Indian Inspired Apple Mango Relish (Chutney)

I have been a bit reluctant to call this condiment a chutney. Growing up I don't ever recall my mom making any sweet Indian chutney or pickles, they were always savory. If by any chance she added sugar for balance it would only be a touch. This particular relish or chutney can be used as a dash or more of garnish in a savory cauliflower potato soup, as sweet jam for breakfast or brunch or as a spiced condiment at the Thanksgiving table. It is quite versatile. Only the next day after making it did I realize how superb it did turn out. I used a lot of restraint with the ingredients as not to ruin the essence, integrity and character of the main ingredients, mango and apples. If you wish for the spices to be more pronounced feel free to make this original recipe your own and adjust the quantities, see note at the bottom. As you will notice I added whole cloves, whole cardamon pods and cinnamon sticks midway through cooking to keep flavors subtle and make sure the cardamon pods did not overcook and burst open. I also knew I wanted to can the chutney in the jar with the cinnamon sticks, cardamon pods and whole cloves, so I added them mid way through. It does look beautiful when you gift this canned chutney jars and make a breakfast or brunch gathering more festive and special.  Just make sure you tell your family and friends not to bite into the cardamon pods, cinnamon sticks or whole cloves, at this point they are not only serving for their everlasting aroma and flavor but their sheer beauty.

On a side note: A discussion ensued at 2am eastern time on twitter whether it is cardamon or cardamom. My spell checker said cardamom which I easily overruled and felt victorious though a tad annoyed. Most people (thanks guys) said cardamom and I have seen it spelled that way before, but my spice jar says cardamon, and this one wonderful Indian girl on twitter, named An (@bakerstreet29), said cardamon, and I didn't feel as though, I was alone in this world at 2am losing my mind. Besides, at home growing up, and in Israel in general, we call it *hel* which is altogether Middle Eastern as far as I can tell. No pun intended!

Apple Mango Relish (Chutney)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium red onion, diced

1 small fresh ginger, peeled and grated on micro plane grater

(tip: measure from the tip of your index finger to first crease. That is the size of the fresh ginger required)

1 green jalapeno, sliced into thin rings

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large green mango, peeled, flesh cut from pit and grated

3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and grated

Few drops of fresh lemon

1 cup water

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or distilled vinegar

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dash or two of red pepper flakes

2 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

4 cardamons, whole in pods

Directions:

1. Over low/medium heat, sautee onions, ginger, jalapeno and garlic in canola oil until soft but not caramelizing

2. Immediately after grating apples add few drops of lemon to avoid oxidizing and browning

3. Add mango, apples with lemon, water, cider, sugar, salt and red pepper flakes, mix and cook uncovered on low/medium heat for half an hour, stir occasionally to make sure relish is not burning

4. Add cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamon pods and keep cooking for half an hour longer on low/medium heat, if water starts to completely evaporate prior to an hour passing, add some more water and continue cooking, stir occasionally

5. Relish/chutney has to cook at least for an hour or until very soft and most water evaporates. It will have a candied look to it

5. Can with or without whole spices (I did with) and save in refrigerator or follow canning instructions to save in a cool spot in the pantry

Notes:

1. You can cut down on the sugar or add more apples if using a whole cup of sugar. I found the best candied relish achieved with the above proportions. 

2. I would not add more vinegar.

3. You can absolutely adjust heat by adding more jalapenos or red pepper flakes. Play with the intensity of the spices by adding ground cloves, cinnamon and cardamon instead of whole.

4. The relish/chutney will still be pleasing to the eye but it won't have a detailed painted picture as it does with the whole spices, especially if you give them as presents.

5. Relish/chutney can be cooked longer than an hour.

6. The apples were picked fresh as you can see in my previous post found here.