You can buy a perfectly nice mango chutney in the supermarket to be honest, but when shopping last week I could not believe my luck when I found a 2kg crate of mangoes reduced to £1! If anyone is reading this in the future when inflation has taken its toll, £1 is how much a moderate loaf of bread costs. I like a chutney to go with curry that is not too spicy to counteract the heat of the curries it is served with. Probably why I like raita too, but my husband cannot understand why you would eat yogurt with a savoury dish and prefers the very hot spiced chutneys.This recipe is an almagmation of several. As normal for me, I cannot decide on one or I like components from several. You cannot really tell what a chutney is going to be like except after several months of maturing but I can feel this is going to be a good one. It smells so fragrant and I tasted a little and it has a lovely balance of sweet and vinegary.
The spice that is particular to this dish is Nigella seeds, also known as Kalonji. They are sometimes called black onion seeds but are unrelated to onion and have a mild peppery flavour that can also be a little bitter. They are commonly used in Indian cooking such as this chutney and dhals, and are also used in a decorative way sprinkled over flat breads like naans.
Sarah’s Mango Chutney
2kg mangoes 100g fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into julienne strips 100g medium strength red chillis, deseeded and cut into julienne 15g fresh garlic, peeled and cut into short lengths 400g golden caster sugar 500ml cider or white wine vinegar 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 teaspoons corriander seends 12 green cardamon pods, split and discard green case 1 teaspoon tumeric 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 2 teaspoons Nigella (black onion or kalonji) seeds Prepare the mango; peal, stone and chop roughly. Dry fry the dry spices except the nigella seeds until fragrant then grind in mortar and pestle or spice grinder until fine. Add all the ingredients to a large preserving pan and heat gently until all the sugar is dissolved. Now simmer gently for about an hour, stirring frequently towards the end. When thick, pot hot into hot sterilised jars and seal. Leave for a couple of months to mature before using.