The summer months of April and May (and June in the northern parts of India) are very hot. This when most of India is busy pickling and preserving produce. Mangoes are also aplenty too and the varieties of mango available in India are mind boggling. Every region of the country that grows mangoes has its own unique varieties. Each region has its own way of pickling mangoes and specific varieties are used for particular pickles!
Having been otherwise occupied this past month, I suddenly realized that the monsoon rains would be here in a couple of weeks. And that the mangoes would disappear from the market only to return next summer! So when I went to the market last Sunday, I went a bit crazy buying mangoes (mangoes are quite expensive this year as nonseasonal rains destroyed a large part of this year’s crop). Maybe the unusually hot summer had addled my brains a bit!! As you can see from the picture, I could probably set up my own mango stall.
Now, a little about this pickle. This is a sweet and spicy pickle comes from the Indian state of Gujarat which is usually served with spicy flatbreads like parathas. This pickle is usually made with the Rajapuri variety of mangoes but if you cannot find it, what you have will suffice. Just make sure your mangoes are not fibrous.
In my part of the country, a Rajapuri mango does not exist so my personal preference is to use the Thothapuri (Hindi)/ Kilimooku(Tamil)/ Kilichundan (Malayalam) variety of mango which takes its name in all three languages mentioned from the curved lower end of the mango which resembles the beak of a parrot! I choose those mangoes that are still raw and firm but on the verge of starting to ripen. This gives the mangoes an interesting taste of slightly sour with a hint of sweet.
In the traditional method of preparation, the peeled and grated mango and sugar are mixed together and put into a jar whose mouth is covered and tied with a clean piece of cloth. This jar is then kept in the hot sun and then shaken well and brought in at dusk. This ritual is observed religiously, everyday, for a month. At the end of this time the sun would have turned the sugar into a very thick syrup while cooking the mango at the same time. Then the other ingredients are added to the pickle and mixed. The pickle tastes wonderful.
But what do you do if you do not have a month to spare? Or the time to do all this and maybe not enough sun either? You make it on the stove-top! You lose out on the taste that only the sun can provide but you still have a very nice pickle and that’s what counts when you have to make the best of things.
This pickle should be on the sweeter side, somewhat spicy with a mild hint of salt. The above measurements are not exact as the amounts of salt and chilli powder need to be adjusted depending on how sour the variety of mango used is.
See this post for another delicious sweet and sour raw mango pickle called Aam Ki Launji.
Aam Ka Chundo/ Chunda - Sweet and Spicy Grated Mango Pickle (GF, V)
Ingredients
- 5 medium sized raw mangoes approx 4 1/2 cups after grating
- 4 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsps chilli powder slightly heaped (adjust to preference)
- to taste salt
- 1 1/2 tsps cumin powder
Instructions
- Peel and grate the raw mangoes. Put the grated mangoes, turmeric powder, salt and sugar in a deep heavy bottomed vessel/ pan. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, till the sugar becomes syrupy (thick string stage, i.e. when the mixture falls off the spoon it forms thick strings) and the mixture is thick like a jam.
- Add the chilli powder and stir, cooking for another couple of minutes. Add the cumin powder, stir and remove from heat. Stir the mixture well and allow to cool.
- Store in sterilized bottles. Serve with spicy parathas, chapathis, puris or as preferred.
I'm Aparna and My Diverse Kitchen is my ovo-lacto vegetarian food blog where you'll find recipes, food stories & photography. I've been blogging since 2007 and believe the kitchen, and the dining table (by extension) is really the heart of a home. 
wowy… i love chundoo.. i can have a whole bottle of mothers recipe… in 3-4 days 🙂 and urs looks perfectt…
lovely lovely..I like this so much..and was planning on making this!
A wonderful entry for the event; thanks for sharing such a great recipe with all of us.
Oh WOW this mango pickle looks so wonderful!! Many thanks for taking part in this event :)Rosie x
this looks great… hmm i’m now wondering if i can make some kind of preserve with the ripe mangoes to preserve them…
Love the sweet and spicy Mango pickle,looks great!:)
chhundo is such a delicacy…I love it with my Gujarati theplas and handvoh.try adding a pinch of cardamom to it the next time, the aroma and the flavor is wonderful. My grandma does that. ;)cheers, truptithe spice who loved me
I like the idea of making this pickle in the sunshine. We used to make a raspberry liqueur the same way. I also completed my recipe for this months T & C!!!
My MIL used to make this and it is a family favourite! And now I have the recipe, and how simple it is!
The chutney looks too good to be true. I am feeling very much in need of some Indian food right now, missing India a lot.
mouth watering pickle aparna
I used to love eating this with theplas.Lovely recipe!
edi, ingane kothupikkalle.
I remember helping my aunt by grating those kairis for chundo & then keeping it in tadko (sun)…It was fun. Brings back nice childhood memories. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve never tried to make chundo at home though I love it and use ot as a spread on my sandwiches & wraps mainly! Looks yummy!
I have been making this every summer for some time. Love the stuff.Thanks for the suggestion TS, will definitely try it.
I never knew how to make it! I’ve always just picked it up by the jar from the grocer…looks great
yo..I am staring at that pickle and drooling. Love to have that with rotis. Do send some 😉
Just wanted to say thanks again for your wonderful entry and the roundup is now posted. 🙂
I wish I could grab a bunch from ur table! :)Shn
can u make it with cooking apples?
Hi Anon,This is a traditional Indian pickle and always made with mango.I have never made it with apples, though you could probably try it out. The cooking time should be less than with mangoes and the texture would probably be a bit different.Do let me know, if you do try it out with cooking apples.
It looks beautiful & so flavorful!
Guess what.. I just had a spoon of chundo… My friend had got a bottle of Mother’s recipe and she shared this with me to taste.. Its yummy..Thanks for the recipe
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Hi I am reshma here.lovely to follow ur receipes.but this time I have a problem
I had made mango chunda.i did not know about 1 string consistency. now it has become thick though the taste is very nice.z help me how to make that syrup a bit light
I’m not sure Reshma. You could try putting a little of it ( to see if it works)back in a pot, add a little water and bring it to boil. See if you get a lighter consistency.