Ahh... Mango Chutney!
Brings back those vivid images of India, doesn't it?
The architecture, the yoga, the spicy food, the culture, the Bollywood dance, etc, can all be seen clearly in our mind. True Indian cuisine, is, however, different than people usually think. Indian food is not only the fiery stuff served at Indian restaurants, it is about complementing food with as much flavor; it's about heightening the gustatory sense to the fullest. Since India is a tropical country, we Indians use a lot of different foods that may be common to Asians, but not to others. We tend to use all the edible parts of a plant to prevent wastage. Most of our recipes tend to exhibit these properties.
Anyway, coming back: A recipe of the chutney was given to me by the ladies of my house, but I have tweaked it it make it an Anglo-Indian inspired Raw Mango Chutney.
Raw Mango Chutney:
2 lbs (1 kg) of Raw Mangoes (* See Notes:)
1 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds
2 1/2 teaspoons of whole fennel seeds
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2-3 tablespoons of whole coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoons of asafoetida powder (* See Notes:)
1 1/2 tablespoons of salt, or on taste
2 teaspoons of paprika or chilly powder (* See Notes:)
1-1 1/2 teaspoons of turmeric powder
1-1 1/2 teaspoons of coriander powder
1/2 teaspoons of pepper
2 tablespoons of good old vegetable oil
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
1 1/2 cups of water (* See Notes:)
1 - 1 1/2 cups of light brown sugar
----------------------------------------------------------
Method:
De-seed the mangoes and cut then into thick strips of about 5 cm. Keep aside. Meanwhile, add the oil to a stainless steel skillet and when the oil begins to shimmer, add the asafoetida, half of the fennel and all the cumin seeds. This method is known as a 'Chhaunk', 'Tadka', or 'Vaghaar' in India, where the spices are cooked in oil to extract flavors and to sterilize them. When the spices are browned, add the mango pieces and cook then until very lightly cooked. Add all of the water to the skillet, and also the salt, paprika, turmeric, pepper and coriander powder. Cook until the mango pieces are tender, but still hold their shape well. Now, add the sugar and the vinegar and dissolve them. Add the coriander seeds, the cinnamon, the rest of the fennel, and cook until the whole mixture becomes very syrupy and all chutney-like. Make sure to taste the chutney, and add a little more of anything you think it needs. Once it's done, put into sterilized jar/jars and refrigerate. Enjoy this with poppadums, rice, or honestly, anything!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
Raw mangoes: These are generally available fresh at Indian, and Asian stores. If you don't find them, hey, don't sweat! Use the sourish Thai mangoes or even the normal ones. If using the normal ones, add a little more vinegar to make up for the tartness of the unripe mangoes.
Asafoetida: Known as 'hing', this resin powder is used a lot in Indian cooking to add a lovely earthy, nutty flavor and smell to the food. If you can't find it, I would suggest to omit it completely.
Paprika vs. Chilly powder: Paprika is a little more sweeter than chilly powder, so you may want to add a little more of that. Chilly powder is used to add a little color as well as heat to the chutney.
H2O (Water): Use less or more of it as you think is right. Remember, the final goal is to produce a very thick syrupy, jam like consistency.
Brings back those vivid images of India, doesn't it?
The architecture, the yoga, the spicy food, the culture, the Bollywood dance, etc, can all be seen clearly in our mind. True Indian cuisine, is, however, different than people usually think. Indian food is not only the fiery stuff served at Indian restaurants, it is about complementing food with as much flavor; it's about heightening the gustatory sense to the fullest. Since India is a tropical country, we Indians use a lot of different foods that may be common to Asians, but not to others. We tend to use all the edible parts of a plant to prevent wastage. Most of our recipes tend to exhibit these properties.
Anyway, coming back: A recipe of the chutney was given to me by the ladies of my house, but I have tweaked it it make it an Anglo-Indian inspired Raw Mango Chutney.
Raw Mango Chutney:
2 lbs (1 kg) of Raw Mangoes (* See Notes:)
1 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds
2 1/2 teaspoons of whole fennel seeds
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2-3 tablespoons of whole coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoons of asafoetida powder (* See Notes:)
1 1/2 tablespoons of salt, or on taste
2 teaspoons of paprika or chilly powder (* See Notes:)
1-1 1/2 teaspoons of turmeric powder
1-1 1/2 teaspoons of coriander powder
1/2 teaspoons of pepper
2 tablespoons of good old vegetable oil
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
1 1/2 cups of water (* See Notes:)
1 - 1 1/2 cups of light brown sugar
----------------------------------------------------------
Method:
De-seed the mangoes and cut then into thick strips of about 5 cm. Keep aside. Meanwhile, add the oil to a stainless steel skillet and when the oil begins to shimmer, add the asafoetida, half of the fennel and all the cumin seeds. This method is known as a 'Chhaunk', 'Tadka', or 'Vaghaar' in India, where the spices are cooked in oil to extract flavors and to sterilize them. When the spices are browned, add the mango pieces and cook then until very lightly cooked. Add all of the water to the skillet, and also the salt, paprika, turmeric, pepper and coriander powder. Cook until the mango pieces are tender, but still hold their shape well. Now, add the sugar and the vinegar and dissolve them. Add the coriander seeds, the cinnamon, the rest of the fennel, and cook until the whole mixture becomes very syrupy and all chutney-like. Make sure to taste the chutney, and add a little more of anything you think it needs. Once it's done, put into sterilized jar/jars and refrigerate. Enjoy this with poppadums, rice, or honestly, anything!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
Raw mangoes: These are generally available fresh at Indian, and Asian stores. If you don't find them, hey, don't sweat! Use the sourish Thai mangoes or even the normal ones. If using the normal ones, add a little more vinegar to make up for the tartness of the unripe mangoes.
Asafoetida: Known as 'hing', this resin powder is used a lot in Indian cooking to add a lovely earthy, nutty flavor and smell to the food. If you can't find it, I would suggest to omit it completely.
Paprika vs. Chilly powder: Paprika is a little more sweeter than chilly powder, so you may want to add a little more of that. Chilly powder is used to add a little color as well as heat to the chutney.
H2O (Water): Use less or more of it as you think is right. Remember, the final goal is to produce a very thick syrupy, jam like consistency.
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