Sweet and tangy with a kick of heat in the background, Major Grey's Mango Chutney is a delicious accompaniment to curries, meats, and cheeses.The spice level of this chutney is easily tailored to your personal preferences by adjusting the amount of chili pepper and ginger in the recipe.Makes about 5 cups of chutney.Recipe adapted from my favorite commercial brands and various recipe sources, mostly Saveur and The Guardian
3poundsChampagne mangoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (4 cups of diced fruit)
1cupgranulated sugar*
1cuplight brown sugar, packed
1cupapple cider vinegar
1cupgolden raisins
⅓cuppeeled grated ginger(use a microplane), or mince very finely with a knife
½lime(preferably, thin-skinned), seeded and cut into a small dice**
1small red chili pepper, seeded, de-veined and cut into a small dice***
1teaspoongrated nutmeg
1teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonground cloves
½teaspoonground black pepper
2garlic cloves, minced
1large yellow onion(about 2 cups), finely chopped
1cinnamon stick
1-½teaspoonsmustard seeds
Instructions
Stir all ingredients together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a steady bubble and cook, stirring often, until chutney is thick, about 35 minutes.
Cool, remove cinnamon stick and serve chutney chilled or at room temperature. Flavors will deepen with time.
Store cooled chutney in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 1 year (be sure to leave about ½-inch at the top of your containers for expansion if freezing).
The chutney can also be jarred and sealed according to standard canning guidelines for preserves.
Notes
*I used Turbinado (Raw) sugar for a little extra depth of flavor, but you can use white sugar with good results.**If you prefer a less prominent lime flavor in your chutney, use 2 tablespoons juice in place of the chopped lime.***Chili peppers vary widely in terms of heat levels. Judge the spiciness of yours before adding to the chutney to determine how much to use. Removing the seeds and inner veins will always bring the heat level down a bit. It's a good idea to wear gloves when handling hot peppers to avoid irritation.
To dice a mango:
Mangoes have long, relatively flat, oblong-shaped pits. You'll need to slice into either side of the pit to remove the edible fruit (known as "cheeks").To do this, hold the mango with the stem end pointing away from you. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the mango lengthwise about ¾-inch from the center to remove the first cheek. Rotate the mango and repeat on the opposite side to remove the second cheek.Using the tip of your knife, score each cheek in about ½ inch increments lengthwise and crosswise, being careful not to slice through the skin.To separate the mango cubes from the skin, slide a spoon between the flesh and skin to scoop out the cubes (much like you would an avocado). Or, invert the cheek by pushing up on the bottom so the cubes stand up and use a knife to carefully trim them away from the skin. You can try gently carving around the edges of the pit slice to see if any additional fruit can be extracted, but depending on the mango, the amount might be negligible.