Recipe Chundoo (Green Mango Chutney with Almonds and Saffron)

karadekoolaid

karadekoolaid

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Morning Glory​

asked for a mango chutney recipe the other day. Generally speaking, chutneys are sweet condiments, so that was evidently a problem, since MG is not a sugar fan...
Most of my mango chutney recipes (and most Indian mango chutney recipes) use between 35% - 60% sugar. Obviously, the sugar offsets the amount of hot pepper involved.
However,I think this one might just hit the spot. No picture - it´s been a while since I made this.

Ingredients:
1 kg green, unripe mangoes
160 gms sugar
25 gms sea salt
Pinch of saffron threads (or 1/4 tsp turmeric)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cardamon seeds
1 tsp hot chile powder
2 tbsps golden raisins
1 tbsp sliced almonds

Method:
  • Peel the mangoes and grate the pulp.
  • Put all the ingredients in a pot and gently bring to a boil. Lower the temperature and cook for about 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently so the chutney does not stick.
  • Add a little water if necessary, but only if the chutney is sticking.
  • Pour into sterilised jars and seal.
 
Thanks! Now the thing is - how do I find unripe green mangoes? I have all the other ingredients of course. I'll search on-line.
 
...oh and how much does this make (approx)?

Looked on-line and I can get green mangos but they are around £4 for 350g so that would be a £12 outlay for a kg. I could just divide the recipe by one third but that means silly minuscule measurements of the spices.
 
Morning Glory said:
...oh and how much does this make (approx)?

Looked on-line and I can get green mangos but they are around £4 for 350g so that would be a £12 outlay for a kg. I could just divide the recipe by one third but that means silly minuscule measurements of the spices.
Click to expand...
Cheap as chips in the supermarket?

Russ
 
I bought some Brazilian mangoes in Sainsbury´s, and some Peruvian mangoes in Lidl. You´ll need about 3-4 for a kilo. Just make sure they´re hard (most of them are). I don´t think they cost me more than £3 .
Don´t buy the mangoes online - you won´t get a chance to feel them and ensure they´re green and hard.
This recipe will make about 4 - 5 200cc jars, and keeps for about 2 years.
 
Morning Glory said:
You should know by now I buy everything on line. I've not entered any shop for over two years.
Click to expand...
Traditionally, underage kids stand outside convenience stores and ask people to buy them beer.

You might need to go stand outside Sainsbury’s and ask some, “Pssst, hey mister, here’s ten quid, buy us some mangoes, yeah? Green ones, though, not that ripe stuff!” :laugh:
 
karadekoolaid said:
OK - so make sure they send you unripe mangoes, because this recipe doesn´t work with ripe ones.
Click to expand...

I found a solution :):

84343
 
My parent's house in Puerto Rico had two mango trees in the backyard. That was my first experience with mangos.

CD
 
Even though the mango is originally from India, somehow it made its way to Venezuela, where we´ve got over a dozen varieties.
The tree in my back garden is well over 40 ft tall (needs pruning!) and produces huge hybrid mangoes.
The year this picture was taken (2013) we had a mega crop. I honestly calculated around 400 kgs of fruit, al ot of which fell to the ground and got damaged, because the tree was just too high to pick the mangoes. In the third photo, one of the little beauties, weighing in at 1. 3 kgs (around 2lbs 14 ozs). I picked dozens like that and made mango chutney with them,sold at all the local supermarkets.

84368


84369

84370
 
I have the giant green mango. I don't have a grater. What is the purpose of grating? Doesn't the mango break down anyway? Is the final mango chutney supposed to be purée in which the raisins and sliced almonds are intact?

Sorry - too many questions!
 
Morning Glory said:
I have the giant green mango. I don't have a grater. What is the purpose of grating? Doesn't the mango break down anyway? Is the final mango chutney supposed to be purée in which the raisins and sliced almonds are intact?
Click to expand...
Good. You grate the mango so that (a) it cooks faster, thus maintaining its colour and (b) it creates a specific texture.
The mango breaks down , correct- but it will take a long time and turn the fruit darker. You don´t want a dark chutney here; you want it "lighter" in colour.
The final chutney isn´t a purée; you should be able to distinguish the grated pieces of mango and their contrast to the softness of the raisins and the slight crunch of the almonds.
This chutney is usually prepared for weddings, hence the "exotic" and relatively expensive ingredients (raisins, saffron, almonds).
If you´re cooking a smaller batch, you might need to adjust the cooking time - less than 30-40 minutes. I´d use the "Jam" test - after about 20-25 minutes, put a tsp of the mixture on a saucer and let it cool. If it has formed a thin "skin" on top, it´s probably ready.

And the final question is:
How do you grate cheese? Or carrots?
 
karadekoolaid said:
Good. You grate the mango so that (a) it cooks faster, thus maintaining its colour and (b) it creates a specific texture.
The mango breaks down , correct- but it will take a long time and turn the fruit darker. You don´t want a dark chutney here; you want it "lighter" in colour.
The final chutney isn´t a purée; you should be able to distinguish the grated pieces of mango and their contrast to the softness of the raisins and the slight crunch of the almonds.
This chutney is usually prepared for weddings, hence the "exotic" and relatively expensive ingredients (raisins, saffron, almonds).
If you´re cooking a smaller batch, you might need to adjust the cooking time - less than 30-40 minutes. I´d use the "Jam" test - after about 20-25 minutes, put a tsp of the mixture on a saucer and let it cool. If it has formed a thin "skin" on top, it´s probably ready.
Click to expand...

OK. Thanks for the detail. I now understand. I will attempt to shred the mango with a julienne cutter. That should be close enough to grating.

karadekoolaid said:
And the final question is:
How do you grate cheese? Or carrots?
Click to expand...

I don't really grate cheese. If I'm making a cheese sauce, I cut it up into smallish cubes. It melts just as well. As for carrots I use a julienne cutter.
 
Well, I now have one jar of mango chutney. Things didn't quite go according to plan. The unripe giant mango was probably too ripe. It weighed in at 750g whole. By the time I 'grated' it I think the resulting flesh must have been quite a lot less than in your recipe. I nevertheless used same quantities of everything else except the sugar. As it happened I only had 60g of sugar so that is what I used. Also, I thought I had golden raisins but they were sultanas - so I used them instead. I also used a Scotch bonnet chopped finely in place of chilli powder. Obviously I tasted it when cooking and it was OK and packed quite a punch with the Scotch bonnet. It certainly didn't need more sugar. I can't really report back on the true taste until its had at least a few weeks in the jar.

So - sorry to tweak the recipe so much but in part, I had to. I'll add some photos later.
 
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