There are so many varieties of nectarines these days that I try to sample a few new ones each summer! This time round it has been the year of these bright yellow-green mango nectarines and just as the name implies it has a little hint of mango flavor built in. I personally find the mango taste to be subtle and delicate but it is still very much present and hard to miss. The skin is slightly bitter but goes well against the juicy sweetness of the fruit.
On a sunny day in summer I like to fire up the grill on the terrace however not all summer days are bright and sunny and I still have the urge to grill so this weekend I decided to use my cast-iron grill pan indoors and get my fix.
Summer vacations in Mumbai/Bombay meant engaging in several different kinds of street foods. From frozen to hot, from sweet to spicy, the melange was pretty varied and delicious. I would practically spend each day waiting to try out something different and indulge my tastebuds. This sweet tamarind chaat chutney is one of my favorite staples that I practically make a few times every year. It’s bold tart, sweet and mildly spicy flavors make it simply perfect and I constantly incorporate it in different dishes at home.
Grilled mango nectarines drizzled with a little fresh lime juice and the dark brown tamarind chutney make such a refreshing and delicious meal. This dish can be served at the start of a meal as an appetizer or even as a small accompanying salad or as a light dessert to end a heavy meal. Either way you won’t be disappointed. The nectarines can be substituted with peaches and even apricots or any other fruit that can withstand grilling.
A couple of notes here, I always make a batch of the ground chaat spice mix and store it away for those moments when I crave the sweet tamarind chaat chutney. Though it requires the use of several different spices it is well worth the effort when you taste that explosion of flavors in your mouth. I think this chutney can be canned but I have never tried to. It has enough acidity and sugar, so it should work. The consistency of the chutney can be adjusted by adding more or less water, I like it slightly thick and consequently the thicker the sauce the more concentrated the taste, so I use less sauce while serving. Black salt is a popular Indian salt that is also called “kala namak“ which is dark brownish red in color and has a smoky flavor. If you can’t find this, then use regular sea salt but black salt does provide a unique taste to the chutney and it would be worth the effort to find it at an Indian grocery store or at Amazon.
sweet tamarind chaat chutney
yields: approximately 2-2 1/2 cups
ingredients
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds,
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
6 black peppercorns
4 cloves
seeds from 3 green cardmom pods
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon amchur or dry raw mango powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
2 cups water
1 cup jaggery, crushed or raw brown sugar
1 teaspoon black salt, ground
1. Heat a skillet on a hight flame and toast the cumin, coriander, black peppercorns, cloves and cardamom for 1 minute until they just begin to smoke but not burn. Immediately transfer the spices to a coffee or spice grinder along with the chili, amchur, cinnamon, and ginger and grind them to a fine powder. Store the chaat spice mix in an airtight container until needed, it will keep fresh for up to six months.
2. In a thick bottomed saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of the ground chaat spice mix, the tamarind paste, water, jaggery, and salt. Bring the contents to a boil on a high flame and immediately reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for another 5 minutes with constant stirring. Adjust the amount of salt if necessary. This sauce can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for a month.
grilled mango nectarine chaat
yields: 6 servings
ingredients
12 mango nectarines, firm and ripe
2 tablespoons canola oil, or any other neutral oil
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, fresh and coarsely chopped
1 lime, fresh
1. Wash and dry each nectarine, slice each of the fruit in half and remove the stone. Reserve one tablespoon of the oil and use the rest to lightly brush each nectarine (you do not need to brush the nectarines with all the oil, just a little to prevent the from sticking). Keep aside.
2. Brush a cast-iron grill pan with the reserved oil and then heat it on a high flame until it begins to smoke. Place the exposed cut ends of the fruit facing downwards on the hot grill surface and allow them to sear for 3- 4 minutes. Remove immediately and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with the fresh cilantro and squeeze the juice of the lime over the nectarines. Drizzle with a little or as much as you want of the tamarind chaat chutney before serving.
70 Responses
This looks delicious – I adore tamarind chutney. Thank you for the recipe, I have had my eye out for one for a while!
A divine summer dessert! Gorgeous clicks.
Cheers,
Rosa
I just love chaat, this one is easy and so doable on a lazy summer afternoon. Great photography!
did a peach sorbet and had to give you the credit, for giving me the idea …
Beautiful photos! This is a great late summer dessert.
Did you use any filter or grey card (or tricks)when taking photos? I love those smoky moody photos…
oh my fruit chaats are the best. I have never grilled my fruits but im drooling at it. I m in love with your photography
A neat and simple treat. I agree, tamarind chutney comes in so handy. Nik your second picture belongs on a book cover, stunning. I've been trying to get the moody pics too, could you please give us some tips on that.
I need to look for mango nectarines here – wow! What an amazing taste combo – a feast for the tastebuds!!! This pairing of mango nectarines with tamarind chutney! Oh My!!!
Great post!
Shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com
Jeez Nik, you come up with the most creative recipes and your pictures are phenomenal. YOur girlfriend/wife must be thrilled. 🙂
you had me at chaat! How innovative of you to make a fruit version. I have a million memories of eating chaat in Bombay as well.How I miss that!
