Mango Chutney

I love Indian food with its complex blend of spices. I also love the sides that go with it. Last week, when I made Slow Cooker Chana Aloo (missed it? You can find the recipe here), I served it with a Mango Chutney and a Raita (recipe next week) to accompany it.

While relish is made with vegetables, chutney is made with fruit. It’s not as tart, but the fruit is combined with sweet, acid and spice to give you a perfectly balanced condiment.

Mango Chutney is just plain good. I can eat it by the spoonful. While it adds a little level of sweet to your Indian dish to give it a little more balance, it’s also a good sandwich topper. Try it on your next chicken curry (or regular chicken) sandwich – you’ll thank me! It adds that little extra touch on the side and is also excellent on pork, ham and chicken. Bonus! It also keeps pretty well in the fridge.

Next time you whip up a curry or Masala or Butter Chicken, put a little extra love on your plate with these simple sides.

Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 50 minutes, Makes: 2+ cups

What you need:

2 mangos, peeled and diced into small pieces
1/4 red pepper, diced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp raisins
1/2 small Thai chili, deseeded and sliced into small pieces (may be omitted)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp minced ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp fenugreek powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 kosher salt

What you do:

Combine turmeric, cumin, fenugreek and chili powder in a small bowl

Combine diced mango, red pepper, onion, garlic, raisins, Thai chili and lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl
Place a saucepan over medium-high heat
Add spices and toast until fragrant (about 1 – 2 minutes)