Make Ahead

Loquat-Onion Chutney

by:
April  7, 2011
3.8
4 Ratings
Loquat-Onion Chutney
  • Makes 1¼ cups
Author Notes

Oops! Loquats are totally a fruit and this contest is for best spring vegetable recipes! Ignore! I've asked Food 52 to un-submit it for me.

So I submitted this recipe along with my samosas for "your best dumplings." But it's so darn good I thought it deserved it's own entry as well. Not for any contest, just because.

As I said in the samosa post, being from the American Northeast I had never seen loquats until moving to Israel. But it’s the season and they’ve popped up everywhere in abundance. They are delicious, slightly tangy little morsels that taste like some sort of incredible apricot-lychee hybrid.

I needed something to do with the big container I’d purchased, and since mango chutney is one of my favorite parts of eating samosas I thought this would be the perfect application. And it was! Seriously, it’s really good chutney. Vinegary with a spicy-sweet element, you’ll want to put this on everything. Luckily, the recipe makes extra. If loquats aren’t available where you are, I think apricots or mangoes would also work well here. This would be great as a dip, served with roast chicken, or as an accompaniment for almost any Indian dish. —kmartinelli

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • ½ teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 10 loquats, peeled, pitted, and roughly chopped
  • ½ large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 small red chili, thinly sliced (add more or less depending on preference)
  • ½ cups apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • Salt
Directions
  1. Heat the oil in a small pot and add the cumin, mustard seeds, and curry powder. Toast, stirring often, 1 minute, or until the mustard seeds start to pop.
  2. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender. Add the loquats and bring to a simmer. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, chili, ginger and salt and simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes, or until liquid is mostly absorbed and mixture is syrupy.
  3. Allow to cool and refrigerate until ready to use.
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  • Anna Campbell
    Anna Campbell
  • kmartinelli
    kmartinelli
  • ZiggyPiecrust
    ZiggyPiecrust
  • Rosemary Epis
    Rosemary Epis
kmartinelli
A native New Yorker, I recently moved to Be'er Sheva, Israel with my husband while he completes medical school. I am a freelance food and travel writer and photographer who is always hungry and reads cookbooks in bed.

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4 Reviews

Anna C.
Anna C. April 6, 2015
I made this to go over blackened swordfish with avocado mango quinoa. Very good
 
kmartinelli
kmartinelli May 8, 2011
First of all, Ziggy Piecrust, I love love love your name (big Bowie fan myself). Secondly, thank you so much! I am so thrilled to hear that it turned out well. How lucky that you have a loquat tree! A friend of mine also makes a delicious sounding loquat mimosa using loquat puree. What a beautiful fruit!
 
Rosemary E.
Rosemary E. August 24, 2019
Hello Kmartinelli!
I made your recipe or one much like it when I last had a good crop on my big loquar tree. This year there has been another good crop, so I am about to make more. I love it and it is very popular with my friends. It is delicious and versatile and everything the rave reviews claim. Thanks for sharing. I hope you are enjoying Israel! Rosemary
 
ZiggyPiecrust
ZiggyPiecrust May 8, 2011
I came across this recipe just before Easter. We have a huge loquat tree in our side yard and I've never once seen a recipe that called for them. We immediately harvested the last of our loquats and whipped up this delicious chutney and LOVED it. It was fantastic on crackers with Manchego, and with eggs. I just wish I'd found it sooner - when the loquats come into season again next year - I'll be making enough to last for months. Thank You @kmartinelli