A condiment made with fruit and onions.
Since the early nineteenth century, the British have used chutney to enliven any part of a meal—excluding the conversation—that is bland or lacking in taste. The word chutney, like the spicy condiment itself, originated in India: the original Hindi word, chatni, meaning strong spices, may have derived from catna, an older Hindi word meaning to lick.
Chutney is a type of relish or pickle that originated in India. There are various types of chutneys available, but they generally consist of a mixture of fruits, particularly mangoes, vegetables, spices, acidic ingredients, and sugar. Homemade chutneys commonly include ingredients such as tomatoes, apples, gooseberries, raisins, plums, and zucchini.