Instant Pot Apple Chutney

Name: Instant Pot Apple Chutney
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 5 medium apples (I used Gravenstein apples, around 600 grams, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces, around 3.5 cups chopped apples); 1.5 tablespoons oil (22 ml, I used avocado oil); 1 inch cinnamon stick; 2 whole cloves; 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds; 1 medium white onion (95 grams, chopped); 1 inch ginger (12 grams, chopped); 3/4 teaspoon garam masala; 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder (or to taste); 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste); 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (80 ml); 1/4 cup brown sugar (50 grams); 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder (for color, optional, this chili powder is not hot)

By Manali Singh

5 from 3 votes

Sep 15, 2020, Updated Nov 15, 2022

Sweet, spicy and little tangy this Apple Chutney is versatile and good on so many things! It's easy to make in the Instant Pot and is also vegan.

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Use the apples in season to make this easy Apple Chutney!

This chutney is made in the Instant Pot and is a nice balance of tart, sweet and spicy flavors. Good as a side with a main dish or use it to dip crackers, nuts etc.

We went apple picking last weekend. It seemed like one of those activities which we could do safely do during these crazy times.

This farm was around 45 minutes from where I live, it had not only apples but grapes, berries (which were almost off season now), pears, plums and a lot more.

We only got some apples and grapes. The grapes turned out really tart – we missed the orientation and ended up picking up all the wrong grapes. Like, they were so tart that we just couldn’t eat them.

The apples on the other hand were nice. They were firm, little tart and little sweet. I think we picked the gravenstein apple (pardon my ignorance here with apple varieties) and I ended up using some to make this apple chutney!

I used my Instant Pot to make this apple chutney and it came together very quickly.

This Apple Chutney

✔is easy to make in the Instant Pot.

✔vegan, nut-free and gluten-free.

✔makes a great side for your main course.

✔also great on cheese board with crackers.

I have always loved making chutneys from fruits like this peach chutney or blueberry chutney. The sweet flavors of the fruit pairs really well with spices and sugar.

The result is always a flavorful chutney which is extremely versatile and can be used on so many thing. And this apple chutney is no exception!

Ever since I have made it, I have been using it on so many things. But most of all, I have been snacking on it. Just a bag of crackers and this chutney has been my evening snack this whole week.

This recipe uses a handful of ingredients, the star ingredient being apples of course.

Apples: for this recipe, I have used Gravenstein apples, at least that’s what I remember their name was from my apple picking.

I have to admit that I am still not very familiar with all the apple varieties that we find here. But do use an apple which is little tart and also little sweet for this recipe.

If you use Granny Smith apples, you may need to increase the amount of sugar in the recipe.

If you use apple like Honeycrisp, you may need to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. So, do have a look at your apple variety and adjust accordingly.

For this recipe, I cut the apples into small pieces, around 1/4 inch cubes.

Spices: a good chutney needs good spices. For this recipe, I have used cinnamon stick and cloves because well they go so well with apples.

And to give the chutney that spicy unique Indian flavor, I have used spices like whole fennel, cumin, mustard seeds and powdered spices like garam masala, red chili powder and kashmiri red chili powder (which is not hot, mostly used for color).

Brown sugar: is the sweetener of choice in this chutney. You may use regular white sugar too or jaggery will also work.

Vinegar: to balance the sweetness in the chutney and to give it that tart flavor, I have used apple cider vinegar here.

You can use white vinegar as well but apple cider is what works best here.

Other than these ingredients, the chutney also uses some ginger (because apples and ginger go so well together) and some onion.

You can adjust the amount of these spices according to taste and preference. Please remember that kashmiri red chili powder that I have used here is not hot, it’s for color. You can skip it.

Do not substitute regular chili powder for kashmiri red chili powder else the chutney will become very spicy.

Serving Suggestions

This apple chutney is quite versatile.

✔an Indian way to enjoy if of course with parathas and puris. My favorite combination is with plain paratha.

✔it will make a great addition to your cheese board.

✔serve with crackers and nuts.

✔you can also serve it as a side with roasted veggies like broccoli, mushrooms.

Storage

Let the chutney cool down completely and then store it in an airtight glass jar. I also use my mason jars to store this chutney.

It should last for couple of weeks in the refrigerator. I usually finish it before that.

This chutney should also freeze well. I have not tried freezing it, but it should freeze okay.

Let me know if you guys try it!

Tips & Notes

Making the same chutney with pear- if you want, you can make this chutney with pear too. I would just replace the apples with pears and follow the same steps.
Consistency of the chutney- I use diced apples which were super soft after pressure cooking. I did not mash them after they were pressure cooked. I like texture in my chutney. If you want the chutney to be like a paste, you can use an immersion blender after it’s pressure cooked and blend it.
I have not added any water while pressure cooking, the vinegar was enough. However, if you have an 8qt, you might need to add some water (maybe around 1/2 cup) to the pot before putting it to pressure cook.

Method

First, peel the apples and then chop them in small pieces, around 1/4 inch pieces. Set aside.

1- Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. Once it displays hot, add oil and then add cinnamon stick, cloves, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and mustard seeds.

Let them sizzle for few seconds, the mustard seeds should pop.

2- Then add the onion and ginger. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until onions are soft.

3- Then add the chopped apples and mix.

4- Add the garam masala.

5 & 6- Followed by red chili powder and salt.

7- Add apple cider vinegar and mix everything.

8- Close the pot with the lid and press the manual or pressure cook button. Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes with the pressure valve in the sealing position.

9- Let the pressure release naturally for 7 minutes and then do a quick pressure release. Open the pot and press saute.

10- Add brown sugar.

11- Followed by kashmiri red chili powder and stir.

12- Cover with a glass lid and let the chutney simmer on saute for 4 to 5 minutes, keep stirring it in between. It will thicken as it simmers. Unplug the pot once it has thickened to a paste like consistency.

The chutney will continue to thicken as it cools. Let it cool and then store apple chutney in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Apple Chutney Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!