One of the better things about the scorching Indian summer season is that it is blessed with the ‘king of fruits,’ a.k.a mango. Apart from enjoying raw mango with black salt or red chili powder, this Mango Chutney is another way to relish this seasonal fruit, a favorite amongst all ages. This is a quick, vegan Bengali style Mango Chutney recipe with a distinct taste.
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The Bengali Chutney Obsession
As much as you would associate a Bengali with fish, the same is true when it comes to chutneys or ‘chatni’ as it is lovingly called in Bengali language. When it comes to this particular community, chutneys are usually savored as a pre dessert dish at the end of a meal, and not in the beginning.
The two most prominent chutneys in the Bengali culinary repertoire are this Mango Chutney, also called as ‘Aam’er Chatni’ and the very divine Tomato Khejur Chutney made with plump tomatoes and dates.
Sometimes, a typical Bengali candy called ‘aamshotto (mango pulp candy),’ is also added to this tomato chutney. This chutney is a must accompaniment with the Khichuri in the bhog (food offered to Goddess Durga and then consumed as prasad), which is served during Durga Puja festivities.
The Mango Chutney has its own variations and can be made with either kancha aam (raw mango) or paaka aam (ripe/semi ripe mango).
The unique Plastic Chutney is another famous one from Bengal and is made of raw/green papaya. It is called so because of the glossy, translucent texture of the chutney that is a result of cooking raw papaya in sugar syrup.
Other classic Bengali chutneys are the spring favorite Kool’er Chatni made with Indian jujubes (ber) and Pineapple Chutney.
More on this Mango Chutney
One of my favorite things to do in the mango season is prepare this Bengali special Mango Chutney and savor it with other dishes in my meals. It is earthy and refreshing at the same time, and qualifies as a great dessert too.
This Mango Chutney recipe is my version of the traditional Bengali style. So, I have used semi ripe mangoes to make it versus the raw mango which is usually used in the original recipe. This way there’s both sweetness and tartness in the chutney.
Unlike traditional Indian chutneys, this chutney has more of a jammy consistency and similar to the British style chutneys made with fruits like apples and mangoes.
You can make this Mango Chutney with green mangoes or ripe mangoes too. I also add ginger for an added fresh factor and use powdered jaggery as the sweetener. You can even use regular sugar.
One very significant part is the ‘radhuni’ or wild celery seeds that go in the Panch Phoron, the Bengali 5 spice blend used as a tempering in this Mango Chutney recipe. Don’t fret if you can’t find it. You can substitute it with cumin, mustard or carom seeds.
This Mango Chutney is super duper easy to make and gets ready in about 20 minutes. Apart from serving it as a condiment with your meals, you can relish it as a dip with your choice of snacks and starters. Try having it with stuffed parathas, its just mind-blowing!
Other than this Mango Chutney, this Green Mango Chutney is another one from my collection that is made completely with unripe sour mangoes. This one’s a sure shot winner too!
Expert Tips
- You can make this chutney with semi-ripe, unripe sour or ripe sweet mangoes. Remember to add sugar or jaggery accordingly. For mangoes that are very sweet, you can skip adding sugar.
- Don’t overcook the chutney mixture as it will become thick.
- Make sure to use dry and clean spoons every time, to take out the chutney from jars. Always, keep the lid on. These will add to the longer shelf life of the chutney.
- If you plan to scale up the recipe, then store the chutney in sterilized jars and refrigerate them later. You can also preserve the chutney following the boiling water bath canning method.
- You can use sugar instead of jaggery in this recipe. Adjust it as per you taste and depending on how sour/tangy or sweet the mangoes are.
- Make this recipe gluten-free by skipping the asafoetida.
- You can refrigerate this Mango Chutney for 2 to 3 days or freeze it to store for a longer time.
FAQs
This is a Bengali style Mango Chutney and the most significant part about this is the use of the special Bengali spice mix in it called ‘panch phoron.’ It adds a distinct taste to the chutney.
Yes, you can.
I would recommend not to skip as because of this unique Bengali spice mix this Mango Chutney recipe has a different taste as compared to others. But if you have difficulty getting it, then simply swap it with ½ teaspoon cumin seeds or ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds or ½ teaspoon carom seeds. Remember that each seed will give a different flavor to the chutney.
Yes, you can. Adjust it according to your preferences and depending on the mangoes too.
There is no substitute for ginger in this recipe. If you don’t want to use it, you can skip it.
Yes, you can while you are frying the panch phoron. Make sure to adjust the red chili powder then according to the level of spice you want in the chutney.
Panch Phoron is a simple Bengali 5 spice blend. You just have to mix the five whole spices mentioned in the ingredient list of this chutney recipe in equal portion and use it. If you have made a large batch, store it in an airtight jar.
More Chutney Recipes To Try!
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Mango Chutney (Indian Bengali Style)
Ingredients
- 2 mangoes – semi ripe and juicy, medium-sized
- ½ teaspoon Panch Phoron or equal mix of cumin seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds/carom seeds/radhuni seeds (wild celery seeds), nigella seeds/onion seeds and fenugreek seeds
- 2 tablespoons powdered jaggery or as required – adjust as per the sweetness of the mangoes
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil or any neutral oil
- ½ to 1 inch ginger – grated or finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper or paprika
- 1 pinch Garam Masala
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) – optional
- salt as required
Instructions
Chopping mangoes
- Rinse the mangoes a few times in water. Wipe dry with a kitchen towel. Peel and finely chop them. Set aside.
- Note that if the mangoes are very juicy and fibrous, you can just remove the pulp.
Making mango chutney
- Heat oil in a small to medium-sized frying pan or skillet. Keep heat to a low. Add the panch phoron spices and stir. Let them splutter and crackle but make sure they do not get burnt.
- Now, add the ginger and fry for a few seconds till its raw aroma goes away.
- Add the finely chopped mango or mango pulp/puree.
- Add the red chili powder, garam masala powder and asafoetida. Stir and mix.
- Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the powdered jaggery or sugar, salt. Mix and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Don't overcook as the mixture will become thick.
- Remove the chutney in a bowl. Serve Mango Chutney warm or at room temperature as dip or spread.
Video
Notes
- To make this mango chutney, you can use unripe green mangoes, semi-ripe or sweet ripe mangoes. Keep in mind to adjust the sugar or jaggery with the type of mangoes you add. For overly sweet mangoes, you need not add any sugar.
- Panch phoron is one of the unique and key flavor ingredient in this recipe. So I would recommend not to skip it. If you are not able to source it, then replace with ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds or ½ teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds or ½ teaspoon carom seeds. Remember that each seed will give a different flavor.
- Remember not to overcook the chutney mixture as it will become thick, stringy or chewy.
- The recipe can be scaled to make a large batch. To preserve a large batch of the chutney for a longer time, you can sterilize the jars or follow the boiling water bath canning method. Do make sure to use dry and clean spoons every time, to take out the chutney from jars. Always, keep the lid on. Refrigerate the chutney if you stay in a warm, humid or hot climate. These will add to the longer shelf life of the chutney.
- You can add sugar instead of jaggery in this Mango chutney recipe. Adjust it as per you taste and depending on how sweet or tangy the mangoes are.
- To make this recipe gluten-free skip the asafoetida.
- You can refrigerate the entire portion made from this recipe for 2 to 3 days or freeze it for a month.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Mango Chutney Recipe post from the blog archives first published in Jun 2013 has been republished and updated on 22 April 2022.
