Chutneys and Relish – Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Mango Chutney

There is mango pickle, that hot and spicy condiment that we all love to have on the side of our favourite curry and then there is mango chutney, a sweet, mildly spiced savoury jam that you dollop on sandwiches.

I went looking for green, or unripened, mangoes to make a pickle with (it’s a chunkier version and the fruit doesn’t break down so easily) but sadly it’s either the wrong time of year or I was looking in the wrong place. It’s the top of the season for ripe mangoes however, so it came down to mango chutney. I bought the hardest ones I could find with golden orange flesh, but the consistency of unripened pears. They were perfect for this recipe.

You can add this to cheese, chicken, ham, beef and lamb, in sandwiches, with barbecued fish or chicken or on a plate of salad and sliced meat. With a jar of this in the fridge, last night’s leftovers will be snaffled up so fast for a quick and easy lunch you’ll be left wondering why you don’t make it more often. For those of you who crave a hotter version, 3 or 4 finely diced de-seeded bird’s-eye chillies added to this recipe (instead of the 1 or 2 indicated below) should give you plenty of fire power, making it the perfect accompaniment to your next lamb curry.

Better make a double batch just in case.

Makes 2 jars, about 600 – 700 ml

INGREDIENTS

4 large ripe mangoes (buy fruit that is as firm as possible); 1 tsp ground ginger; 150g soft brown sugar; 1 or 2 bird’s-eye chillies (to taste), de-seeded and finely sliced; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp yellow mustard powder; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 tbsp golden syrup; 2 cloves garlic; 2 cm piece ginger, peeled and grated; 1 cup (250 ml) white vinegar

METHOD

Peel and slice the mangoes into 2 cm wide strips.

Place mangoes in a medium-sized saucepan with ground ginger, half the sugar, chillies, salt, mustard, cinnamon stick and golden syrup.

Place peeled garlic cloves and the grated ginger in a mortar and pestle and pound for a minute or two until you have made a paste OR chop both together until it is very finely diced. Add to the mango mixture with half the vinegar.

Bring to the boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes until the mango is soft.

In a small saucepan, combine the remaining sugar and vinegar. Bring to the boil over medium heat and cook for five minutes so that the sugar dissolves and thickens into a syrup.

Add the syrup to the mango mixture and simmer for a further 15 minutes until the chutney has formed a thick jam-like consistency.

Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Place the mixture into hot sterilized jars and seal while still the jars are still hot.

Once cool, store in a dark cupboard for up to three months. Once opened, refrigerate the chutney for up to three months.

COST

$7.00 for two 350ml jars