Nik: How flavorful this chaat chutney is…All the spices and jaggery make this chutney perfect to flavor these grilled fruits as well as pancakes. I'd love to try it.
I adore imli chutney and like you, like to keep some handy in the fridge for snack attacks. This is a perfect snack, nothing better than chaat…yum and with fruit so you don't feel guilty after. Love it! I have some imli chutney in my fridge so I am going to try this on some fresh Colorado peaches. Thanks!
Nazneen
What a lovely summer recipe. Love nectarines, and adding Indian flavors to them sounds very delicious!
I grilled peaches over the weekend…so yummy! Love the idea of topping grilled fruit with chutney!
Awesome dessert!
This looks superb Nik! Love the flavor combination of your chutney. Delicious!
Very innovative twist the usual chaat! Love the new look BTW.
I swear, you have the most creative recipes of any food blogger I know! This, per usual, looks absolutely amazing. You're making my mouth water!
I don't think I've ever had a mango nectarine – sounds delish. And this whole recipe sounds out of this world – what totally wonderful flavor. Such an excellent post – thanks.
So easy, elegant and delicious! Absolutely lovely recipe and photos, Nik!
Divine! Love the styling, Nik. And what can I say about summer's bounty? Time is flying and I'm yet to taste cherries and nectarines. Sigh 😀
looks so hearty and delicious. my kind of meal. yum!
Hi Sarah, it's a really easy chutney to prepare even though the number of spices on the ingredient list seem a bit daunting. Still, I think it's worth every bit just because the taste is so unique and delicious!
Thank you, friend!
Thanks Simi. Chaat reminds me of summer days off from school. Your sorbet looks pretty delicious!
I am glad you liked that photograph, I was really hesitant on using it.
Thank you so much, Shashi! I am sure you will enjoy it.
Archana, I miss the evenings during summer holidays when we'd wait for the street vendors to roll up with their chaat carts!
I am glad you liked them, Angie!
Thank you so much, Dixya! You are always so sweet.
Haha, thanks Honey!
Thank you Denis, the chutney over pancakes sounds really good and I am going to have give your suggestion a try!
It is one of my favorite chutneys! I hope you like it.
Thank you, Julia! I hope you get to try it out sometime.
That sounds delicious, Liz!
Thanks, Asmita!
Thank you so much, Anne!
I am glad you like it, Shruti! Thanks.
Amy, you are too kind, I am really happy that you like my work. As you already know I adore your blog and recipes.
I think that they are a fascinating hybrid. I hope you get to try them sometime.
Thanks,Georgia!
Thanks so much!
Aww, thanks Kiran. I haven't had too many cherries this year, I am glad you reminded me which means I will be hunting for some this weekend.
That's a really beautiful, simple dessert. I love just looking at it. These pics should be in a magazine.
These sound great–I love nectarines, but have never grilled them!
What a simply delicious and clean looking dessert!
I haven't seen mango nectarines in Australia they sound delicious and combined with your beautiful tamarind chutney… what can I say simply divine. I have bookmarked this to try. Thanks for sharing!
I just adore what you've been doing with fruit lately…YUM!
First, your pictures are beautiful.. they are so bold and vivid!
Second, my mouth is watering by looking how great these look!
Gorgeous photography, Nik! Luscious is the word that immediately comes to mind with your grilled mango nectarines. Mmm. And, I bet you are right…your sweet tamarind chaat chutney probably could be canned! Enjoyed reading about your memories of the tasty food from street vendors in Mumbai/Bombay, too. Thanks ever so much for sharing. Will definitely be pinning!
What a lovely photo! Looks delicious!
Chaat just went gourmet my friend, what a brilliantly delicious idea 😀
Cheers
CCU
I love nectarines too and can't wait to see them when back in season. I have used them to make chutney and they're sensational. I would love to try your recipe. Your images are gorgeous xx
Thank you so much Monica for the kind words. I wasn't sure initially if I should categorize this as a dessert or side or appetizer, it seemed to fit so many different categories.
Grilled stone fruit are really tasty, I hope you get to try this.
Thanks, I am glad you liked it!
I am sure that you could try another type of nectarine or peach. I am glad you like the chutney!
Thanks Angela, I'm making up for the colder days ahead!
Aww, thanks Pamela!
Thank you so much, Stacy! I am tempted to try canning this chutney but I know it won't last too long in our house.
Thanks so much!
Thank you Guru, that is really sweet.
Ooh a nectarine chutney sounds fantastic, I will definitely have to try your recipe soon.
Love the photos. Nectarines are a special favourite.
I have spotted honeydew nectarines around here but no mango ones! such a cool variety!
Thank you, Suzanne!
Yeah Joanne, they are definitely an interesting and delicious type of nectarine.
I can almost taste it by looking at the recipe but I really want to taste them. Must be so wonderful with all the spice. You got the perfect grill mark! This will be nice bbq dish this weekend!
This is so beautiful!! I love that you used tamarind
Thank you Nami, you are so kind. I hope you got to make it.
Thank you, Kulsum!