Aam Chundo
A sweet-sharp green mango chutney with cumin warmth and mild Kashmiri chilli colour. It looks loose while hot and thickens to a jammy relish as it cools.
Whole cumin for the oil
6 gAdded to the hot oil before the mango (step 2)Chilli powder for finishing
8 gStirred in off the heat after cooking (step 5)Everything else
Method
- Warm 27 g vegetable oil in a large heavy saucepan over low heat.
- Add 6.3 g coarsely crushed cumin seed; once it crackles, add 700 g peeled and coarsely grated green mango and stir to coat.
- Raise the heat to medium, add 500 g caster sugar and stir constantly for 10 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved.
- Take the pan off the heat while the mixture is still loose; it will thicken as it cools.
- Off the heat, stir in 7.8 g kashmiri chilli powder and 0.3 g salt.
- Keep stirring for 5 minutes so sugar crystals do not form as the chutney cools.
- Cover and leave until completely cool.
- Spoon into a sterilised jar, seal and keep in the fridge; after opening, use within 2 weeks.
Don't have something?
Peanut oilUse 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
GheeUse 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oilUse 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.
Ground cuminUse 70% of the weight; add with ground spices or sauce bases rather than hot oil tempering, where it scorches quickly and turns bitter.
Black cumin seedsUse equal weight for oil tempering. Delivers an earthy profile with an additional musky, smoky, and slightly bitter edge.
Fennel seedUse 60% of the weight for tempering; offers comparable warm aroma, but leans sweet and liquorice-like rather than savoury and earthy.
Raw green mangoUse the same weight; same result.
Raw unripe mangoUse the same weight; same result.
Sour green mangoUse the same weight; more sour, so adjust sugar.
Granulated sugarUse the same weight. It is slightly coarser, so stir a little longer to dissolve; in baking, grind briefly if a fine texture matters.
Demerara sugarUse the same weight, but dissolve it earlier as it is coarser. It adds a light caramel note and a little colour.
Ground jaggery or soft brown sugarUse the same weight; crush or grate jaggery first. It darkens the dish and adds molasses flavour, so reduce other liquid slightly.
Dried kashmiri chilliGrind deseeded dried pods to an equal weight of powder; gives identical vivid red colour and gentle warmth.
Red chilli powderUse 25% of the weight mixed with sweet paprika for colour; straight red chilli powder is substantially hotter and will make the dish fiery.
Chilli powderUse one-third of the weight; the sauce will be less intensely red and notably sharper in heat.
Similar dishes
- Same: Panha shares green mango and caster sugar with this dish, so both are sweet-sour and use the mango as the souring agent.
- Different: Panha lacks this dish's vegetable oil, cumin seed, Kashmiri chilli powder and salt, and instead uses water, saffron and green cardamom as a chilled drink rather than a cooked chunky chutney.
- Same: Kairi ka Sherbet shares green mango, sugar and salt with this dish, so both are sweet-sour mango preparations.
- Different: Kairi ka Sherbet uses more green mango and less sugar, adds green cardamom, and lacks this dish's vegetable oil, cumin seed and Kashmiri chilli powder; it is made by simmering mangoes as a drink, while this dish is a chunky, sticky chutney.
- Same: Aam Ka Gola shares mango as the main fruit and a sweet-sour taste with this dish.
- Different: Aam Ka Gola is a frozen slushie made with mango, canned mango pulp, lime, stem ginger and tequila, while this dish is a cooked chunky chutney of grated green mango, caster sugar, cumin, Kashmiri chilli, oil and salt.
- Same: Hari Pudine Ki Chutney shares with this dish the use of green mango, sugar, cumin seed and chilli.
- Different: It adds mint leaves, ground almond and water and uses green bird's-eye chilli instead of Kashmiri chilli powder, with no oil, so it is a fresh blended chutney rather than this dish's cooked, oily, sticky chutney.