Kesar Chundo

Name: Kesar Chundo
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Gujarati
Ingredients: 1 kg raw green mangoes; 900 g Sugar; 1 tbsp Salt; 0.5 tsp Turmeric; 1 tsp Red chilli powder; 1 tsp roasted cumin powder; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 1 pinch saffron strands; 0.5 tsp black salt

Shredded raw mango slow-cooked with sugar into a glossy amber preserve, scented with saffron and fennel — the sweet pickle every Gujarati household stocks before summer ends.

🇮🇳India· Gujarat

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 70 min
Servings: 10
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 120 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

Equipment

•Heavy-bottomed pan
•Sterilised glass jar
•Grater

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 120 kcal
fat: 0 g
carbs: 30 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 0 g
calories: 120 kcal

Instructions

1
Mix the grated raw mango, salt, and turmeric in a wide bowl. Leave it for 3-4 hours until juices release.
2
Pour the mango and its juice into a heavy-bottomed pan with the sugar.
3
Cook on low heat, stirring often. Heat until the sugar dissolves and bubbles gently.
4
Simmer gently on low heat for 30-40 minutes, scooping off any foam. Cook until shiny amber and thick enough to coat a spoon.
5
Stir in the chilli powder, roasted cumin, crushed fennel, and saffron during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
6
Let it cool completely to room temperature. Transfer it into a clean, dry sterilised glass jar.
7
Keep the jar in sunlight for 2-3 days to enrich the colour and flavour. Stir once daily with a dry spoon.
8
Store the chundo (sweet mango pickle) away from moisture. It keeps well for months.

Chef's tips

Always use a completely dry spoon to serve chundo to stop mould from growing. Grating the mango instead of chopping it gives it a traditional soft, jam-like texture.