Today's Special- Mango Chutney

I love condiments! Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, bbq sauce, pesto, salsa, etc. Every culture has a range of condiments. One of my favorites comes from India, chutney. I especially love Mango Chutney. I love the beautiful yellow color, the sweetness for the mango and the savory taste of the spices.  I love how you can add it to anything. Chicken, beef, pork, fish, sauces, sandwiches and ice cream. Chutney is such a versatile condiment. I just love it!!










I've been wanting to try my hand in making chutney for a really long time, but just never got around to it. So here we go!  While viewing one of my favorite foodie movies, Today's Special. A great move about a French trained chef's, Samir,  journey to rediscovery of food and family via his family's Indian restaurant. I've seen it about 7 times! If you have Netflix, look it up, it's on streaming! Yay!

My version may not be the most authentic but it has the spices that are seen readily in Indian cuisine. One of my favorite characters in Today's Special is Akbar. He is the one that guides Samir into the wonderful world of his heritage and teaches him to cook not just from the head but from the heart and stomach. It's not about following recipes but about allowing the senses to guide you.  The spices I use are based on the movie with my addition of cardamon. My favorite scene is when Akbar takes Samir shopping for the foundation of masala.  Akbar describes the spices with such creativity and wit.

“Cumin is a saucy wench, gives you great pleasure, but she herself is never satisfied…Coriander seed, like a young girl walking through a lemon grove by the ocean wondering what the future holds…Cloves and cinnamon, like your crazy aunt and uncle, very noisy, very funny, very opinionated, but a little goes a long way…Turmeric, the golden spices, makes everything glow…”

I hope you go look for Today's Special and watch while you eat this yummy mango chutney!

Buen Provecho! 


Mango Chutney - yields 1 pint

Ingredients:

2-3 Mangoes, diced
1/2 Red Onion, thinly spice
1-2 Garlic cloves, minced finely
3/4 cup Brown sugar
1/2 inch Ginger, minced
1/2 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1-2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
Salt to taste
 up to 2/3 Water (optional if mixture is too thick)

Spices: I used ground spices 
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Cloves
1/4 tsp Coriander
1/4 tsp Cardamon
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Tumeric



Instructions:

1. Heat pan on medium heat. Add vegetable oil. Once hot add red onion, ginger, garlic, spices and salt. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

2. Once onions are caramelize add mango, brown sugar, rice     wine vinegar and water if using. Season mango with salt.

3. Stir and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes until mango breaks   down and mixture thickens. If it's too thick feel free to add more water.

4. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary.

5. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

6. Enjoy!

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