Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises & Development (FRIENDS) chutneys, jam and spices are prepared by women using traditional recipes that in turn provide markets for rural dwellers for their crops.

Many of the fruits grow organically around the islands and farmers are trained by FRIENDS in good practices of management, harvesting and post-harvest handling.

These traditional recipes with a Fiji twist captures the taste sensation uniquely Fiji.

Tamarind Chutney

This is a tangy and tempting favorite. This tasty chutney is one of FRIENDS’ most popular products. It can be enjoyed with savory snacks, as a dip or as a flavorful accompaniment to any vegetarian Indian dish or as a great marinade or sauce for any meat dish.

Tamarind Chutney was one of the first products launched by FRIEND. This chutney was initiated as an income generation project for the Ba Senior Citizens Center under the stewardship of late Sister Satya Bali.

This chutney and Indo-Fijian functions usually go together. If one attends a prayer, a wedding or a party at an Indian home, one can almost always expect especially prepared tamarind chutney to be part of the menu. Usually cooked a day or two before the official functions take place, the cooking of a Fiji style tamarind chutney involves a number of hands involved in preparatory work before it is constituted by experienced cooks.

Sweet Mango Chutney

A sweet & spicy treat flavored with cardamoms and cloves. Grated mango with a fresh pulpy taste, it is ideal for your sandwiches and wraps.

FRIENDS’ sweet mango chutney was evolved from a recipe of a Vuda woman, KamlaWati. MsWati started making sweet mango chutney with FRIEND and won herself a Fiji Development Bank award for Small Business New Initiative in 2006. She is well known for her skills at making assorted traditional Indian dishes.

“I always have been making chutneys, pickles and poppadum’s using recipes I learnt from my mother, grandmother and mother-in-law.

“Growing up there was always homemade pickles and chutneys in my home. So when I got married I carried on with what I had observed growing up. I also sell these products to support my family income,” says MsWati.

Now in her 70s, Kamla has now retired having trained other women to continue bringing this delicious product to the market.

Khatai Chutney

Sun-dried mangoes cooked in spicy tamarind Sauce. A sour and spicy condiment for your meals.

“Khatai” is a Hindi word for an ingredient that has been over dried. Families take advantage of bountiful mango seasons to prepare ‘mango khatai’ that is considered a delicacy when added to an array of dishes to bring out its flavours. FRIENDSkhatai chutney is made from sun dried green mangoes cooked in a hot tamarind sauce, combining the best of the taste of mangoes and tamarind. A little khatai chutney goes a long way with its high and intense flavours.

Chilli Chutney

A hot and spicy treat. This much-loved chutney has a taste that is both hot and sweet. It can be enjoyed with savory snacks, as a dip or accompaniment and it makes an excellent marinade for meats and grilled vegetables. It can be used as a tasty alternative to chilli sauce.

FRIENDS’ chilli chutney is made from Fiji bongo chillies. Fiji bongo chillies are as hot as chillies get. Farmed for commercial purposes by farmers around Fiji, fresh chillies are blended and cooked with tamarind and raw Fiji sugar for an unparalleled authentic treat. Developed from a much loved family recipe, the chilli chutney production was initiated as an Income Generation Project for FRIEND and launched as one of the first products in the market alongside the tamarind chutney in 2003.

Ambarella Kuchla

Tender grated flesh of ‘wi apple’ mixed with freshly roasted Indian pickle spices. Has a mild, tangy flavor to wake up your taste buds.

Ambarella is a tropical fruit containing a fibrous pit, known and used for its cooling and refreshing nature. High in Vitamin C the fruit is enjoyed by young and old alike. The fruit may be eaten raw; the crunchy flesh is a sour, and develops into a juicy fruit with a tangy sweetness as it ripens. FRIENDS’ ambarellakuchla is made from succulent mature fruits, grated and mixed with freshly roasted spices and mustard oil.

– FRIENDS Fiji