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Apple and Caramelized Onion Chutney

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This apple and caramelized onion chutney has become a family favorite.

I didn’t grow up with chutney, but have come to love it as an adult. Enjoying chutney served in Indian restaurants was my first step. Then I bought chutney in jars to eat with home-cooked meals, and now I’ve moved onto homemade versions – definitely the best!

My first effort was a traditional tomato chutney from Madhur Jaffrey, whose Indian recipes (and cookbooks) are out-of-this-world. Encouraged by how wonderful fresh chutney tastes, how little effort it takes, and how versatile it can be, I ventured into new ingredients and combinations. Soon, I was using chutney in the most unexpected ways. 

Apple and caramelized onion chutney. An amazingly tasty condiment, appetizer or snack. | Mother Would Know

Re-reading that first paragraph makes me smile. It almost sounds as if I’m describing my spiral from a gateway drug to addiction. Of course that’s not true; this delightful condiment may be hard to resist, but it’s hardly illicit or problematic. So don’t worry – I won’t lead you down a garden path to doom. 

In any event, you can tell why, when our host, Liz, chose apples for this month’s Progressive Eats theme, my thoughts turned to chutney. 

The consistency of chutney can be as  thick as jam or slightly looser, like homemade cranberry sauce. It need not be incredibly spicy, but it shouldn’t be sweet. My favorite chutneys use a variety of ingredients to provide a flavor best described as complex – aromatic and a bit sweet, with a spicy edge. The spices should meld together so that you probably can’t discern what each one adds, but you can definitely tell that there are several in the mix. 

This apple and caramelized onion chutney combines elements of a traditional chutney with two of my favorite ingredients not typically found in chutney: slowly caramelized onions and spicy Dijon mustard. The inspiration for it was a mango chutney from Epicurious, reprinted from a book on small batch preserving by two Canadian home economists. Although the authors of that recipe sound less like Southeast Asian food experts than home ec teachers from a Simpsons’ episode, they created a nice sweet-and-spicy combination that I tried to replicate with different ingredients.

Tart apples and slowly caramelized onions are a match made in heaven. Add mustard and the spicy notes from curry and you’ve got a condiment that is irresistible in my book. I like this chutney with brie cheese on bread, or with poached or simply sautéed chicken or fish. 

Ingredients for apple and caramelized chutney | Mother Would Know

Curry powder is not a single spice, but a combination of many – and which spices are contained in any particular curry and how hot the curry makes your food make all the difference in the taste of the dish. I used a half-and-half combination of Sharwood’s mild and hot curry powders in this chutney. That particular brand contains many spices in both the mild and hot versions: coriander, turmeric fenugreek, cumin, mustard powder, red pepper, salt, cayenne, garlic, cinnamon, clove and ginger as well as onion and fennel.

Some day I’ll make my own curry powder, but in the meantime, this serves quite well. Test your curry powder by sprinkling a bit in plain yogurt and tasting it. If it’s not hot enough for you, add a bit of cayenne or chile flakes.

The process of making this apple and caramelized onion chutney is simple. 

First you caramelize the onions. When they are done, toss the onions in a large pot and add chopped apples, sugar and apple cider vinegar.

Adding apples, sugar, ginger, and apple cider vinegar to caramelized onions for chutney | Mother Would Know

Then mix them up all those ingredients and bring them to a boil.

Mixing apple and caramelized onion chutney | Mother Would Know

Let them simmer.

Apple and caramelized onion chutney simmering | Mother Would Know

And just before the chutney finishes cooking, add the spices and lemon juice. 

Apple and caramelized onion chutney, done cooking and ready to chill | Mother Would Know

To see how easy this recipe is to make, check out the video:

5 from 2 votes
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Apple and Caramelized Onion Chutney

A sweet-and-spicy condiment that is a beautiful addition to any Indian dinner, or as an appetizer, served with cheese or without, on bread or crackers. Also delicious on potato latkes.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound onions quartered and thinly sliced, 2-3 medium
  • 2 tablespoons oil or butter or a combination
  • 1 pound tart apples such as Granny Smiths (2-3 medium), peeled, cored, and cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons grated or finely minced fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

  1. Caramelize the onions in the fat (oil, butter or combination). Deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of the cider vinegar and pour the onions and the deglazing liquid into a large, heavy enamel or stainless steel pot.
  2. Add the apples, sugar, ginger, and the rest of the cider vinegar. Mix all the ingredients and bring them to a rolling boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer the mixture, uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
    Apple and caramelized onion chutney | Mother Would Know
  3. Add the lemon juice, curry powder, alt, cinnamon and Dijon mustard. Raise the heat slightly and continue cooking at a high simmer for another 5 minutes.
    Adding condiments to the chutney | Mother Would Know
  4. Let the mixture cool before putting in an airtight container. The mixture should be kept refrigerated and is best eaten cold. Will last for weeks (or longer) refrigerated.

