This homemade sweet and sticky mango chutney has a mild kick and is the perfect partner for curries. Making it yourself lets you use fresh ingredients and control the heat and sweetness to suit your taste.
We love cooking curries and Indian-style starters, and nothing complements them better than a well-made mango chutney.
This recipe was created by Chris — the batch he made filled the house with an amazing aroma.
📋 What you need
- Choose ripe but still-firm mangoes for the best texture.
- White wine vinegar provides brightness and balance.
- I use blended garam masala for convenience; you can swap in individual spices if you prefer.
- Asafoetida and nigella seeds are optional but add extra depth if you have them.
Swap for ghee
If you don’t have ghee you can use sunflower or olive oil. That said, ghee is a lovely ingredient for Indian-style dishes and worth keeping in your pantry if you cook this cuisine often.
🧑🍳 How to make mango chutney
Full recipe and detailed steps are in the recipe card below.
This is an easy-to-follow method:
- Soften a finely diced onion in a little ghee (or oil).
- Add minced garlic and the spices, cooking briefly until fragrant.
- Stir in the chopped mangoes, sugar and vinegar.
- Simmer gently, uncovered, for 1½ to 2 hours until thickened.
- Break up any large mango pieces by mashing to your preferred texture.
You can leave the chutney chunky or mash it for a finer texture.
PRO TIP: Use a potato masher to gently break down larger mango pieces for a smoother chutney.
Adjust the spice level to taste — add chopped fresh chilli or a teaspoon of minced ginger if you want a spicier chutney.
🍽️ What to serve it with
Make a batch and refrigerate it so it’s ready to serve alongside homemade curries, rice dishes, grilled meats or cheese boards.
🍯 How to store mango chutney
Store mango chutney in sterilized jars with a tight-fitting lid.
When sealed and refrigerated, jars will keep for around 2–3 months. Once opened, keep refrigerated and covered; it should last about a month between uses.
🍯 More fantastic Sauces
Curries
Chicken Jalfrezi Recipe
Dinner
Chicken Biryani
Vegetarian
Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry
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🗂 Mango Chutney Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tsp ghee (or sunflower/olive oil)
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 pinch asafoetida powder (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
- 5 mangoes, ripe but firm, roughly chopped into 2cm chunks
- 350 ml white wine vinegar (about 1½ cups)
- 400 g caster sugar (about 2 cups)
Instructions
- Add the ghee to a saucepan and heat over medium.
- Add the onion and fry, stirring often, for 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook for one minute.
- Add the garam masala, asafoetida (if using), salt, cumin and nigella seeds. Fry, stirring continuously, for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the chopped mangoes.
- Add the sugar and white wine vinegar, stir, and bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the chutney reaches a thick, jam-like consistency.
- Turn off the heat and allow to cool before spooning into sterilized jars.
Notes
This batch makes roughly four 250ml jars (a little over 4 cups / ~1 litre).
Storage
Store in sterilized jars with sealed lids. Refrigerated and unopened, jars keep about 2–3 months. After opening, keep refrigerated and covered; use within about a month.
Ingredient swaps
Adjust spices to taste. Add a freshly chopped chilli or a teaspoon of minced ginger if you want more heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation and should be used as a guide only.
Some links in this post may be affiliate links; if you buy through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you — it helps keep this site running. The nutritional information supplied is approximate.