This is not only a delicious recipe for a flavourful, sweet & spicy Homemade Easy Mango Chutney – but also a brilliant and super easy appetizer idea to WOW your guests! I combined mango chutney with just a small amount of tangy goat cheese to create bite sized Mango Chutney appetizers with Goat cheese and Papadums – that look elegant and taste out-of-this-world-amazing!
In a previous post, I talked briefly about the preponderance of mango trees in Sri Lanka and how much of my childhood that I spent there was entwined with this fruit. The mango tree even has great significance in Sri Lankan culture, because legend has it that, Sri Lanka accepted and embraced the religion of Buddhism for the first time over two thousand years ago, following a symbolic conversation about mango trees (!), between the King that ruled the island at the time and a Buddhist missionary from India. Mango is one of the most cultivated fruits in the tropics, probably because it grows like a weed in that part of the world. And suffice it to say that I’ve always been obsessed with mangoes!
When I was a kid, I used to eat mangoes like apples, with the skin on. Mind you these were mangoes from trees that grew in our garden, so no pesticides etc. etc. An amusingly large portion of my childhood evenings were spent staring at baby mangoes that were ripening on trees and trying to make sure that I got to them first, before the birds and squirrels did. Sadly, the birds and the squirrels won way more often than I cared for. Occasionally, someone (an adult) would climb the trees and tie grocery bags around bunches of baby mangoes to preserve them from all the “uninvited guests” (which included the birds, the squirrels and the rowdy boys from the neighbourhood) and when the mangoes were finally ready, I would approach the tree with a make-shift hook (usually a wire hanger) tied to a broomstick and pull the mangoes down from the tree. It was usually a two person job, I pulled the mangoes free from the tree and my little sister dashed around and collected them into a bag. And how much of my haul I shared with my sister, depended on her effort.
As much as I loved eating mangoes as a kid, one way in which I did not want to eat it was in a chutney! I never quite understood why the adults obsessed about eating this perfectly sweet, delightfully juicy fruit – cooked with vinegar and spices. It just seemed like a waste. I mean I loved eating mango pickle, which was raw mangoes mixed with red chili, pepper, sugar and vinegar. But never chutney. I never even tried it when I was young. And if I could, I’d go back in time and smack my younger self upside her head and tell her to stop being silly and eat it, damn it. I cannot believe that I missed so many years of enjoying this simple yet wonderful creation that is mango chutney.
I still prefer homemade chutney over any other kind, though. Staying true to the classic chutney was not something I could do here however, simply because I couldn’t remember the classic chutney. So I went ahead and made my own version.
OK, so here’s a little knowledge bomb.
Did you know what makes goat cheese much more tangy compared to cheese made with cow milk? It’s the higher amount of medium-chain fatty acids like capric acid, found in goat milk (more than twice that of cow milk). In fact these fatty acids are named after the Latin word for goat – Capra. However the overall fat content in goat milk is less than that of cow milk which also makes goat milk more digestible for humans.
When combined, the tangy (sour) and creamy notes of goat cheese help the fruity sweetness of mangoes really pop and shine. That creaminess also complements the slight heat of mango chutney really well and that’s why this goat cheese – mango chutney combo in this recipe works brilliantly!
If you’re considering a cheese substitution, I would suggest Gorgonzola which would still keep that sour-sweet flavour combo going. Personally however, I prefer goat cheese. 🙂
I served this beautiful pairing with papadum (on papadum to be more precise) as a fantastic appetizer! Papadums are a super thin, crisp, cracker-like snack that’s quite popular in South Asia. However they can get soggy really quickly from the moisture of the chutney, so remember to assemble the appetizer just before you serve. Or, even better, you can just serve the papadum on the side, so people can help themselves to it. I cut out little rounds of papadums as you can see below (and kept the scraps for a meal for us on a later date).
My favourite substitution for papadum in this recipe would be water crackers! Imagine a crisp, slightly salted water cracker topped with goat cheese and sweet & spicy mango chutney?? Can I get a YES PLEASE? 🙂
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Ingredients:
Mango Chutney
- 13 oz / 370 g sweet mango flesh about 2 large mangoes
- 3 oz of chopped yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cm piece of ginger grated (or minced finely)
- 1 ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- 2 tsp spicy brown mustard
- 1 tsp of chili powder less if you prefer it to be less spicy
- Pinch of turmeric
- 4 tbsp white sugar
- 5 tbsp white vinegar
- ¼ cup water
Mango Chutney & Goat Cheese Easy Appetizer
- 2 inch papadum rounds or water crackers as many as you like
- Goat cheese
Instructions:
- In a dry non-stick pan, place the mustard seeds and heat them on medium-high heat, while gently shaking the pan to move the mustard seeds around.
- When the mustard seeds start to pop, remove from the heat and transfer to a saucepan.
- In the same saucepan, add the oil, onions, ginger and garlic and heat these together on medium heat for a couple of minutes till the onions soften (but make sure not to burn the ginger and garlic).
- Add the mango, spicy brown mustard, chili powder, turmeric, sugar, water and vinegar.
- Stir gently to mix all the ingredients together and bring the liquid to a boil (be careful not to let the bottom burn), and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the liquid has thickened, the mangoes have softened and have just started to break down.
- Place the hot chutney in a clean glass bottle and let it cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge. It has lasted about a week in the fridge in our house.
Mango Chutney & Goat Cheese Appetizer
- If you're using papadums, heat about an inch of oil in a small pan and fry the papadums till they puff up and have cooked. Keep in an air tight container till ready to use.