Recipe Notes

The apple and onion pieces will not generally get smaller during cooking, though the apples do soften and a few may break up as you stir the chutney. If you prefer your chutney smooth, chop the apple and onion into smaller pieces. Do not use a cast iron pot (except one that is enamel-coated) after you mix in the vinegar. Cast iron does not react well to acidic ingredients.

The preparation time does not include time for chilling the chutney. It should chill down in the refrigerator after 1-2 hours if you use a wide, low container. 

 Homemade apple and caramelized onion chutney. A simple and delicious condiment, appetizer, or snack | Mother Would Know

Apple Recipes

Savory Dishes:

Sweet Dishes:

Progressive Eats is our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. As I’ve already mentioned, this month’s theme is a Kebab Fest. We are hosted by Liz Berg who blogs at That Skinny Chick Can Bake. We hope you’ll join us and make something unique and delicious inspired by our kebab theme.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, the host for the month choses a theme. Then members take the theme and run with it, sharing recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party. You can hop from blog to blog to check them out.

We have a core group of 12 bloggers, but we will always need substitutes and if there is enough interest would consider additional groups. To see our upcoming themes and how you can participate, please check out the schedule at Creative Culinary or contact Barb for more information.

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Comments

  1. Thank you so much for not leading us to our doom, Laura! lol I love chutney, too! Love your addition of mustard and caramelized onions–the flavor must be so deep and wonderful!

    Reply

    • Thanks Jeanette. I’m going to use it on the turkey sandwiches after Thanksgiving – if there is any left at that point. Of course, I could just make another batch as part of the Thanksgiving preparations:)

      Reply

    • Ansh, Many thanks – especially glad that you like the new site design. I’m a chutney newbie, but as Susan Pridmore said, going to make up for lost time.

      Reply

    • Susan, Hope you do try it – and let me know what you think. I’m with you on making up for lost time in the chutney department:)

      Reply

    • Megan, Thanks for stopping by. This chutney is great as a condiment in dinner courses and on sandwiches. I can’t wait to try it out after Thanksgiving on the leftover turkey sandwiches.

      Reply

    • Ansh, I do hope you’ll let me know what you think of it when you try it. Someday, I hope to cook together (In the same kitchen and not just virtually) with you and Barb, it always looks like you’re having such fun.

      Reply

    • Heather, Oooh, that does sound good. As a matter of fact, I’ll have to put fish on the shopping list, now that I have the chutney in the fridge.

      Reply

  13. Believe it or not, I did grow up with chutneys. They’re very popular in the coastal south and came into our cuisine through the 1800’s shipping trade with the “Far East.” This one sounds invitingly delicious – love the bit of Dijon mustard included!

    Reply

    • Lana, I never knew of chutney’s popularity in the coastal south, though I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Glad you like this version.

      Reply

    • Jeannette – Thanks. It is such a perfect fall chutney – great condiment for lots of different meals, not just Indian food.

      Reply

    • Thanks Ashley – we just had some of this chutney the other night with cold sliced turkey breast and salad. It’s one of our favorite condiments.

      Reply

  16. Hi – I want to make this but am confused by the amount of apple cider vinegar.
    Is it 1/3 cup + 2 tbs?
    Do you add the 1/3 cup when you add the apples etc?

    Reply

    • PB, I am so sorry. I switched recipe plug-ins and the description got messed up – I just fixed it. You add 2 tablespoons of the apple cider vinegar to the pan after the onions are finished cooking, just to deglaze the pan. You add the rest of the vinegar after that, along with the apples, etc. Hope you enjoy the chutney.

      Reply

  18. Great recipe, thanks for sharing. I roasted the apples at the same time as I was roasting the onions, then put them together for the final cooking. That really made a difference, with Carmelites apples. Needed less sugar .

    Reply

  19. I made this to go with a smoked pork loin. It was a really yummy chutney, and I loved the tang of the ginger. I will be making this one again.

    Reply

  20. This chutney looks divine! Our family eats chutney with a Canadian tourtière. I typically serve pineapple chutney with it but this recipe would go great with the pork in the tourtière! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  21. I was looking for a different sort of chutney than plain apple, so will try this. However I usually store my chutneys for at least 3 months before I serve it, and I keep my preserves in a cupboard, not the fridge.
    What do you say to that?

    Reply

    • Please do try the chutney – my family and friends think it is delicious. Sure you can store preserves in the cupboard, but I didn’t go to the trouble of properly sterilizing and sealing the jars for preserving it that way. You must follow good food safety preserving practices or else store it refrigerated as I did:)

      Reply

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