BEST Mango Chutney
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A reader favorite for over 10 years, just read all the rave reviews! readers RAVE about this mango chutney recipe! Fresh, vibrant, and absolutely BURSTING with flavor, this Mango Chutney recipe makes a versatile and delicious condiment with a wide range of tasty applications. It keeps for a long time in the fridge, can be frozen, and I’ve included instructions for canning so it will keep for up to a year!
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 my 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!
Mango Chutney Ingredients
Fresh mango, sugar and vinegar is added and it is slowly cooked down to a sticky and delicious concoction. For flavor we’re also adding fresh ginger, garlic and red chilies along with spices that are first sauteed in oil to coax out maximum flavor: cumin, coriander, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. These ingredients all come together to create an unforgettable flavor profile.
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. Here are just a few ideas:
- As a Condiment: Serve it alongside grilled meats, such as chicken, pork, or lamb. It’s also delicious added to meat dishes like pulled pork and chicken (see my Pulled Chicken Mango Sandwiches).
- In Sandwiches and Wraps: Spread it on sandwiches or wraps for an extra layer of flavor. I also love to add it to these Grilled Cheese & Chutney Sandwiches.
- With Cheese and Crackers: It makes a great accompaniment to a cheese platter. Pair it with sharp cheeses like cheddar or creamy ones like brie.
- In Curries: Stir a spoonful of it into your curry dishes. This is one of my favorite ways to use it, it adds SO much flavor and a nice contrasting touch of sweetness!
- As a Marinade: Mix it with a little olive oil, lime juice, and spices, then coat chicken or pork before grilling or baking. It’s so yummy!
- With Rice or Grain Bowls: Top a bowl of rice or grains with mango chutney for a burst of flavor.
- In Salad Dressings: Incorporate it into a vinaigrette or dressing for a sweet and tangy twist on your salads.
- As a Glaze: Brush some mango chutney over roasted or grilled vegetables to add a glossy finish and sweet flavor. Use it to make my Mango Chutney Chicken.
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 my:
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Butter Chicken
- Chana Masala
- Tandoori Chicken
- Masoor Dal
- Shrimp Curry
- Egg Curry
- Dal Palak
- Dosa
- Chicken Biryani
- Chicken Xacuti
- Curry Powder
- Garam Masala
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BEST Mango Chutney
Equipment
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
- 5 large mangoes (about 300 grams each), peeled and diced; can substitute around 1500 grams frozen mango
- 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. For best results let the chutney sit for a few days before using to allow the flavors to develop and mellow. 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
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Hi, thank you for this recipe. I do agree though with an earlier comment on the sweetness. It is far too sweet for me but I love the overall flavours. I’ll try much less sugar next time . ☺️
The sugar helps with the preservation, if thats not an issue for you then lowering the sugar is no problem
Thanks for the lovely recipe. As usual, I used it as a guidance without measuring the ingredients.
I love the combination of spices with garlic, ginger and onion but didn’t cook the nigella, just added it before bottling. I also added a bit of all spice. I used a combination of green and ripe mangoes, whatever my garden provided. As I don’t like consuming too much sugar, I used a small amount of rapadura sugar-the one I have at home.
As for preserving, I poured the hot chutney in dry jars, closed immediately and set upside down covered with towels until the jars cooled to a room temperature (I preserve jams the same way). The chutney lasts for a long time, even a year.
Were your jars sterelized?
I ha I have a question about the quantities of sugar vs vinegar in this recipe. It has ended up very very sweet, and this overpowers the flavours of everything else??
Hi Marianne, the ratio of sugar to vinegar is correct. It’s a fruit chutney and is supposed to be sweet. Sugar doesn’t add flavor so it doesn’t overpower other flavors. It simply adds sweetness and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
What white vinegar is best to use please? Will white wine vinegar work?
Hi Kevin, just regular distilled white vinegar is what we recommend.
White wine vinegar is fab.
Hi I agree with Marianne, the flavour is lovely just far too sweet. Shall adjust sugar and vinegar next time – thanks Matthew
Hi everyone,
Happy New Year!
I usually don’t write reviews. I mentally thank the cook for the recipe & post. I am grateful in silence.
But I wanted to thank you for sharing this with us.
I like to cook & experiment new recipes. A decent chutney is hard to find in stores at a convenient price. And the quantity is so small.
I didn’t have enough mangos, but I had pineapple and apples to supplement. So I cut everything and mixed with the spices (in my excitement I forgot the salt, silly me, but it tastes so good it doesn’t matter) and simmered the concoction for 1h 15 minutes. The whole house smelled amazing, and the taste, delish. I will make this again as soon as I find good mangoes on sale.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Manu, and a Happy New Year to you!
Fruity and tangy with a warm spicy finish. My local stores don’t carry nigella seeds. I can’t wait to order some and retry.
noreen, if you have ethnic food stores around, nigella/ onion seed/ kalonji is a stock spice, esp indian, mid eastern, pakistani shops.
Also called “Black Cumin” where I live.
At first I made one batch and the requests for more kept coming now I have 20 mangoes waiting to be turned into this amazing Mango Chutney to be delivered from Qld to NSW… Oh and the chicken mango curry is delicious Merry Christmas😀
That’s wonderful, Jacqui, thanks so much and Merry Christmas!
This is a fabulous chutney! Just made it, using apple and honey vinegar and a double quantity of hot chili. Family went crazy about it, after dinner only about 1 jar left for freezing. I’ll make a second round tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe!
This is a fantastic Chutney even though I omit the Chillies. I’ve now made it for the last 5 years & us always a welcome Christmas present.
Thank you so much, Elizabeth, I’m thrilled to hear that! I agree, it’s a perfect Christmas present.