Chhunda (Sweet, tangy and slightly spicy Mango pickle)

Chhunda

It's summer again!!! And it's time for MANGOES! Chhunda is a pickle made from raw mangoes and it has mixed flavors like sweet, tangy and little bit spicy. This pickle comes from western part of India, from a state called "Gujarat". 

Growing up, i remember the kitchen shelf filled with 10-15 different varieties of mango pickles - sweet memories :) Thanks Aai!

Traditionally, this pickle is prepared using heat of the sun. It may sound weird but it is really very flavorful this way. Here's how it is done,  first of all the ingredients are properly mixed in a big stainless steel bowl. Then it is covered with a muslin cloth (cheese cloth) and left in the sun for a couple of days, typically 10-15 days. Every night it is brought in the house and next morning the cloth is removed and mixed thoroughly with a big spoon and again covered and left in the sun. What happens here is, slowly all the ingredients mingle properly and the raw mango starts cooking with the sun's heat and after a couple of days you can see that the pickle is ready. It is stored in an air-tight jar for the whole year. And believe me it tastes yummy and needs no artificial preservatives at all. Isn't this something great - the preparation and preservation of pickles. 

Chhunda

I made this pickle using a stove top, no doubt there is slight  taste change - the one with the above recipe is a lot tastier but trust me this too is worth making.  For this you will need raw green mangoes, press and make sure the mango is firm. The most important thing for this pickle is the mango should be tangy, it shouldn't have a bland taste, else it is not at all right for the pickle. You will need a couple more spices, i have listed them below. I have used 1 medium sized mango and it makes a small bottle of pickle (around 13 oz)

Ingredients :-

1 medium sized raw green mango
1/4 tsp methi (dried fenugreek) seeds
2 1/2 tbsp oil
5-6 cloves whole
7-8 black pepper whole
4-5 dried red chillies, broken into half
1 inch cinnamon stick, broken into half
1 tsp red chilli pwd
Salt (acc. to taste)
3/4 cup - 1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder


Process :-

Raw mango

1.  Peel the mango and grate using a thick grater. This way when we cook it, the pickle won't turn mushy and we will be able to see the mango shreds.

Grated mango

2.  Measure the grated mango using a measuring cup. Taste the mango, the quantity of sugar depends on how tangy it is. If the mango is extremely tangy then you will needed equal quantity of sugar else reduce the amount of sugar. See if the following helps,

If mango extreme tangy :
            1 cup shredded mango = 1 cup sugar
If mango less tangy        :
           1 cup shredded mango = 3/4 cup sugar

3.  In a saucepan, heat the oil to medium heat, add the spices (cloves, black pepper, red chillies, cinnamon stick and fenugreek seeds).

Mango and spices getting cooked

4.  Now add the grated mango, salt and mix everything with a spatula and let it cook covered for 5-10 mins, it should not turn to a mush.

This tip is for beginners, just take a piece between your thumb and fore finger and press it, if it gets pressed without effort it means it is cooked.

5.  Add sugar, mix properly  and let it cook uncovered for 10-15 mins on medium heat. Now the sugar will melt and start to thicken, keep an eye on it. When the syrup becomes the consistency as that of  "honey", add cinnamon powder and turn off the heat.

The final result should be thick like a jam, it should have syrup. Keep this in mind, once the chhunda starts cooling, it is going to thicken. So keep a close watch during this process.

Sugar getting melted

6.  After 2-3 mins, add red chilli powder and mix. If we add it during the above process, red chilli pwd. can burn or change color. We want our pickle to be red, the color of chilli pwd and so we add it once the heat is turned off.

Red chilli pwd. added to chhunda

7.  Once chhunda is cooled, store it in an airtight container. Stays good on shelf for months. It can be used as a spread for chappatis or tortillas, also eaten along with chappati and sabji. As this pickle also has a sweet taste, it is a favourite with kids, this is a good way to add mango to their diet.

Chhunda - ready to enjoy!