Chutney is a spread from the Indian kitchen that comes in very different varieties with very different tastes. It is derived from a pickling technique that arose about 2.500 years ago, which the Romans and Brits later adopted after their stays on the Indian subcontinent.
The Indian Chutneys are quite similar to what we would call pickling in the West, and they typically consist of mashed fruit or vegetables with seasoning, naturally preserved with vinegar, sugar, or salt. These are especially popular in Southern India where it’s customary to enjoy several tiny, complimenting chutneys with a big platter of small, simple dishes (known as a “Thali”). The most known Chutney (in the West at least) has to be the Mango Chutney.
Just before it ripens and falls off the tree naturally, the mango is plucked, and its meat is cut into thin slices or completely mashed into a pulp. The fruit is then preserved in sugar with the possibility of adding something sour to the sweet mango.
As the mango is a seasonal fruit, it can be eaten all year round in tiny pieces when it’s preserved as a Chutney. It’s therefore not something you eat as often or in those quantities, which there is a tendency to think in the West.
Bindia’s Mango Chutney distinguishes itself by containing less sugar than a typical Mango Chutney. Nevertheless, it has more taste due to its seasoning with fresh mint and black cumin. It’s a must-try!
Enjoy!
Try our Mango Chutney at your local Bindia in Østerbro, Nørrebro, Frederiksberg, Amager, Lyngby, and Søborg, or simply order it here.