We also have our very own style of chutney. It is served with Bringhe and other curry dishes. The difference in the Indian style chutney is the mango itself and no other spices. With the Filipino chutney, manibalang (half ripe), carabao mangoes are used and only salt and sugar are added to it. I learned how to make this from our assistant cook, Helen Manao. Helen was a very diligent cook. She learned how to read and add from us. I would see her sweating it out trying to add up the market list and then I learned that she didn’t know how to read and do maths. Over the years, with lots of effort and sweat, she finally did learn and even became a business woman on her own right. She has gone to heaven and this recipe is in memory of her.

Ingredients:

  • 4 kilos yellow-green half-ripe (manibalang) carabao mangoes – dried strips must come up to 500 grams
  • 1 piece yellow (ripe) carabao mango – peel off skin with potato peeler and coarsely grate meat into a glass bowl or plate; set aside
  • 2 1/2 cups (500 grams) white sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 4 teaspoons sea salt coarse

Procedure:

  1. Peel off the skin from manibalang yellow-green mangoes with a potato peeler.
  2. Slice the mangoes with potato peeler too.
  3. Place the sliced mangoes in a glass or stainless steel bowl.
  4. Sprinkle the salt all over the mangoes and mix well.
  5. Leave in the salt for 2 hours, mixing occasionally.
  6. Drain salt water well from the mangoes and place in a bilao (native bamboo tray) or baking tray.
  7. Spread out evenly on bilao and sun dry. It may take a few hours to two days, depending on the sun’s heat to dry. It must not be too dry nor still soggy. The mango strips must still have some moisture left.
  8. In a medium sized stainless steel or fire-proof cooking sauce pan, over medium-low heat, place the grated ripe mango, water and sugar.
  9. Bring the mixture to a slow boil. About 5 minutes.
  10. Add the semi-dried yellow-green mango strips and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
  11. Turn down the flame to low simmer and stir constantly until the candy thermometer registers 200ºF (90ºC).
  12. Turn off fire and bottle immediately.
  13. Leave off cover till cool and then cap.
  14. Serve as an accompaniment to Bringhe or any curried dish.