A classic Gujarati Sweet and Sour Mango Pickle, Keri No Chundo, or Chunda recipe is everyone’s favorite at my home!
Raw mangos are grated and combined with sugar and chili powder to make this easy and delicious Indian pickle.
This is a great accompaniment to so many things. It transforms any ordinary meal into something special!
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What is Chunda?
Chunda is a very well-known Gujarati sweet and sour pickle made with grated raw mangos, sugar, and chili powder.
Chundo translates Mashed and in Gujarati lingo.
This Chundo is a vegan, gluten-free, oil-free pickle and is a must when we travel on a long journey or any road trips with theplas.
It adds just the right hint of sweetness, sourness, and spiciness to the meals. We, Gujaratis, go crazy when you serve with Poori, Methi Debra, or Plain Gujarati Thepla.
This gorgeous and sensational Keri No Chundo, some also call it Khaman, can become a delightful gift for the pickle lover or many who are unable to make it.
There are 2 ways of making the Chundo recipe, the Traditional way and the Instant version.
Today, I am sharing the traditional way of making this recipe.
My grandma in India always made Chundo in the heat of the sun, a traditional and authentic way where Chundo ripens in the heat of the sun and can take up to 8-10 days to prepare.
Arizona’s Sun is very harsh and intense. The Chundo got ready in just 3 days!
Keri No Chundo is generally prepared with Rajapuri Keri (A variety of mango). But we don't get this variety here in the US. Here you get only one variety and frankly speaking I don't know its name.
If you want to learn to make Indian Pickles, I would prefer you to make this simplest among all the others.
This recipe does not require any skills, just follow some measurements and leave the rest to the scorching sun.
Every household has its own way of making this recipe. On top of chili powder, I have seen people adding, cumin seeds, coriander-cumin powder, cloves, etc.
But I prefer to make it how my grandmother used to make it.
Ingredients
- Raw mango - Use raja puri raw mango if possible, if not any variety will work. Raja Puri mangoes are specially used for making Indian pickles. They are less sour/tangy thus it is useful for sweet pickles. They also hold up their shape better whilst cooking.
- Sugar - regular sugar works fine. If you wish you can add brown sugar too.
- Red Chilli Powder - Use Kashmiri red chili powder.
Step-by-step process
- Peel the skin of raw mango. Then grate them.
- Now add salt and turmeric powder to the grated mango and leave it for an hour.
- Note - I don't prefer to squeeze out the grated mango. That's how my dadi (grandmother) used to do it, and that's how I am doing it for many years.
- Place the grated mango in a stainless steel pot, add sugar (traditional chundo made with sugar only) mix well and cover the pan. Keep it aside for 2 to 3 hours or until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Now stir the mixture and check whether the sugar is dissolved or not. The sugar must be dissolved completely before keeping chundo under the sun.
- Now cover the Pot with a clean white muslin cloth, and tie the cloth with the string.
- Keep the pot facing the scorching sun. I place the pot from 9 am in the morning to 5 pm in the evening under the Sun.
- In the evening, take the chundo pot inside the home, open it, and give it a good stir. Then close it with any lid.
- The next day morning, follow the same process, cover the pan with Muslin clothe, tie the cloth and place the pot under the sun.
- Then bring the pot in the evening in the house and give it a good stir and cover it.
- After 2 to 3 days (depending on how harsh the sun is) Check the consistency of the syrup.
- We are looking for almost One-thread consistency. Check by taking some syrup between your forefinger and thumb. You should be able to form almost a single thread when your forefinger and your thumb are pulled apart gently.
- Note – Keep it under the sun for one to two more days if your single thread is not forming.
- Mine was done on the third day evening.
- Take the pot inside the home. Let it come to room temperature before adding the chili powder.
- Note – This step is very important. If you add chili powder to the hot chundo mixture, you will end up getting dark browning color.
- Open the chunda pot and add Kashmiri red chili powder. Cover it again with a cloth and keep this mixture in sunny weather for 3 to 4 hours.
- Take the pot inside, mix well and take it into a clean jar.
- This will stay good for a year when stored in a dry and dark place.
- Enjoy Keri no chundo with thepla, bhakhri, paratha, or puri.
Notes and pro-tips
- Use the same amount of gor (jaggery) instead of sugar, you may use brown sugar too.
- Make sure, the mangoes you use are sour mangoes and are very raw, they should not have a yellowish pulp, but have a greenish pulp; the rawer the mangoes the longer the shelf life.
- Make sure to use a clean spoon every time for stirring.
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Keri No Chundo – Gujarati Pickle Chunda
Ingredients
- 1 Kg Raw Mango
- 1 Kg Granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder.
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Method
- Peel the skin of raw mango. Then grate them.
- Now add salt and turmeric powder to the grated mango and leave it for an hour.Note - I don't prefer to squeeze out the grated mango. That's how my dadi (grandmother) used to do it, and that's how I am doing it for many years.
- Place the grated mango in a stainless steel pot, add sugar (traditional chundo made with sugar only) mix well and cover the pan. Keep it aside for 2 to 3 hours or until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Now stir the mixture and check whether the sugar is dissolved or not. The sugar must be dissolved completely before keeping chundo under the sun.
- Now cover the Pot with a clean white muslin cloth, and tie the cloth with the string.
- Keep the pot facing the scorching sun. I place the pot from 9 am in the morning to 5 pm in the evening under the Sun.
- In the evening, take the chundo pot inside the home, open it, and give it a good stir. Then close it with any lid.
- The next day morning, follow the same process, cover the pan with Muslin clothe, tie the cloth and place the pot under the sun.
- Then bring the pot in the evening in the house and give it a good stir and cover it.
- After 2 to 3 days (depending on how harsh the sun is) Check the consistency of the syrup.
- We are looking for almost One-thread consistency. Check by taking some syrup between your forefinger and thumb. You should be able to form almost a single thread when your forefinger and your thumb are pulled apart gently.Note - Keep it under the sun for one to two more days if your single thread is not forming.
- Mine was done on the third day evening.
- Take the pot inside the home. Let it come to room temperature before adding the chili powder.Note - This step is very important. If you add chili powder to the hot chundo mixture, you will end up getting dark browning color.
- Open the chunda pot and add Kashmiri red chili powder. Cover it again with a cloth and keep this mixture in sunny weather for 3 to 4 hours.
- Take the pot inside, mix well and take it into a clean jar.
- This will stay good for a year when stored in a dry and dark place.
- Enjoy Keri no chundo with thepla, bhakhri, paratha, or puri.
Nutrition
Notes
- Check the weather before making this recipe. The weather should be sunny.
- Use the same amount of gor (jaggery) instead of sugar, you may use brown sugar too.
- Make sure, the mangoes you use are sour mangoes and are very raw, they should not have a yellowish pulp, but have a greenish pulp; the rawer the mangoes the longer the shelf life.
- Make sure to use a clean spoon every time for stirring.
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know We would love to hear your thoughts! Please leave your comments, ratings, and any ideas or changes you think could help us make our recipes even better. Thank you for your feedback!Warm Regards,
Dhwani.
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