Sweet and Spicy Grape Chutney
Spiced, sweet, and sour: get ready to serve this with everything.
Green, red, and black grapes, ginger, chile de arbol, lemon zest, sugar, and the traditional Bengali paanch phoron: nigella, cumin, black mustard, fennel, and fenugreek seeds.
It all starts by warming up some vegetable oil -- humble beginnings, indeed.
Keep the spices and ginger moving in the pan so they don't burn -- we toasted ours for about a minute. (Don't have nigella seeds? Substitute with more cumin, or try celery seeds.)
In go the grapes! Don't worry if you can't find black grapes -- just use more red ones.
Lemon zest, dependable as always, lifts the flavors together.
Lemon juice augments the grapes' natural tartness for a sweet-sour chutney.
Sugar balances out the savory spices and gives a thicker texture to the sauce.
And of course, where would we be without salt to bring everything into focus.
The chutney is ready to boil! What looks soupy now will reduce in just a few minutes.
A rolling boil is okay -- you're after caramelization and reduction here.
Remember that the sauce will set up a bit as it cools, so take it off the heat when it's just a little looser than you'd prefer.
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Author Notes: Growing up in India, fruit chutneys were almost always a regular part of our daily meals. We would have chutneys made with whatever fruit was in season - dates, mangoes, plums, tamarind, pineapple, tomatoes, gooseberry, olives, star fruits - all incredibly delicious and eagerly slurped up by us!
The key to the Bengali chutney is often the spice mix known as paanch (five) phoron (spice). Paanch phoron is made up of equal parts of nigella seeds, black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds. Paanch phoron is readily available at Indian grocery stores, and if you have some of the pre-made mix, then just add 1/2 teaspoon of it in this dish.
In the part of India that I come from (West Bengal), meals are still served in a course-by-course manner and the chutneys would be served right after the meat dish and just before dessert. It is usually served with papads/poppadoms and the sensation of biting into a salty and crunchy papad dipped in a sweet and tangy chutney is something that you just have to experience for yourself! Enjoy!
- Madhuja
Food52 Review: WHO: Madhuja lives in Colorado and hated cooking while growing up, but loves it now!
WHAT: A traditional Bengali fruit chutney with a medley of grapes and five spices.
HOW: After toasting the spices in oil, the grapes simmer in sugar and lemon zest until the chutney reaches your desired thickness.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Madhuja recommends serving the chutney with poppadoms, but we think it'd be just as good with roasted lamb! - A&M
Serves 4-6
- 1 cup sliced green seedless grapes
- 1 cup sliced red seedless grapes
- 1 cup sliced black seedless grapes
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 dried chile de arbol
- 1/8 teaspoon nigella seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup water
- In a non-stick sauce pan add the vegetable oil on medium heat. Add all the dry spices and the ginger and saute for about 1 minute. You don't want the spices to burn, so stir continuously.
- Add the grapes, one cup of water, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and salt. Raise the heat to medium-high and let it boil for 15-20 minutes. Gently stir every now and then. I like my chutneys to be quite thick, so I let it boil for the entire 20 minutes. If you like yours more liquid-y, then you can stop earlier. The chutney will also thicken as it cools.
- For an authentic Bengali experience, have the chutney with papads/poppadoms. Enjoy!
- Your Best Grapes Contest Finalist!
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6 months ago susan g
I made this with 2 cups of fresh cranberries and 1 cup of prunes for a Thanksgiving variation. I reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup and followed the recipe otherwise. It's delicious and the papads are going to be happy! (I'm glad to find another use for the paanch phoron -- it's such a pleasing taste.)
6 months ago Madhuja
Cranberries and prunes sound like a wonderful combination! I am so glad you liked it! :)
7 months ago PistachioDoughnut
Congrats Madhuja. The flavors sound amazing..
7 months ago Madhuja
Thank you so much!
7 months ago QueenSashy
Madhuja, I tried your chutney and loved it!!! Congrats - so well deserved!
7 months ago Madhuja
Thank you so much for trying it out! I am so happy you liked it!
7 months ago EmilyC
SO happy to see you as a finalist! I had a feeling about this one -- it looks really, really good. Congrats!
7 months ago Madhuja
Thank you, EmilyC! You are so very kind!
7 months ago sdebrango
Suzanne is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Congratulations on being chosen as a finalist, I knew this would be one. This is a fantastic recipe!
7 months ago Rivka
Hear, hear! I tested it and it is indeed wonderful. Congrats on being a finalist!
7 months ago Madhuja
Thank you so much, sdebrango! I am keeping my fingers crossed!
7 months ago Madhuja
Thank you so much for testing the recipe, Rivka! I am so glad you liked it!
8 months ago Madhuja
I completely forgot to add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the ingredients!! Sorry about that!
8 months ago Vivian Henoch
I'm betting this one comes up for a Community Pick or better. Seems to me it's the best of the lot here. Will give it a try.
8 months ago Madhuja
Thank you so much! Please let me know how it turned out! :)
8 months ago EmilyC
Oh -- love this! What a wonderful combination of flavors!
8 months ago Madhuja
Thank you so much!
8 months ago aargersi
Abbie is a trusted source on General Cooking.
This sounds amazing, I love chutneys - a grape one hadn't occured to me but now I have to try it! We have loads of grapes this weeknd :-)
8 months ago Madhuja
Thank you! Let me know how it turned out!
8 months ago AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Wonderful recipe! Just love it. ;o)
8 months ago Madhuja
Thank you so much!
8 months ago sdebrango
Suzanne is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Oh delicious, I really love chutney this sounds amazing,
8 months ago Madhuja
Thank you! I hope you give this one a try!