Sweet, slightly tangy, with a hint of chili. Made with dried fruits, onions and vinegar, this South African chutney pairs perfectly with cheese, cold meats or even as seasoning to a stew.
Recipe
Makes: ~2 cups | Time: 1h + overnight soak
Ingredients
Overnight soak
- 250g dried apricots
- 115g sultanas or raisins
- 175ml (3/4 cup) sherry vinegar (Jerez)
Remaining ingredients
- 225g onions / 3 medium onions, finely diced
- 125g (1/2 cup) sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 225ml (1cup) water
Method
- Soak the apricots and sultanas (or raisins) in the sherry vinegar overnight in the fridge (picture 1).
- The next day, place the soaked fruits and vinegar in a food processor and blend until roughly chopped (picture 2). If you do not have a food processor, finely chop the fruits.
- Place the mixture in a large saucepan (picture 2).
- Finely chop the onion.
- Add onion, sugar, salt, chili flakes and water to the pan (picture 3).
- Mix well and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover. Cook for about 45min, stirring every 15min to avoid any burning.
- After 45min check your chutney, if you want a smoother mixture you can give it a few more pulses in the food processor. The final mix should be thick and syrupy, a bit looser than your ideal consistency as it will thicken when cooling.
- Cool and pour into sterilised jars. Store in the fridge.
Substitutions
I suggest here some possible substitutions to adapt the chutney to your preferences and ingredients available to you.
| Recipe components | Possible substitutions* |
| Dried apricots | • Dried peaches |
| Sultanas | • Raisins |
| Sherry vinegar (Jerez) | • Rice vinegar • Apple cider vinegar |
Country
South Africa
South Africa
The Global Homecook 