1lb / 500gFresh Tomatoes,finely diced (here I use Vine-Ripened)
7oz / 200gRed Onion,finely diced
1/2 cup / 100gLight Brown Sugar
1/4 cup / 60mlRed Wine Vinegar
1tbspBalsamic Vinegar
1Red Chilli,deseeded & finely diced (optional)
1clove ofGarlic,minced/finely diced
dash ofOlive Oil
Salt & Black Pepper,to taste
Instructions
Add onion, chilli and garlic to a large pan over medium heat with a dash of olive oil. Gently fry until they begin to soften. Don't allow them to char.
Add in tomatoes, sugar, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Give it all a good stir.
For a quick chutney just place it on a rapid simmer and stir until it reduces down. This should take around 20mins. Whilst it's quick, the texture won't be as thick/glossy and the flavours won't be quite as developed, but it still does the trick. Or, keep on a low simmer for 1-1.5 hours, stirring occasionally until the chutney reduced to a jammy consistency. Check for flavour preference (see notes).
Allow to cool then serve or store (see notes).
Quick Demo
Notes
a) Storage - I usually only keep this on hand in the short term, so tightly sealed in the fridge for 4-5days (longer at your discretion) will be fine. You can preserve long term, but you'll have to sterilize the jars. Here is a great article on how to sterilize jars for chutney.b) Usage - This is obviously fantastic in sandwiches, but also works great in a grilled cheese and in burgers. It's perfect on a cheese board and even great stirred though a tomato pasta sauce!c) Flavour Preference - Chutneys are a balance of sweet and sour, one of which is often down to personal preference. This offers a slightly sweeter chutney. You can taste test and adjust slightly as needed. Just note the flavours will be different once the chutney has fully reduced and the flavours have married together.d) Quick versus long simmer - A longer simmer will give you a more authentic texture and slightly more developed flavour. If you're doing the quick version it's crucial to very finely dice the tomatoes/onions/chilli otherwise they won't have enough time to completely soften before the liquid thickens. Also important to fry & soften the onions/garlic/chilli or again, they won't have enough time to fully soften.e) Calories - Based on the whole recipe shared between 8 people.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.