Name: Mango Chutney
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Ingredients: 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water; ½ cup finely chopped red onion; Salt and pepper; 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger; 2 garlic cloves , minced; ½ teaspoon dry mustard; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; Pinch cayenne pepper; Pinch ground cloves; 2 ripe but firm mangos , peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces (3 cups); ¼ cup packed light brown sugar , plus extra as needed; ¼ cup raisins; 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Why This Recipe Works

For most Americans, ketchup is a staple condiment, but in India—and many other parts of the world—it's chutney. With their sweet-savory, tart-spicy balance, chutneys add intrigue to almost any dish. For this classic mango version, we complemented the fruit's grassy sweetness with brown sugar, vinegar, and warm spices. We quickly settled on dry mustard, cinnamon, cayenne, and cloves for the spices, and we added a finely chopped red onion for savory depth. Some minced garlic and grated ginger added a welcome burst of heat and more savory flavor. After sautéing the onions with some water (we couldn't use oil because we wanted to be able to process this chutney for long-term storage), we added the spices, ginger, and garlic and let their flavors bloom in the pot before adding the mangos. Most traditional recipes we found called for unripe mangos, but we preferred the texture of mangos that were just ripe. Chopped into ½-inch pieces, the mangos went into the pot after the spices along with some sugar for sweetness, raisins for depth, vinegar for zing, and a bit more water. The mixture was then simmered until the mangos had partially broken down into a chunky texture.

Before You Begin

We prefer to use mangos that are ripe but firm; underripe and overripe mangos can be used but will create either a chunkier or saucier consistency, respectively. This chutney can be processed for long-term storage; see the instructions in this article.

Instructions

Combine 2 tablespoons water, onion, and ½ teaspoon salt in large saucepan over low heat. Cover and cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Uncover and stir in ginger, garlic, mustard, cinnamon, cayenne, and cloves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in mangos, sugar, raisins, vinegar, and remaining 1 cup water, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture has thickened and reduced to about 2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste, and let chutney cool slightly.

Using funnel and spoon, portion chutney into two 1-cup jars. Let cool to room temperature and serve. (Chutney can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 months.)