My best easy recipe for delicious Mango Chutney
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Chutney and Pickles, Jam Jelly and Preserves | 23 comments
Photo: Homemade mango chutney
Growing up there were a handful of meals that I really liked my mum to cook. One of these was curry. Back in those days curry powder was the norm, with the remains of the Sunday roast diced into the mix. I loved the exotic colour of the sauce but it was the way that she served each plate that intrigued me.
Curry on a bed of rice in the middle of the plate and around the edge of loads of little piles of things too cool the curry down. Thinly sliced banana jostled with desiccated coconut, dried fruit, sliced cucumbers, diced onion and glorious mini mountains of Mango chutney. It was always Sharwoods Mango Chutney. And out of habit I’ve always bought the same along with some spicier bottles from their range – the lime pickle is particularly good.
We’ve also discovered Pataks Brinjal Pickle (aubergine, to die for). A few months ago I was tempted by Geeta’s Mango chutney – superb. But wouldn’t it be fun to try and make my own? All I had to do was immerse myself in mango recipes and wait to find mangos on offer (they are expensive in the UK).
I found some mangoes on offer last weekend and with Danny away for the week I had plenty of time to play with my chutney. I studied the ingredients on Geeta’s jar, removing the ingredients that I didn’t like or have to hand. Then I turned to Oded Schwartz who had a recipe for hot mango chutney. I wanted sweet and fragrant with a small kick rather than hot. I used his recipe for the ratio of sugar/vinegar/mango. Although in the end I added a bit more sugar as I had put in more sliced lemons .
But he did have one ingredient that was added right at the end before potting up – saffron. Before the addition of this the chutney was good. After I stirred in the half teaspoon of delicate saffron strands the chutney was sublime. Although I guzzled some immediately I reckon that this mango chutney needs to be kept for a month for the flavours to soften and mature.
This recipe made four 320g jars and one 220g jar for my mum.
| My best easy recipe for delicious Mango Chutney |
- 1.6 kilos of mangoes (1 kilo when peeled and stones removed)
- 500ml of white wine vinegar
- 2 small unwaxed lemons, chopped lengthways, deseeded and sliced into quarter moons
- 3 small red bird’s eye chillies, chopped fine –seeds removed.
- 15g of garlic, peeled and cut into short lengths.
- 350g of Demerara sugar.
- 1 tsp of salt.
- The seeds from eight cardamom pods.
- Half a teaspoon of Fenugreek.
- Half a teaspoon of Allspice seeds.
- 1 large Star Anise.
- To add just at the end:
- 1 tsp of white mustard seed
- 1 tsp of black mustardseed
- half a tsp of saffron soaked in a little warm water
- Peel, stone and chop the mangoes into 1 cm cubes.
- Prepare the garlic, lemons and peppers.
- In a non reactive saucepan add the mangoes, peppers, garlic, lemon slices and white wine vinegar.
- Simmer until soft (lid off). This will take about 30 minutes.
- When the fruit is soft, grind the spices (not the mustard seeds or saffron) in a pestle and mortar or bash them, enclosed in a clean kitchen towel with a wooden hammer or rolling pin.
- Add these spices (keep the mustardseed and saffron to add at the end), salt and sugar to the pot and stir until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer for about an hour to let the chutney thicken.
- Add the mustard seeds and saffron, stir well and ladle carefully into hot sterilised pots and seal with plastic lined lids.
- Leave for a month or two to mature.
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I have made this chutney several times now, and Fiona’s recipe never disappoints. For the holidays this year, I gave everyone a pot in a lovely jar, beautifully wrapped, and it was a big hit. Thanks, Fiona!
made it twice now, everybody loves it.
thanks Fiona
Have bought the mangos today and was all ready to make the chutney this afternoon when low and behold the vinegar was all gone. So, now tomorrow will be the day.
Hi! Just wondering which mangoes you used? The regular red/yellow ones or the smaller sweeter yellow ones? I prefer the yellow ones for eating but the others are cheaper. Thanks!
I have made this recipe twice now and I am about to make it today for a third time, The large Brazilian Kent mango’s have arrived in our shops, but are expensive, gone are the $3 a case US. mango’s of the summer, when I should have been busy making chutney, but now the cost is $12 for a 10kg case, these are large fruit weighing approx 1kg each, they are so floral I can smell them all over the kitchen. here in Vancouver,Canada, we need real comfort food at this miserable dull wet time of year before winter bites. and this beautiful accompaniment for any white meat dish, and of course curry fits the bill. thanks again for a Good recipe….cheers…Peter.
Don’t bother to buy expensive mangoes and process them, it’s just as good with tinned mangoes!
Hi, this recipe sounds delicious, I’m definitely going to give it a try. Just one thing, I’m not very fond of lemon peel. You don’t say to peel the lemons, is the peel in the resulting chutney very noticeable?
Hi Kay
The lemon slices are sliced very fine and in the end just tastes like the rest of the chutney 🙂
Hi KarenO
Sorry I missed your comment.
Crab apple and chilli jelly is superb 🙂
Hi Peter
Lucky you. Mangoes can be very expensive in the UK.
Love your twist on my recipe – looking forward to giving it a go.
We also have a mango and apricot recipe on the site https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/sweet-mango-and-apricot-chutney-recipe-6514.
I made the following adjustments for my own desired taste to this delicious recipe, I Added half a dozen chunks of my own crystallized ginger cut into smaller 1cm pieces and instead of the large Star Anise I added 1 tsp of Garam Masala. It turned out delicious. Thank you for your Recipe.
I am a Mango Chutney fanatic and Mangoes can be purchased here in Vancouver BC.Canada for a few dollars for a large case, I would implore Anyone who has a commercial style chutney recipe(Like Sharwoods/Major Grey etc) to please send it to me at: peter2kk@yahoo.com…thanks again/…peter
Is this like Geeta’s chutney ? It sounds like it might be
It is similar to Greeta’s with my own twist