Summer Buster Raw Mango Chutney

One sweltering summer afternoon in the 1990s, my mother’s office colleague opened her tiffin at lunch time and made my mom taste this ambi ki chutney (Ambi means raw or green mango). Women live a life of detail and it was at lunch time that they took a break from office work and shared stories about their lives, children, families and food. This was the time when secrets, numerous recipes and lunch boxes were shared. Some of those colleagues became my mother’s life long friends and their recipes were cherished and became staples in our household.

We’ve savoured this chutney recipe every summer since. And this recipe has travelled with me to Dubai where it is much needed.
Dubai is going through its famous blazing hot summers and like every year, the month of Ramzan coincides. The heat is at its peak but life does not stop. So how does one beat the heat? The answer lies in taking care of oneself with proper hydration and nourishment. This lip smacking raw mango chutney helps quite a bit in doing that. It can be added to your Suhoor/Sehri or Iftar or any meal incase you are not fasting. It is seasonal and has numerous health benefits that your body could really help from in summers, especially during fasting.

It’s really simple too. All you need is a mixie or food processor to grind it. You can use it as salad dressing (would be great in a fruit salad!), a dip and I recently discovered it tastes absolutely fantastic with Oats idli.

Ingredients

• Raw mangoes, 2, peeled and roughly sliced
• Onions, 2 medium sized, roughly chopped/sliced
• Cumin seeds or cumin powder, 1 teaspoon
• Red chilli powder, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon
• Sugar, 2-3 teaspoons
• Salt to taste

Method

Wash the mangoes and cut the top part that attaches the fruit to the stem. Now peel the mangoes and roughly slice them. This is where you will get to know how ripe or sweet the mango will be. If it is a darker yellow then it is going to be sweeter and you will need a little less sugar in the chutney. You can taste a small sliver for this. I used two mangoes, one of which was white (sour!) and the other ripe and yellow. This will obviously determine the colour your chutney will be. If the mangoes are whiter the chutney comes out to be pinker, if they are yellow, it is more orange. Both taste absolutely yummy!

Peel and chop or slice the onions and combine with the chopped mangoes in the mixie or food processor jar. Throw in the cumin, salt, sugar and red chilli powder. Adjust the amount of red chilli powder according to how hot and spicy you want the chutney to be.

Process/blend this together. Taste a bit of the chutney and add more sugar and salt according to how much sourness you can tolerate.

Enjoy this tasty Summer Buster Raw Mango Onion Chutney with rice, roti, idli, dosa or anything you like as a dip or spread.

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