This is my go-to chutney! This fresh mango chutney recipe is by far my absolute favourite.
It is designed to be served fresh and eaten within a week. You can also freeze it into portions and keep it for up to six months.
This version is sweet (but not too sweet) with a warming spicy tang. It is a rather delightful adventure for the taste buds!
What is chutney?
Chutney is a condiment that we tend to associate with South Asia, especially India. It is a sauce or a relish, often containing fruit, vegetable or leafy herb as the main ingredient. These ingredients are simmered with vinegar, spices and often sugar.
Versions vary so much and it seems that there is no right or wrong way of doing them. They can be chunky, smooth, hot, spicy, sweet, warming or zingy.
Chutney offers the perfect opportunity to explore and be creative with whatever ingredients you have available. Please see my fresh mango chutney recipe below.
Spicy relishes serve well as part of a curry night meal. They can also be served as a side dish, a dipping sauce, a sandwich spread, or even as a salad dressing.
Chutneys were originally about preserving food. When people have a surplus of fruits then they’d make chutney, which would last for a considerable period of time when fruits were out of season. I am not focussing on the art of ‘preserving’ chutneys here today. Instead, I am sharing a ‘fresh’ mango chutney designed to be used soon after making it, or within a couple of weeks (if stored in an airtight container in the fridge).
Mango makes a great fresh chutney recipe
Mango is one of the most popular fruits in the world, commonly known as ‘the King of Fruits’. You’ll find it far and wide, thriving in frost-free tropical and sub-tropical regions across the globe.
The mango is thought to have originated in India, where to this very day it is the national fruit, having a huge cultural significance in worshipping certain deities, blessing births, honouring weddings and other celebrations.
Apart from its lusciously sweet, tropical flavour and heaven-sent fragrance, the mango delivers quite a plethora of nutrients. 100g of mango is said to deliver a massive 100% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Mango is ideal to make fresh chutney.
Mango has also been shown to have high levels of vitamin A, folate, antioxidants and good levels of various minerals such as copper and potassium. This delicious fruit is host to many hidden qualities that support health, most of which have been tried and tested in native communities for centuries.
Fresh mango chutney recipe with less vinegar
The rule of thumb for most chutneys is ‘usually’ to use quite a bit more vinegar and sugar than I am using haha. I am not such a fan of doing that (especially, not a fan of using refined sugar).
Instead, I use a little amount of coconut sugar and just enjoy that natural sweetness of the mango just as it is.
Vinegar is traditionally used to help preserve chutney over long periods of time. I do include apple cider vinegar, in moderation, but again not too much in today’s recipe.
The spices in fresh mango chutney
The spices in this excite me. I particularly adore the blend of sweetness with warming spices. The fresh ginger and cardamom are a marriage made in heaven.
Once you add the mango and then we are talking divine alchemy.
Don’t just take my word for it. Please explore and find your own perfect balance and blend.
This fresh ginger and mango chutney recipe serves nicely with curry, rice and poppadums on a curry night. It also works fine as a relish or served along with a salad.
OK let’s make this together…
Fresh Mango & Chutney Recipe
A fresh mango & ginger chutney recipe with warming spices. A wonderful addition to your curry night. Healthy and free from refined sugar.
Ingredients
- 500g fresh mango (about 2 large mangoes worth)
- 1 onion (medium sized)
- Dash of olive oil (or coconut oil - to saute)
- 1 inch cubed fresh ginger
- 10 cardamom pods
- 50ml apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- Pinch sea salt
- Twist black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and chop the mango into chunks (compost the skin and seed).
- Peel and chop the onion into chunks.
- Saute the onion for about three minutes in the oil.
- In the meantime, grate your ginger with a fine grater.
- Crush the cardamom pods with a either pestle and mortar or a sharp heavy knife (check out my super fast VIDEO guide to find out more about how to do this with cardamom pods).
- Add all ingredients to the pan and stir.
- Heat until it starts to bubble and then reduce the heat to allow it to gently simmer. Stir the contents regularly over the next half an hour or so. The mango should eventually start to break down (which you can help by pushing downwards with a wooden spoon as it cooks and softens). All the ingredients should infuse and entwine together.
- Once cooked, allow it to cool and then serve. If you aren't ready to use immediately then put in a clean glass jar with a lid and store in the fridge. This is usually fine for a couple of weeks (any longer then consider putting it in the freezer).
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Thank you for your heavenly recipes. Are the mangoes for this recipe ripe or green?
Hi Doroti… thanks for your comment. Definitely ripe mangoes for this.
Hi Anastasia, is it possible to use frozen mango for this chutney? Thank you.
Absolutely yes. Frozen mango is perfect. In fact, I use it often for this recipe.
(Please excuse my delay in reply, I have just moved house and only just getting back to my desk 😉 ).
Enjoy!
Fantastic chutney. I made it this evening & couldn’t wait for it to cool down. Had it with creamy chickpea curry and poppadoms. I ground my cardamom in a coffee grinder that I shall keep just for that purpose.