- Top the water crackers/papadums with a dollop of goat cheese and some mango chutney. Serve immediately.
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
So how do you feel about a mango chutney – goat cheese pairing? We loved it! And even loved eating it with rice and curry. It would go exceptionally well with this Sri Lankan Black Pork Curry (or any spicy curry for that matter). Again, the pork curry is a little sour and the sweetness of the mango chutney will cut through it. Plus pork pairs REALLY well with fruit flavours anyway (pork and apple – classic combo!).
I used this mango chutney for another fantastic recipe as well, which will make an appearance on the blog soon! So don’t forget to subscribe…. blah blah blah, you know how it goes. 🙂 Plus another reminder that I’ll be co-hosting a fantastic link up party this week on Saturday, find out more about it here.
You can find me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST and GOOGLE-PLUS too! I share pictures of recipes to come on the blog plus other awesome recipes I find out there that I want to try. Plus all kinds of “tidbits” on cooking, different types of cuisine and… flavours of course! 🙂
Heather says
Is this a recipe that can be canned with steam canning? I know you’re supposed to look for things with high acid content like fruits and vinegars, I just dont know if this has enough vinegar. I’m making this for a work Christmas party, but I want to send excess to some friends and family and I’m wondering if it’s safe . It sounds so delicious I want to share!
Dini says
Hi Heather!
Unfortunately I am not familiar with canning, so I am unable to answer your question. I would recommend checking with a canning website to find out how you adapt recipes to make it safe for canning. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
Alix @A Hedgehog in the Kitchen says
WOW! These look incredibly delicious! I absolutely LOVE papadums and will definitely be giving these a try! My husband and I cook (and blog about it!) together and we recently made naan and lassi. We can’t get enough of all Indian and Indian inspired recipes at the moment. Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe!
Emme says
Hi Dini! I’ve been obsessed with mangos since I lived in Malaysia. They don’t taste the same here in the US, unfortunately, but I eat them anyway and remember….I will have to try this recipe! Be well, Emme.
Lisa says
Looks fantastic! But what are the red curlicues pictured in the mango chutney?
Dini says
Thank you so much Lisa! 🙂 The red curly bits are actually thinly sliced dried red chili peppers (it’s easier to use your herb scissors). You can get them at any asian store, or some supermarkets too.
Winnie says
I’ve never eaten such an appetizers, and my mouth is watering at the moment! These look soooooooooooo GOOD !!
Kennedy Cole| KCole's Creative Corner says
I seriously need to make this mango chutney really soon 😉 That sweet mango and creamy goat cheese pair PERFECTLY together! Beautiful pics, too! Thanks for sharing! 😀
Angie says
Yum! I love papadums and mangoes, yet never mix the two together. Now you’re making me crave them 😀 Exciting about the brandnew link party, btw. I linked my red, white, and blue scones. More fun and more friends, yay! 😀
Dini says
I LOVED the Scones Angie!! 😀 Im so excited for another Fiesta Friday and so happy you joined us for SaucySaturday too!! 🙂 The more parties the better right??
Julie is HostessAtHeart says
I just love the information that you are including in your posts. This one on goat cheese. I didn’t immediately love goat cheese, but sure do now, and your chutney would be amazing with the goat cheese. I love that you have the sweet, spicy and sour flavor profiles in this dish! I can see this chutney on a nice piece of fish too!
Josette says
You were one lucky kid, Dini!! Eating freshly picked mangoes off of a tree- with the skin on!?!? Amazing! Mangoes are a favorite in my house as well. Your chutney sounds delicious and your presentation and photos are beautiful! Yum.
Madiha Nawaz says
Looks amazing!
Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook says
I might try mango with skin now. 😀 This looks amazing, Dini. xx
Razena says
This mango chutney sounds divine. I am going to find myself a few mangoes and make up a batch soon, in shaa ALLAH.
Ariel says
This would be an awesome appetizer for this weekend’s parties during the holiday! 🙂 Mango has the absolute best flavor so turning it into a chutney would be fantastic! Thanks for sharing this post!
swayam says
This is all kinds of yum Dini!! I have a big box of home grown mangoes sitting at home..should put that to good use and make this 🙂
Byron Thomas says
Looks delicious!
Brian Jones says
Now this sounds right up my street, gonna have to try and hunt me down a Mango from somewhere!
Dini says
Thank you Brian! 🙂 I hope you do get to try it!
Diane says
You can! Yes please! This is a very pretty and enticing dish! I found it at the #foodiefriDIY party. Nice to meet you!
Dini says
Thank you Diane! 🙂 It’s so nice to meet you too! I’m heading over to check out your blog now 🙂
Priya says
the chutney looks so tempting!
olivia giovanni says
I’ve never had mango chutney before I should give this one a try!
Tamara says
Oh Dini! This is an amazing recipe, amazing photos, and I love the way you sequence the photos! I want to pick one off the screen and eat it! I love your recipes!
Dini says
Thank you so much Tamara! 😀 The combination of mango and goat cheese was more addictive than I thought! hahaha!!
Dawn @ Words Of Deliciousness says
This mango chutney sounds like it is full of flavor. Sounds and looks delicious.
Dini says
Thank you Dawn! 🙂
Whitney says
Omg. This is brilliant!!
Rachel @ Simple Seasonal says
This looks like a good chutney and pairing with goat cheese sounds like such a tasty appetizer. My hubby would be all over this!
Dini says
Thank you Rachel! My husband had this with rice and curry as well… but mostly because I ate most of the goat cheese papadum appetizers before he got home! :p
Hillary Reeves says
yumm!! These are so lovely!!