(Mango) Chutney pickling mix

Chutney is probably the most common fruit condiment in India. An amazing blend of sweetness and freshness spiced up with chili. You cannot possibly go wrong with serving a little pile of chutney on side with any spicy curry dish. My sister is particularly fond of the mango variety. Here in Malmö, mango chutney is the only one you can get in Indian restaurants (I believe it is because mangoes here are dirty cheap for some strange reason)...

Anyway, I made couple of jars two weeks ago (to impress Tom and to make my sister miss me) and I got both :) Have a look (don't mind the artsy fruit bowl in the background) :














Making a chutney is not a big deal and it doesn't take a long time. The only thing is that you have to wait a week, so the flavor absorbs fully into the fruit flesh. But that´s the charmless rule with pickling, isn't it ?

So.... without a further ado, here is the recipe:

CHUTNEY PICKLING MIX:

spice ladder: ***

prep time: 50 mins
makes: 750 ml jar

• 600g cubed unripe mango flesh*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 tsp chili flakes
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 150 ml water
• 150 ml apple vinegar
• 150 ml brown sugar

* Instead of mango, I would recommend you to try also another firm fruit, such as green papaya, firm apricots or pears, even green apples should work. Just give it a try and let me know....

Place the fruit cubes in a sieve, mix with salt and let sit for 30 minutes.
In a heavy frying pan, dry-fry the mustard seeds for a minute, shaking the pan constantly. Add oil, pressed garlic and chili flakes and turmeric powder. Water down with the pickling solution (water, vinegar and sugar) and cook until thickened (around 10 minutes). Add the fruit and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.


















Sterilize the jars: wash the containers with plenty of hot water and boil the lids for a minute.
Scoop in the hot chutney mixture. Try not to leave any air bubbles (= stuff it in as tight as you can). If there is some liquid left, pour it on top to fill in all the air bubbles. Cover tightly with the lid and turn upside down (very simple method of sterilizing the lids). After a minute, turn back to normal, roll the jars into a towel and place under the blanket. Leave for 10 hours or until cooled down. Keep in a dark place for at least a week, so the chili flavor gets everywhere.
Open and enjoy. I enjoyed mine several times with Malay Curry, simple fried rice or even kofta..

*Note: when I was making mine, I noticed what a wonderful present this would make... So, I will post a step-by-step instruction on how to create a fancy decorative 'chutney hat' some time...