Pumpkin Chutney with Chili and Cinnamon
Salt the pumpkin the night before and don’t skip it — the salt pulls out water so the finished chutney sets up thick and jammy instead of runny. That single overnight step does more for the texture than anything you do at the stove.
Chutney is a thick sweet-and-sour condiment, simmered down until it spreads like jam. It’s Indian in origin — served in little dishes alongside rice and tandoor flatbreads — but the pumpkin, apple, and green-tomato versions are British inventions from the 1600s, when English cooks adapted the idea to their own larders. This one leans on the contrast of sweet autumn squash, hot chili, and warm cinnamon.
For the vinegar, either white wine or apple cider works; cider gives a gentler tang that flatters pumpkin. You’ll simmer it uncovered for about 40 minutes over the lowest heat. To sterilize jars without a canner, microwave a dry jar for 1 to 2 minutes — just check there’s no metallic trim on the glass first.
Serve it warm or cold with fish, poultry, cheese, rice, or plain cutlets; sealed in jars, it keeps in the fridge for several months.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Cut the pumpkin into large cubes, place in a bowl, salt so the salt is evenly distributed, and leave overnight. Then rinse under a stream of cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.
Remove the seeds from the chili and finely chop the pod. Finely grate the peeled ginger. Peel the lemon and oranges and cut the flesh into membrane-free segments.
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, combine the pumpkin, citrus, and the rest of the ingredients. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium heat. Then reduce the heat to its lowest setting and let simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
Remove the chutney from the heat, cool, and take out the cinnamon stick. If you like, blend everything with an immersion blender. Serve right away or spoon into sterilized jars with airtight lids. The chutney keeps in the refrigerator for several months.
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