The term chutney comes from the East Indian 'chatni', which means 'strongly spiced'. The term covers a broad range of sauces from spicy to sweet to hot. Chutney is usually chunky and originally made to be eaten immediately, without preservatives. These days, pre-made, preserved and bottled chutney can be bought and stored. Indian chutney is usually fruit based, firm fleshed and under-ripe fruits such as mangoes, bananas, peaches, apples, nectarines, apricots are usually preferred so as to maintain a chunky consistency. Although chutneys are traditionally served with curried foods, they also go well with meats such as venison, beef, pork and chicken.
Mango Chutney
- 100 grams sultanas (dried golden raisins)
- 8 peeled and diced small mangoes (firm fleshed)
- 400 grams brown sugar
- 1 liter brown vinegar
- 120 grams crystallized ginger
- 4 small onions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dry, strong mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Method:
- Place all ingredients into a stainless steel pot.
- Bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
- On a low heat, allow the mixture to simmer uncovered for around two hours, or until the mixture thickens. Stir occasionally.
- Allow to cool, then pour into clean glass jars. Allow to cool and then seal.
Dried Fruit Chutney
- 1 cup dried pears, chopped
- 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
- 1 cup dates, chopped
- 1 cup dried apples chopped
- 1 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
- 1 liter water
- ½ liter cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cup brown sugar
- generous pinch of chili powder
- pinch of turmeric
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- pinch of ground ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
Method:
- Place the fruit in a large bowl and cover with the water.
- Cover the bowl and leave it overnight.
- Do not drain, transfer the fruit mixture and add the remaining ingredients in a large saucepan.
- Bring to the boil, stirring all the while until the sugar dissolves.
- Simmer uncovered over a low heat for about 2 hours or until thick, stirring occasionally.
- Decant into clean glass jars and allow to cool, then seal the jars.
- Serve with curry dishes.
How to Sterilize and Seal Glass Jars:
Wash the jars and lids in hot, soapy water. Place the damp jars upside down in a cold oven and turn it to 160 Celsius. Allow the oven to heat up and leave the jars in for a few minutes. The heat will sterilize the jars. In the meantime, place the lids in a small saucepan of water and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes, after which the lids are ready to use.
Carefully remove the hot jars from the oven and fill each with chutney. Screw the lid on tightly. As the chutney starts to cool, the lid should be sucked down into the sealed position.
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