Aam ka Chunda or Sweet Mango Pickle

Aam ka Chunda or Sweet mango pickle is a traditional Gujarati sweet, best enjoyed with Theplas (flatbread). I have fond memories of this sweet chunda. I remember enjoying it with parathas, bread, chips or just spoonful’s of this delightful treat. If you love sweeter dips or chutneys, this is a must try. I got this recipe from my mom and when I made this yesterday, it transported me back in time. And when I saw my own daughter enjoying it as much, I knew I will be making it again soon. 😀

Chunda is made traditionally by sun drying raw mango and sugar. This process takes about 7 days but since I do not get enough sunlight here, I used the stove top method. Also, you need really raw mangoes for this recipe. My mangoes were not as raw hence I did not get good strings of mango when I grated it. But the taste was just as divine. Trust me you have to make it to believe it. 🙂

So here is how my mom makes Chunda. Thank you mommy for the recipe. ❤

Ingredients:

Raw grated mangoes – 2 cups

Sugar – 1 and 1/2 cups, can use up to 2 cups if you prefer overly sweet chunda

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Red Chilly Powder – 1tsp, preferably the Kashmiri Red Chilly powder

Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Roasted Cumin Seeds powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Peel and grate your mangoes using the thick side of the grater to make sure you get long strings or else the thinner strings will dissolve while cooking.
2. Mix the sugar with the grated mangoes and keep aside for at least 5 hours. The sugar will dissolve gradually and there will be some water in the pan. Keep stirring every few hours. We haven’t turned on the stove yet.
3. After about 5 hours, mix it all well and lets start cooking the Chunda. Take a big wok or Kadhai and add in the mango and sugar mix. Throw in the cumin seeds. Bring it to a boil.
4. Once, the mixture boils and you see bubbles, turn down the flame and keep cooking till you have reached a one string consistency of the sugar syrup. The mixture will thicken up gradually. Its very important to keep stirring.
5. The way to check if your Chunda is ready, take a spoonful of this mixture and drop it in a plate. After a minute it will solidify and will no longer be of pouring consistency. That’s when you know its done. It is very important to not over cook this or else the sugar will crystalize the next day.
6. Add in the turmeric powder, salt, red chilly powder and the cumin powder. Stir well. Cook it for another minute on low flame.
7. That’s it. Done. Switch off the flame and let it cool down before storing it away in an air tight container. It will stay fresh for over an year without refrigeration, though I am pretty sure mine will not last that long. 😛

So there was a childhood favorite recipe. Do give it a try.

Thanks for reading.

Love,

Ritu. 🙂