Cranberry Chutney
This sweet, spicy, and tangy cranberry chutney may be a condiment, but it’s going to steal the spotlight at dinner time.
I know Cranberry Sauce is typically reserved for festive holiday meals, but that’s not the case for cranberry chutney, or at least, it shouldn’t be. You can serve a spoonful of this chutney alongside any Indian meal or use it in place of Tamarind Chutney when making chaat – it makes for a nice seasonal twist.
This chutney tastes great warm or cold. You can add some to warm brie and eat it with crackers, serve it on a Cheese Board, or add some to your morning toast.
“Oh my goodness, this recipe is to die for! I had fresh cranberries left over from Christmas due to a last minute change of plans and couldn’t figure out what to make of them. Being a superfood, I didn’t want them to go to waste either. I came across this recipe and not only was it so simple, it tastes heavenly. Thank you for yet another hit Ashley!”
Jeanette Y.
Cranberry Chutney Ingredients
- Whole Spices: fennel seeds, coriander seeds, methi seeds, black mustard seeds, kalonji
- Oil: use a neutral oil like avocado oil.
- Cranberries
- Sugar
- Ground Spices: roasted cumin powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne
“I tried this recipe the other day and wow! Oh Ashley, thank you for this it’s a real keeper. Not just for holidays but anytime.”
Cathy
Instant Pot or Stovetop
You can make cranberry chutney in an instant pot or on the stovetop. The only real difference between these two methods is that with the stovetop, you’ll have to keep an eye on the pot (be prepared to jump a little every time you hear a cranberry pop, lol), whereas with an instant pot, you can mix everything together and walk away.
A note about making this on the stovetop: it may seem like the amount of water isn’t enough but resist adding more as the cranberries will release their own liquid. That said, if you can’t take the stress of waiting for the juices to release into the saucepan (the IP has spoiled me, I now consider it stressful to watch a pot on the stove), an additional ÂĽ cup of water isn’t going to hurt.
Make and enjoy this chutney often while cranberries are still in season!
Tips for Making Cranberry Chutney
- I’ve tried this chutney by finely grinding the whole spices as well as using a coarser grind and I prefer the fine grind.
- Roasted cumin tastes completely different from regular ground cumin, please do not substitute.
- You can halve this recipe if you’d like – just halve the ingredients but keep the cook time the same.
Cranberry Chutney (Instant Pot and Stovetop)
Cranberry Chutney (Instant Pot and Stovetop)
Ingredients
Whole Spices
- 3 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds methi seeds
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- ÂĽ teaspoon kalonji (nigella seeds) onion seeds
Â
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 24 ounces fresh cranberries rinsed
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- Âľ cup water
- 2 teaspoons roasted cumin powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Add the whole spices to a spice grinder and grind. Set aside for now.
- Press sautĂ©, add oil and once it’s hot, add the freshly ground spices and stir for 1 minute.Â
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and mix well.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve, and cook for 1 minute at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid, and mix well.
- Turn off the instant pot and let the sauce cool down in the pot.
- Once the sauce cools completely, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for a couple of months.
Stovetop
- Add the whole spices to a spice grinder and grind. Set aside for now.
- Add oil to a large pot over medium-high heat, and once it’s hot, add the freshly ground spices and stir for 1 minute.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pot and mix well. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until nearly all of the cranberries have popped.
- Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool down. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Once the sauce cools completely, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for a couple of months.
Notes
- I think the amount of sugar is perfect, however, you can always use less to start and stir in more if needed once it’s done.
- I’ve tried this chutney by finely grinding the whole spices as well as using a coarser grind and I prefer the fine grind.
- Roasted cumin tastes completely different from regular ground cumin, please do not substitute.
- You can halve this recipe if you’d like – just halve the ingredients but keep the cook time the same.
Susan Singh-Golden says
We usually don’t like cranberry sauce with our Thanksgiving dinner but this cranberry masala was enjoyed by my extended Indian-American Family. Thanks Ashley!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
That’s awesome! So glad to hear that!
Terry Balian says
Hi Ashley,
Have you or anyone tried making this recipe or other sweet potato halwa with anything other than white sugar? Maple syrup for example.
RG says
This chutney was amazing! I made it for Thanksgiving and Christmas last year, a huge hit. I used turbinado sugar. Thank you Ashley! I plan to try the cranberry achar this year.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 Let me know what you think of the achar if you give it a try!
Sharon says
This was easy to make and SO delicious!!! I just finished a plate of Mexican tamales and beans with a generous dollop of Cranberry Chutney and it was fabulous. Such a versatile sauce.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Sharon, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how much you like this chutney 🙂
Robert says
Hi Ashley,
How many ounces of chutney does the recipe yield? Also, I’d imagine I can can it in canning jars.
Navya Shetty says
Hi Ashley,
In this recipe should i use pepper powder or whole peppercorns
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Navya, you can use ground black pepper for this recipe 🙂 Let me know what you think!
Navya Shetty says
Hi Ashley,
I made this today though it tastes slightly bitter. Is it supposed to taste like that?i put 1 teaspoon methi seeds as specified in reciepe. should i put anything in it to make it less bitter..may be something sour?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Navya, did you add the amount of sugar listed? Also, did you try it after chilling it for some time in the fridge? Let me know!
Ravi says
I just made this cranberry chutney, it was so yummy, not bitter at all. Did you figure out what caused that?
Preeti says
Hello Ashley
Can you please post the yield in cups on this recipe?
Thanks
Suzanne says
I make this with the cranberries and a can of unsweetened pineapple or a bag of organic, frozen, unsweetened pineapple. It would work even with all of the spices.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Ooh yum, that sounds delicious.
Rashmi Chugh says
This was my first time making cranberry chutney .. OMG … it’s sooo delicious and easy to make . Thanks for sharing all wonderful recipes.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Rashmi, that’s awesome! Happy to hear that you like this chutney so much 🙂
Jeanette Y says
Oh my goodness, this recipe is to die for! I had fresh cranberries left CNN over from Christmas due to a last minute change of plans and couldn’t figure out what to make of them. Being a superfood, I didn’t want them to go to waste either. I came across this recipe and not only was it so simple, it tastes heavenly. Thank you for yet another hit Ashley!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Jeanette! I’m so glad you made the chutney and liked it so much! 🙂
Tasha says
I made this recipe with 1 cup of sugar and didn’t have the cayenne so used red chilli powder. My family likes a bit of spice so I upped the chilli powder to a 1 tsp and it turned out perfect! Had a bit of sweetness with a kick at the end of the bite. Was a perfect accompaniment for the masala turkey which we also made.
My Heart Beets says
Tasha, that’s awesome! Love that you made this with the masala turkey 🙂
Cathy says
I tried this recipe the other day and wow! Oh Ashley, thank you for this it’s a real keeper. Not just for holidays but anytime. I started with 1cup of sugar but at the end found it did need more sweetness so added about 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Just excellent.
My Heart Beets says
Cathy, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for the review 🙂
Anita Khokar says
Can I use dried cranberries for this recipe?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Anita, I’ve only made this with fresh cranberries so I’m not sure, but I doubt the consistency would turn out the same. If you experiment, let us know how it goes!