Onion Chutney Recipe | Multipurpose Indian Vengaya Chutney (2024)

FAQs

How long should you leave homemade chutney before eating? ›

6. Allow to Mature. Chutneys are best eaten after a long maturing period so we recommend storing them in a cool, dry dark place and leaving them for no less than 8 weeks before opening them.

Chutneys are ideal to be used alongside curry dishes. Fruit and onion based chutneys add amazing flavours to Indian dishes, especially to the side of a fiery Mandra Curry! There's nothing nicer than indulging in some cheese and biscuits with a spoonful of chutney to dip them into.

Pour water till the pot is half filled. Allow the water to heat for 4-6 minutes. Next, once the water starts boiling, reduce the flame and take a clean glass jar in which you want to store the chutney. Place it inside the pot so that the jar can be sterilized.

If the chutney is too runny then in our opinion the best solution is to put it into a pan and bring it back to the boil, then simmer rapidly until it is the required thickness. If you can do this in a couple of deep frying pans (not aluminium) then it should help to speed up the process.

Vinegar used in making chutney must be good quality and have at least 5% acetic acid content. Any good brand white, malt, wine or cider vinegar should possess the correct qualities. Brown sugar is used for darker coloured chutney but where a lighter colour is required granulated sugar is recommended.

As it thickens, stir more frequently and watch that the sugar does not begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. The chutney is done when you can scrape a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan and the chutney does not flow back into the gap.

Once opened, chutney can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 months.

Relish is a flavouring, usually sweet and sour, which consists of finely chopped vegetables or fruit, vinegar and sugar. Whereas chutney is more sweet and fruity, relish usually contains cucumber, courgette, tomato, rhubarb or onion, and the pieces of fruit or vegetables are somewhat coarser and crunchier.

This vibrant green sauce is often served with chaat or Indian street foods and is delicious in samosas.

The best way to indicate that chutney has been spoiled is to smell and look at the chutney.

Do you put homemade chutney in jars hot or cold? ›

Fill the hot dry jars right to the top – preserves shrink slightly on cooling and a full jar means less trapped condensation. Seal the jars while still hot. This rule applies to all jams, jellies, pickles and chutneys.

The chemical preservative used in Chutney is vinegar.

Due to the high acidic content of vinegar the acidity of the Chutney increases, which inhibits the growth of several spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. Besides the usage of vinegar, the hot water bath technique of canning also helps in preserving chutney.

If the chutney seems too runny, cook it for another 5-10 minutes and test again. You may also like to give the chutney the odd stir as you cook it, to prevent the mixture at the edges of the pan from catching.

If you made a double quantity it may take longer for the acid in the vinegar to mellow, unless you used a particularly wide pan that would help the vinegar to evaporate more easily. So it is worth tasting the chutney before you transfer it to jars, to make sure that the mixture is not too acidic.

Cider vinegar and orange juice provide the liquid and the chutney is thickened by the apples and dried fruits as much as by the time spent cooking it. The smaller proportion of vinegar means that the chutney does not need time to mellow and can be eaten straight away.

To seal jars

Fill the hot dry jars right to the top – preserves shrink slightly on cooling and a full jar means less trapped condensation. Seal the jars while still hot. This rule applies to all jams, jellies, pickles and chutneys.

Sunlight can have an effect on the colour and humid places may cause fermentation. Chutneys and pickles have at least a year's shelf life, fruit liqueurs and fruits in alcohol up to two years. Once opened store in the fridge and use within four weeks.

Ideally all chutney should have some time to mature in a cool, dry place away from bright light. Over this period the flavour of the chutney mellows and becomes less acidic or "vinegary".