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 caá¹nÄ«, 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. Â 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. Â Other names for it include black cumin, onion seed and kalonji. Â It’s hard to describe the flavor of nigella. Â 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. Â It’s fantastic! Â I love to use it at every possible opportunity when I make Indian or Middle Eastern foods. Â 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. Â 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. Â Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue on a steady simmer for one hour.
After an hour of simmering. Â 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. Â Stored in jars in the fridge this chutney will last up to at least two months. Â You can also freeze it for several months. Â For long-term storage, can it in airtight jars: Â Pour the mixture directly into sterilized jars and process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Â Let sit undisturbed for 24 hours then store jars in a dark, cool place. Â 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. Â Let sit undisturbed for 24 hours then store jars in a dark, cool place. Â 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
Chebsy says
Love this recipe for mango chutney but have a glut of our own pears and wonder if this recipe would work with pears instead of mangoes?
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Chebsy, yes you can use pears or get creative with any other fruits!
Lexi Starlight says
I loooove chutneys and this mango chutney is delicious and perfect. I put more fresh chili. I do think this is one of the best, if not THE best, mango chutney recipe.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much, Lexi! :)
Dave says
Tasted good but the sugar crystallized in the jar in the refrigerator. Not sure why.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Dave, it sounds like it may have cooked too long.
Ali says
This is actually the best mango chutney recipe! No one in our house will eat any other. Even have to make extra for sharing :)
Kimberly Killebrew says
Fantastic, Ali, thank you so much!
Cookie Snyder says
Great recipe! Thanks for sharing. I’ve made it twice. First time I followed the recipe to the letter. Yield was 4 1/2 pints. Second time, I tweaked the recipe a little (increased spice amounts, decreased vinegar and sugar, etc.) Came out even better. I gave away a couple of pints to friends and they loved it!!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thanks so much for the feedback, Cookie, I’m glad you enjoyed it and were able to adapt it to your preferences!
Ashley says
This mango chutney is so flavorful and delicious! thank you for the fantastic recipe!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thanks so much, Ashley, I’m thrilled you enjoyed it!
Heather says
Excellent. I used 1.5 kg of frozen, cubed (given that the recipe calls for 300 g Xs 5) mangoes and the recipe worked perfectly. Very nice and I agree, nigella seeds are a good addition.
Siobhan says
Delicious! Good-bye store bought.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Yay!! Thank you, Siobhan, so glad you enjoyed it!
Margot says
As I mentioned in an earlier reply – I used 6 large mangos and after cooking this produced 3 12 ounce jars of delicious chutney. Maybe a little more because I saved some out to put on ice cream. Enjoy this is a great recipe.
Sarah says
In my view this recipe has too much sugar and too much vinegar. They both drown out the flavour of the mangoes even though I was using tasty ripe fruit.
Margot says
This is a family favorite. Wonderful delicious recipe.I usually make two batches, one hot and one mild. I use 6 good sized mangoes and I get mine from either Costco or my local Asian market. I wouldnt change a thing. Its just the best chutney recipe. This year I think I’ll duplicate the recipe and make it with necatarines. Thanks so much for this recipe.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Fantastic, Margot, thank you so much!
Regina says
I am today making my third batch of this wonderful chutney, my whole family loves it. I have made jams and jellies and done a fair amount of canning in my life, but this was my first chutney recipe. I am so happy to have ventured into the chutney world. A wonderful recipe, easy instructions. Thank you xx
Kimberly Killebrew says
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed this, Regina, and that it’s becoming a regular! Thanks so much for the feedback!
Albert L J Hall says
I’m not a great fan of using guesswork myself and the rest of the world now uses the gramme/centimetric system It would also be useful to know how much MANGO FLESH is actually used within reason though I do realise that recipes are not an exact science . Mangoes available in the UK vary greatly in size and type. I don’t know how much they cost to the writer of this recipe but here they vary between £GB0.65 and £GB1.00 or around $US80 to $US 1.25.
Regina says
I always wait until I find them on sale in Aldi or Lidl. Also Morrissons has a wonky pack of Mangos at sale sometimes 4 Mangoes for less than 2£, they were on the smaller side but still. Aldi and Lidl will beyour best bet. I was running out of chutney so had to purchase some, Tesco had some for 75 pence a piece, which I do not consider too much when you think about how much they charge for a jar of chutney, which is not even in the same realm as this one. When I see them anywhere on sale, I will buy enough for a batch and just make it even if I still have some other jars.
Dean says
Hi Albert. I weighed and prepared several large supermarket mangoes. I worked out that for 450g mango gave 300g fruit. I use this ratio for my chutney. I agree the imprecise mango quantity is a bit frustrating to us measerers, haha.
Dean says
Albert, I also buy the mangoes when they have been significantly reduced and freeze the flesh. The recipe is deliscious.
Patty says
Thank you for posting this recipe I am ready to try it could you please tell me how much mango you use in cups even an estimate will help. Just picked fresh mangos here in Florida and our mangos may not be as large as store bought. Thanks Patty
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Patty, I haven’t measured this out in cups but perhaps some of our readers have and can chime in!
Alex says
The mango chutney was delicious, thanks for sharing the recipe. Have you ever tried it with pineapple? Or perhaps you have a different recipe? Thanks.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you, Alex, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! This is a great base recipe for a variety of fruits and yes, you can make it as written and just substitute with pineapple.
Muriel Michalewicz says
Oh yes Alex, I did pineapple and mango with only 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1 1/2 cup of sugar, all the spices and put 4 green spicy chilies…..lemon juice and lemon zest included….let it char a bit it has beautiful smoky flavor to it…. Actually it is out of this world, Fabulous tasting…..try it….😅