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Food & Nutrition

The Best Chutneys to Buy for Every Purpose

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January 24, 2025

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My fridge is quickly approaching condiment critical capacity. Over the past few years there have been trend waves of hot sauces, chile crisps, specialty mayonnaises, and more, with most winding up languishing in the back of my shelf after one or two tries.

I never have that problem with chutney, a style of condiment I believe to be one of the most versatile things you can have in your fridge. Yes, I cook and eat a lot of Indian food. But even if you don’t, there is a style of chutney to fit your lifestyle. “Chutney” is sort of a catchall term for a variety of achaars, relishes, and sauces, sometimes pickled and sometimes fresh. And outside of South Asia, there are products like apple chutneys and Major Grey’s Chutney, which are more like heavily spiced fruit jams, a result of British occupiers in India attempting to make chutneys with produce more readily available in England.

The diversity of chutney works to your advantage. There are chutneys that work well on grilled cheeses and charcuterie plates, chutneys to eat on eggs, to use as marinades for meat, and to swirl into yogurt dips or salad dressings. There are chutneys to put on ice cream, and those to just mix with rice when you have no clue what else to do for dinner. Here are my favorites.

The best mango chutneys

Patak’s Major Grey Chutney

Prices taken at time of publishing.

A classic Major Grey option, this smooth mango jam is heavy on the ginger and lighter on the red chile. Use it on toast or cookies, wherever you might use an orange marmalade, or just as another dipping sauce with any Indian meal. It’s also sweet enough to swirl into vanilla ice cream.

Brooklyn Delhi Mango Chutney

Prices taken at time of publishing.

This is a Major Grey’s style of chutney, but its consistency is more similar to fruit butter than jam. It’s a great accompaniment to a cheddar cheese toast, especially if the toast is roti. It also melts into butter and other sauces. Brooklyn Delhi makes a spicy version, made with Burlap and Barrel’s Kashmiri chile, if you need more heat.

Geeta’s Premium Mango Chutney

Prices taken at time of publishing.

This is a thick jam with chunks of mango and whole spices and garlic cloves, making it more of a dish in itself rather than a condiment. Eat it with bread or mixed into yogurt.

Essie Spice Mango Chili Medley

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Essie Spice lists onion as the first ingredient in this chutney, with mango providing more of a vague background sweetness to offset Jamaican Scotch bonnet peppers. This would be great as a dip on its own, or on grilled meats.

The best tamarind chutneys

Swad Tamarind and Dates Chutney

Prices taken at time of publishing.

This tastes most classically of the chutney you’d get in an Indian restaurant with your samosas. It’s tamarind-forward, with a sweet tanginess and a light heat coming in on the back end. It works well with any chaat or fried snack, but would also do well on a cheese plate, or in dressings or sauces for a little bite.

Brooklyn Delhi Date Tamarind Chutney

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Open the jar and you’ll immediately smell earthy coriander. This is a more spice-forward, almost savory interpretation of date and tamarind chutney. As such, it works particularly well on burgers or on a charcuterie board, or even swirled into yogurt as a rich, spicy dip.

Essie Spice Tamarind Oh!

Prices taken at time of publishing.

The main ingredient in this chutney is guava pulp, making it sweeter than other versions of tamarind chutney. Essie Spice says it should be used as both a condiment and a marinade, and its thinner consistency makes it a good substitute for anywhere you’d use barbecue sauce. This would be a welcome glaze for ribs or hearty vegetables.

The best green chutneys

Swad Coriander Chutney

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Not for the cilantro-averse, this blend of cilantro leaves with garlic, sugar, vinegar, and green chile has a bright, herbal flavor. It’s traditionally served with chaat and fried food because it cuts through the richness, so it’d work well anywhere else you need that kind of green freshness — on tacos, in a creamy dip, or in place of chimichurri on grilled meats. Swad also makes mint and green chile flavors, depending on what version of green you prefer.

Peepal People Mango Jalapeño Hot Sauce

Prices taken at time of publishing.

This Pakistani American brand calls its chutneys hot sauces, but the spirit is the same. Their chunky mango jalapeño sauce is a mix of fermented peppers and amchur powder, making it a good accompaniment for Mexican food as well as South Asian. Or shake some up with a margarita if you prefer to drink your spice.

The best wild card chutneys

Brooklyn Delhi Roasted Garlic Achaar

Prices taken at time of publishing.

A newcomer so popular that Trader Joe’s tried to steal it, this achaar features whole roasted garlic cloves swimming in a spicy, vinegary sauce. It’s great as a sandwich spread or mixed with butter for a kickier garlic bread. Or just serve it on the side of any curry with roti — you’ll want to eat it on its own.

Swad Tomato Chutney

Prices taken at time of publishing.

This fresh, slightly watery chutney is full of chunks of tomato and onion and packs some zingy heat. It’d make a good substitute for sauced onions on the hot dog condiment bar, or stirred into mashed avocado for an ersatz guacamole.

Brooklyn Delhi Tomato Achaar

Prices taken at time of publishing.

There’s more of an umami, roasted tomato flavor here, with visible black mustard seeds and rounder spices. It’s a great accompaniment to eggs, and its thicker consistency works well on sandwiches. Anywhere you’d use ketchup, you can up the game with this.

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