Green Mango Relish in a Sweet and Sour and Spicy Avataar- Chunda

Chutneys and Relishes have a very special place on the dining table. An accompaniment to all foods, bland or spicy, some veggies that are not worth even serving on the table-like turnip and lauki/ghiya/bottle gourd... Makes it all palatable. A little tang,a little yummy wow factor. Awesome.And I go and do the most Un-Gujarati(alcohol is prohibited in the Indian state of Gujarat,so people find many ways to drink it) thing to Chunda. Serve it with Vodka. "Many demons lurk in the Russian Firewater."  Not my lines-Clive Cussler's! This little golden relish has the power to tame those demons of the Russian Firewater. Hidden behind the tame hors d'ouvres or canapes is the deadly bottle of pure Russian Romanov. Devils Indeed!
About the Chunda- or the sweet and sour and spicy mango chutney made with absolutely zero oil-its Gujarati in origin and has been exported world wide.
Different from the cloyingly sweet jams and preserves of yore,this one sure packs a punch.
Yours truly is not too big a fan of spicy sweet stuff,but this one is a perfect balance.

I used salted cream crackers as the base,added a small slab of Ricotta cheese-slightly different to the making of paneer/cottage cheese and a better ,smoother flavour,topped with a generous helping of Chunda and a bit of caramelised onions.
It all began from here.
There is a nursery behind my house, and since hubby dear patronises the gardener for his requirement of seeds and stuff,I was able to glean a kilo and a half of the firmest,sourest and freshest mangoes.
That's why they say that the best things in life are free.
You can see the mangoes hanging for their dear life,and a few parrots definitely angry at the nursery owner's generosity.
for the
Green Mango Relish in a Sweet and Sour and Spicy Avatar- Chunda ...
you need
1.5 to 2 kg firm, unripe or semi(really semi) ripe mangoes
500 gms to 750 gms sugar(depending on the sourness of the mango)
1 to 1 1/2 tsp black /rock salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 to 1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
2-3 tbsp watermelon seeds(magaz) or shredded almonds or pine nuts or raisins or none at all(optional)
These are my mangoes,washed,dried and peeled. I shredded them in my food processor. Had they been semi ripe,I would have to grate them manually.SO grate according to what you have.
Use a stainless steel deep dish. The acid in the mangoes will spoil otherwise.Add in the salt and turmeric powder and cover and set aside for 15 minutes.
Add 100 gms of sugar to the mangoes and mix with a stainless steel spoon, till the sugar dissolves.Set aside ,covered for 10 minutes.
You'll find the mango and sugar forming a syrup.Keep adding the sugar,mixing in and then setting aside till you use up most of the sugar.Taste.
You may want it sweet or not. You are the best judge.You can add more  sugar to this.Now set it on a low flame,I used my induction cooker at low power,and cooked this relish for at least 25-30 minutes.You need a one thread mango-sugar syrup here.
Roast the nuts,cool and add in.
Cooking further,till that syrup thickens. Keep tasting for sweetness, you cant add sugar after you stop cooking ,so it has to be now or never.
OK, the syrup was done. How to test for one thread.Take a drop of the syrup on your thumb and touch gently with your index finger.When you separate them,the stickiness will pull in one thread.If it is not one thread, cook some more.
Add in the chili flakes and the roasted cumin powder and stir.
Cover with a cloth napkin to cool.
Sterilise glass bottles and fill them with the Chunda.Be sure that you sun it for at least 2-3 days.
The Indian summer sun will ensure that your relish stays preserved for a whole year.If you don't eat it up by then -that is.
Serve with cheese-the combination of slightly salted cheddar and the sweet and spicy and tangy relish is awesome.
Or do what I did,use this to serve as a snack to your guests.
Cracker,a slice of homemade ricotta or herbed cottage cheese,and topped with fried ,caramelised onion or maybe olives, or chopped gherkins,maybe capers, shredded basil leaves, maybe diced sweet peppers...
Whatever!
And Enjoy.
Don't forget to pucker your lips and smack them ,after you taste this Green Mango Relish in a Sweet and Sour and Spicy Avatar- Chunda .
Easy to make and adds value to many a bland meal.
Try it...
So what are you baking today???