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
Marcia Pearce says
Hello. My first time here. Have everything ready to make Mango Chutney – even the nigella – BUT having a hard time finding a red chili – do you use dried? can I substitute powdered? Thanks – I’m excited to try this.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Marcia and welcome! Yes, I use dried red chilies but you can substitute powdered. Depending on how much heat you like, be careful because a little goes a very long way!
Jodi G says
I love love this chutney recipe. A new recipe for canning. Will be making this for sure. I am new to this blog great site
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Jodi, and welcome! :)
funmibadejo says
Hi daring gourmet! Made this and it was lovely! though I tweaked the recipe a bit, to give me a milder flavour I skipped a few of the spices. Will be doing a post soon on my blog and linking back to yours. Thanks for sharing! Love your site! :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Great, so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the link! Best, Kimberly
Mikey says
Hi,
Just wondering about the mango if 200gms each is just the flesh, or the entire mango. i have four ripe medium size mangos weighing about 400grams each so wondering if I should double the quantities of everything else….
Thanks
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mikey, that’s for the entire mango. You need a total of 800-1000 grams and better too much than too little. Enjoy!
Nancy M Carlson says
Could this also be considered Major Grey Chutney..
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Nancy, I can’t remember the last time I had Major Grey, it’s been many many years, but I think this is similar, yes, except for the nigella seeds and Major Grey usually adds raisins I believe. You can definitely add some raisins to this recipe if you like.
Sanmari says
Kimberley, how much are the weight approximately of the 4/5 mangoes used? About 500g?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sanmari! The average mango weighs about 200g each. So you’ll want about 800 grams of mangoes. Happy chutney making!
clifford says
i love naan and failed previously when I tried to make it myself. I plan on using your recipe; hopefully, the result will be better this time
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Freshly baked naan bread is one of my favorite things as well. If you can get hold of some nigella seeds they taste SO good baked on the naan! Happy baking, Clifford!
José says
Kimberly, I am really new to all this and still have to learn to properly do the water bath method. So my question is, if you forgo sterilization, how long will it last in a jar in the fridge?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi José! Well, that’s where U.S. standards and the rest of the world’s differ. Because of the high acidity content, anywhere else you’d be told that it will last for up to several months in the fridge, but here in the U.S. the likely recommendation would be up to one month. Another alternative is to freeze it. If you still have some left after a month it freezes quite well in small airtight containers. I’ve done this a few times and when I need it to add to a curry, I just take it out of the freezer and plop it in the sauce.
kandy1980 says
Can this recipe be stored on the shelf unopened?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
If you canned it using the water bath method to properly sterilize and seal it, then yes, it can be stored for at least a year, ideally in a dark, cool place.
Noopur says
hi Kimberly, I tried without the lemon juice and I feel the chutney was missing a bit of the ‘kick’ which the vinegar brings in.. So will stick to using vinegar. Roughly 4-5 tbsp per mango works great!. Thanks so much for your reply and lovely recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for your feedback, Noopur, I appreciate it! I agree, the acidic element of the vinegar contributes a lot to the chutney.
Noopur says
hi Kimberly, I made this chutney and was delicious the first time. the second time I adjusted the ingredients a bit as I as only making it with 2 mangoes and the taste is just not the same.is there a thumb rule to follow when adding sugar and vinegar to this chutney? I would like to be able to preserve this for a bit. Is it possible to substitute the vinegar with something else?Thanks so much for your help
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Noopur, I’m not sure what the exact ratio of ingredients is. If you want to make less I would simply cut the recipe in half, it makes for much easier adjustments. I haven’t tried making it with lemon juice but that would be a natural alternative to the vinegar.
Anonymous says
i also try this. chutney is very tasty .nice steps nice description.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
So happy you enjoyed it, thank you!
John says
The best chutney recipe I have found on the net! Thank you very much for sharing it!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You are very welcome, John, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it so much!
Anonymous says
Omg! This was delicious and easy. My husband is from India so I am always intimidated to share indian dishes with the sister-in-laws. They were all raving about my mango chutney and asked me to make more. What a hit – thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Woohoo, that’s great! For more Indian chicken dishes check out the “recipes” tab on the top menu bar (hover over “dishes by region” – “Asia” – “India”). Definitely need to try the Balti Chicken – your sister-in-laws will be coming to YOU for Indian cooking lessons! :)
Deborah Niskin says
Hi again! Everybody loves your chutney that I made from Lippens mangoes. I am wondering if you have ever tried it with a sugar substitute like pineapple juice? My son hates vinegar, but loves mangoes. I want to make him small amounts for his Bento Box to take to school. Pineapple juice would lower the PH so that I might not have to add vinegar. Maybe some lemon juice… Do you or any of your subscribers have suggestions for me?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Deborah, I’m happy to hear it was a hit! I have not tried a sugar substitute with this chutney but it can certainly be done and yes, pineapple juice is a common choice. An online search of using pineapple juice as a substitute for sugar in canning will yield a lot of results with information, here is just one of many. Keep in mind that since you’re using a liquid sugar substitute the chutney will be very liquidy so you’ll need to add pectin at the very end and boil hard for a minute to firm it up. For the purposes of lowering the pH level however, pineapple juice won’t work. Lemon juice will. I haven’t tried making this recipe with either substitute so I’m not sure what the outcome will taste like. If you give it a try let us know!
Deborah Niskin says
Thanks so much. I will be trying it with Keitt (pronounced kit) mangoes and pineapple juice with lemon juice. I’ll tell you how it went. Thanks again