Equipment
Ingredients
Fresh Aromatics & Fruit
- 3 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and diced (approx. 600g flesh)
- 25 g fresh ginger, finely grated
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Spices & Oil
- 30 ml mustard oil
- 1 whole nigella seeds (kalonji)
- 1 whole cumin seeds
- 1 whole fennel seeds
- 2 red pepper flakes
- 2 ground turmeric
Sweet & Sour Base
- 120 ml apple cider vinegar
- 100 g brown sugar
- 60 g dates, pitted and roughly chopped
- 5 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 65 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbohydrates
- 13 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 11 g
- Sodium
- 102 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 105 mg
- Calcium
- 17 mg
- Iron
- 0.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 8 mg
- Phosphorus
- 12 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 17 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 11 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.02 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 14 mcg
- Water
- 33 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Peel the mangoes and cut the flesh into 1-2 cm cubes. Discard the pits. Peel and mince the garlic; peel and grate the ginger. Chop the dates into small pieces.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the mustard oil until it just begins to smoke (approx. 200°C/390°F) to remove the raw pungency. Immediately turn off the heat and let it cool for 30 seconds to prevent burning the spices.
Turn the heat back to low. Add the nigella, cumin, and fennel seeds. Stir gently until they crackle and release their aroma, about 30 to 60 seconds. Do not burn.
Add the grated ginger, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the ground turmeric.
Add the chopped mangoes, dates, brown sugar, salt, and apple cider vinegar. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, for 40 to 50 minutes.
The chutney is done when it is thick, sticky, and most of the liquid has evaporated. The mango pieces should be translucent. If you prefer a smoother texture, mash some fruit with the back of the spoon against the pot.
Remove from heat and let cool completely in the pan. The mixture will thicken further as it cools. Transfer to sterilized glass jars.
Chef's Notes
- Mustard oil is traditional and provides a unique wasabi-like punch, but it must be heated to smoking point first. If unavailable or too strong, neutral oil works fine.
- The sweetness of mangoes varies wildly. Taste your fruit first; if very sweet, reduce sugar by 20g; if tart, add 20g more.
- For the best flavor development, let the chutney sit in the jar for at least 24 hours before eating to allow the spices and vinegar to meld.
- If you cannot find whole nigella (kalonji) seeds, you can use black sesame seeds for visual similarity, though the onion-like flavor will be missing.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 month — Keep in a sterilized, airtight jar. Always use a clean spoon.
Freezer: 3 months — Texture may become slightly softer upon thawing.
Reheating: Serve at room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Chutney is too runny after cooling
Cause: Insufficient evaporation of vinegar or water content from fruit
Fix: Return to pot and simmer on low heat for another 10-15 minutes
Prevention: Simmer for the full duration until the bottom of the pan is visible when scraping a spoon through
Cultural Context
This recipe draws from the Indian tradition of sweet and sour chutneys (khatte-meethe), often served as a condiment to cut through rich curries or fried snacks. While traditional recipes might use sugarcane vinegar or malt vinegar, this version utilizes apple cider vinegar for a fruity acidity that complements the mango.
