Gudamba: A Raw Mango Chutney To Spice Up Your Regular Meals
Image Credit: YouTube @Dawat e Rasoi

What is common between momos, pakoras and paneer tikkas? The answer is delicious chutney on the side that adds to the bomb flavours of the dish.  A chutney is usually a side condiment or a sauce that could be preserved and eaten with a wide variety of dishes. The word chutney originates from the Sanskrit term ‘Chaatni’ which means to lick. This is because according to some historians, a Hakim told the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to eat something spicy and flavourful but easy to digest while he was ill. It is believed that the first prototype of a ‘Chutney’ was then invented for the first time, which was used as a topping in ‘Chaat’.

Chutney surely is consumed in small quantities as it is a side condiment like a pickle or papad, but that small amount of chutney is capable of providing nutrients that the body needs. For example, usually a chutney has jeera, heeng and dry ginger which are good for health. Could be easily prepared with a pestle or mortal, which makes chutney such a staple dish because preparing chutney requires fewer ingredients and therefore could be prepared with less cost. One could say that chutney. 

From tomato chutneys to green chutneys, the wide variety of ingredients that could be converted into a paste and be called as chutneys makes it a quick recipe to make. Do you know that the red ant chutney is a staple of some of the tribals in India? Today, we bring you a raw mango chutney also known as Gudamba or Aam ki Launji which can be prepared and preserved for days.

Ingredients-

  • 5-6 raw mangoes (kairi)
  • 3 red dried chillies
  • 1 tsp cumin/ jeera
  • 7-8 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric/ haldi
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 250 gms jaggery

Steps-

  1. Wash the raw mangoes properly in a bowl, after soaking it in cold water for at least 3 hours.
  2. Peel the raw mangoes, cut the topmost part of the raw mangoes and peel the skin with a peeler.
  3. Now, cut the raw mangoes into long pieces, do not cut them too thin. Make sure to cut them in the size of a French fries.
  4. Add dried chillies, 7-8 cloves of garlic and a tablespoon of cumin in a mixer jar and add a cup of water to it. Now, grind the ingredients to make a paste. Do not make an extremely fine paste.
  5. Now, in a separate wok or pan, heat two to three spoons of oil. Once the oil is hot add a tablespoon of mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, add the spice paste to the oil and cook. 
  6. Add red chilli powder, turmeric and salt to the paste. Add a cup of water also and cook for some time.
  7. Now, add 250 gms of jaggery. Adjust the quantity of jaggery according to the sweetness of the chutney that you prefer.
  8. Melt the jaggery properly. Once the jaggery is melted properly, add the pieces of raw mango to the mixture and cook. Cover and cook for five minutes. Now, add water if you like.
  9. Adjust the consistency of the chutney according to your preference.