoes need to be?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Nikki, they don’t have to be super ripe. In fact a popular version is made with unripe green mangoes.
Ed says
Best recipe for mango chutney on line. Toast and grind the spices fresh, makes a small difference but worth the effort. I’ve made this at least 5 times and my friends LOVE it. Thanks.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Ed, thank you very much for the feedback!
Chris says
I made this and I guess the flavour is ok but it’s so thick and hard – any idea what I might have done wrong? Maybe cooked it down too much? Do you think I can fix it somehow?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Chris, yes it’s because it cooked too long and the sugar essentially became candy. You can fix it by adding just a little bit of water (not too much) and reheating it.
Mrgaret says
Can I use apple cider instead of white vinger
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mrgaret, yes you can.
Penne says
This is the 3rd year running I have made this chutney – it is fabulous, and reliable. It forms part of our Christmas Hampers, and is delicious with ham. Always a great hit!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad, Penne, thank you, and what a splendid gift to include in your hampers!
Helen Fankhauser says
Love this have made it several times and always a hit.
Great idea for a home made kitchen gift to share with friends and family 👍😊
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Helen, thank you so much!
Jessica says
can i use mango pulp instead?
Jess says
Yep this is the good stuff alright.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you, Jess! :)