 What is Chutney?Chutney is similar in consistency to jelly, salsa or relish, and is used as a sweet and sour condiment. Usually made fresh, chutney contains fruit and sugar to give it a sweet taste, and almost all chutney contains vinegar and perhaps onions to give it a corresponding sour flavour. The ingredients are mixed together and then simmered slowly. While chutney is primarily sweet and sour, there can also be many variations of spices, often giving it a hot and spicy flavour.
Originating in India, chutney was imported from India to Western Europe in the 17th century. European reproductions of chutney were often called "mangoed" fruits and vegetables, as one of the most common fruits used in the making of chutney is the mango. The word chutney is derived from the East Indian word Chatni. The Hindi word for "to crush" literally means "to make chutney." This signifies the process by which chutney is made; often the ingredients are crushed together with a stone.
Like jams and jellies, chutney can be chunky or smooth. In India, spicy chutney is usually served with curry and often with cold meats and vegetables. Sweet chutney is a pleasant addition to bread or crackers and cheese, and can serve as a snack or small meal.
Some of the more popular ingredients for chutney, in addition to mangoes, are limes, apples, peaches, plums, apricots, tomatoes, lemons and even coconuts. Additional spices may include cloves, garlic, cilantro, mustard, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, jalapenos, tamarind and mint. Chutney is so diverse that it can be made with only a few of these ingredients or several, to make a variety of flavours and styles.
Chutney is usually eaten fresh in its native India, but as chutney has been westernized, like many things, it is mass-produced and can be bought in nearly any supermarket in the western world. In the United States and Britain, offering chutney as a condiment is becoming nearly as popular as jam, relish and even ketchup. Chutney can be served at a formal dinner as a condiment for a fancy meal, or at a casual picnic with tortilla chips or crackers. Whatever the occasion, chutney is a tasty, sweet and sour treat that is sure to please.
|  Types of chutneyMany authentic chutneys contain significant amounts of fresh green chilli peppers; the other main ingredient can be any of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Most vegetable chutneys are prepared cold in a blender, while many fruit chutneys do require cooking. Popular chutneys include:
o Coconut chutney
o Onion chutney
o Tomato chutney
o Coriander (Cilantro) and/or mint chutney (both are often called Hari chutney, where 'Hari' is Hindi for 'Green')
o Tamarind chutney (Imli chutney)
o Mango chutney (made from unripe, green mangos)
o Lime chutney (made from whole, unripe limes)
o Garlic chutney made from fresh garlic, coconut and groundnut
o Green tomato chutney. Common English recipe to use up unripe tomatoes
In temperate countries, chutneys are sometimes made using local main ingredients such as apples, peaches or tomatoes.
Flavourings are always added to the mix. These may include sugar, salt, garlic, tamarind, onion, or ginger.
Spices most commonly include fenugreek, coriander, cumin and hing (asafoetida).
In South Africa there is a traditional commercial variety that is made with dried fruit.
| HistoryBeginning in the 1600s, chutneys were shipped to European countries like England and France as luxury goods. Western imitations were called "mangoed" fruits or vegetables. In the nineteenth century, brands of chutney like Major Grey's or Bengal Club created for Western tastes were shipped to Europe. |  Chutney by Indian Regiono Gujarat - athanah and hot lime chutneys
o Haryana - tamarind chutney
o Himachal Pradesh - guava and eggplant chutneys
o Karnataka - coconut, coriander, green chilli, mango, onion, peanut, tomato, tamarind,ridgegourd.
o Kerala - coconut, urad dal (a kind of legume), mango, dry fish, shrimp, and onion chutney
o Maharashtra - hot mango chutney, guramba, and panchamrit,Mirachicha Thecha
o Punjab - pudina (mint) chutney, onion chutney, tamarind chutney, mango chutney
o Tamil Nadu - coconut, coriander, pudina, red chilli with grams, tomato, onion, and mango chutneys
o Uttar Pradesh - garlic, sweet and sour mango, and peanut
o West Bengal - fruit (mango, plum, apple, and apricot) chutney
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