Heat the tablespoon of oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the finely minced shallots and cook until soft and translucent for about 5 minutes.

Add the aromatics — minced chili pepper, grated ginger, cinnamon, mustard seeds, black pepper, cloves, salt — to the saucepan with the onions. Sauté until fragrant for about 2 minutes.

Add the sugar and vinegar. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat to low and let the mixture simmer softly for about 5 minutes.

In the meantime, cut the stems off the figs and roughly dice them. When your spice and vinegar mixture has simmered, add the diced figs and bring back to a simmer. Simmer chutney on low heat for another 35–40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and becomes jammy and sticky. Take off the heat and let the chutney cool down slightly.

Transfer chutney to a jar and let it cool down completely.

Chutney can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.