Mango and Red Onion Chutney

Every time I try a recipe from the now-defunct Gourmet, I get a little sad.  It was such a lovely magazine, and I have so many all-time favorite recipes that came from it’s colorful, inspiring pages.  Sigh.  What is the world coming to when there isn’t enough room for both Bon Appetit and Gourmet in our hearts and newstands?  One of my only consolations on this issue is that epicurious.com still has all of the best Gourmet recipes online, so all is not lost.

That is exactly where I came across this recipe for chutney.  For those of you who are wondering, a chutney is a Indian/Pakistani concoction, basically a spread or paste, which is made (generally) with a combination of fruit, vegetables, spices, vinegar, etc.  Basically a spicy relish.  For the history of chutney (for those of you who care to know), check this out.  Now, I’m not pretending that this chutney is even in the slightest bit authentic.  For some reason, I have the feeling that in India, they don’t make their chutney with “curry powder” from McCormicks.  So while I doubt that they’re slathering crackers with Mango and Red Onion Chutney in New Delhi, that doesn’t make it any less delicious for me, in Chicago.

This chutney turns out to have a jam-like consistency, perfect for spreading on sandwiches or topping crackers with a smear of cream cheese.  It’s also great to serve alongside a cheese tray; it goes great with cheddar.  I imagine it would be great with grilled meats, like pork, too.  The sweetness of the mango gives way to a gentle, prodding heat from the red pepper, and you still get a little crunch from the bits of red onion.  It had just the amount of heat for me, but if you like things a little hotter, you could absolutely adjust the amount of red pepper flakes.  This is so much better than the stuff you can buy in the jar, and it was shockingly quick and easy. 

When I first put it into jars, I was worried that I had made WAY too much.  Now I see why the recipe makes so much- our stash is already depleted, after only a few days!  I have just enough left to make one of my new favorite dips, which I’ll be sharing soon… stay tuned!

Mango and Red Onion Chutney

adapted from Gourmet

This makes a pretty chunky chutney (hehe) but if you’d like a finer texture, chop the onion and mango into slightly smaller pieces. 

1/4 cup olive oil

2 medium red onions, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup minced peeled fresh ginger

4 mangoes (3 lb), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup canned unsweetened pineapple juice

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

Coarsely ground black pepper