Mango Sweet Pickle/Chutney* 1, Gupta Family Style
Aam ki Meethi Chatni 1
Suresh Chandra Gupta
This chutney was cooked each summer by my late father. It has been taken from his old recipe book. To this day, it is a great favourite of all our family members, even the ones born after his death! We eat it with Khitchri, Matharies, Aloo paratha and other stuffed parathas, Kachauri and many other snacks. It is good in cheese sandwiches or place a dollop on each savoury biscuit, along with a cheese of choice, and serve with drinks. Make it when raw mangoes are in season. Let it mature for a month or longer.
The word ‘chutney’ comes from original Hindi word ‘chatni’ which is a tangy and spicy paste, that makes you smack you lips, makes your tongue and mouth come alive! The word ‘chat’ or ‘chaat’ mean ‘lick’ and ‘chatna’ means ‘to lick’. The original Indian chatni is a mix of uncooked fruit (raw mango/apple/other fruits), green chillies, herbs like coriander and mint, a few spices, lemon or vinegar or tamarind, sometimes sugar, all ground together to a paste. In England, and the West, this is called Chutney, generally meaning a spicy preserve/condiment, where fruits or vegetables have been cooked in vinegar, with spices and sugar, and then bottled.
Edited May 2023
Ingredients
1 1/2 kg. green pickling mangoes (any green, unripe mangoes will do), giving a grated or chopped flesh of 1 kg, after removing skin and stones
120 gm. onions
30 gm. garlic
1 kg. sugar
60 gm. salt-adjust to taste
1 tsp. red chilli powder-to taste
2 tsp. nigella (kalownji) seeds. You can use cumin seeds instead
4 bay leaves*
3 cinnamon sticks of 2 inch each*
2 tsp. black peppercorns*
3-4 brown cardamoms*
12 cloves*
250 ml. malt vinegar
1 small piece of muslin or an old, man's handkerchief (it will be thrown at the end).
Amount of salt: Some people feel that the salt in this recipe is too much, but I have tested it and it seems fine to me and my family. The best thing to do is to use 1/2, taste when nearly ready & adjust to your taste.
Instructions
Peel and grate mangoes coarsely, or chop finely.
Place mangoes in a heavy bottomed cooking pan and add salt, sugar and leave for 1/2 an hour. This makes the natural juices in mangoes to ooze out and lets the salt and sugar dissolve in the juices. Stir once or twice.
Meanwhile, peel and grate onions coarsely or chop finely.
Peel and grate garlic.
Tie all the whole spices marked* in muslin or an old handkerchief. Flavour of whole spices will be released into the chutney through the cloth during cooking.
Add salt, chilli powder, onions, garlic, whole spice parcel and nigella seeds to the mangoes in the pan and mix.
Cook briskly for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Add vinegar and continue to cook on medium heat, until the chutney thickens. This takes approximately 25 -60 minutes, depending upon how high your heat is and how much mangoes you are cooking.
Cool a little and pour into warm, sterilised jars.
When completely cold, put airtight lids on, label and store.
Notes
Also see Pickle and Chutney Selection.
