Recipe for Kanda-Kairi Chutney - Onion and Raw Mango Chutney

What's the best way to jazz up an Indian meal? I'd say "condiments". Chutneys, pickles, podis, kachumber added to a couple of vegetables, dal, rotis and rice can turn your dish into a full fledged Indian thaali. Goodness, my mouth waters even as I type out these words! Sigh, there's no hope for me :-/

Gujarati cuisine is full of such condiments and they do know how to make use of them mangoes, raw or ripe! The Gujarati aamras is just the best in the world (my opinion, of course), but there is also this chutney with raw mangoes, that you can make for more months in a year as raw mangoes are more accessible pretty much round the year. Also, you gotta love a chutney that comes together without much effort or without any cooking on the stove top. 

This kanda kairi chutney, which essentially means onion and raw mango chutney is one such condiment that will make your salivary glands see green as soon as you spot it on your plate. It is a fine balance of sour-salty-spicy, you can add a pinch of sugar if you find that the raw mangoes you are using are too sour. I left out the sugar in this recipe as the mangoes were mildly sweet. Don't be too worried about the raw onions, as the sourness from the mangoes kind of cures it and mellows it down. This recipe is adapted from what a friend shared with me. 

It was meant to be shared in the height of summer, but better late than never and a peek into the regular online grocery shopping sites tells me that they are still available. So HURRY and try it out!

Recipe for Kanda Kairi Chutney - Onion and Raw Mango Chutney
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 cup grated raw mango
1/2 cup grated onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp anaardana powder (dried pomegranate powder)
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp red chilli powder
pinch of asafoetida

Instructions
In a medium bowl, mix the grated raw mango, grated onion, salt, sugar, anardaana powder and roasted cumin powder.
In a tempering ladle, heat the oil. Add the chilli powder and asafoetida. Turn off the flame immediately. Pour this over the mixed ingredients in the bowl. Toss well and cover and keep aside for at least 15 minutes.
Serve along with parathas or dal and rice.
Save the leftover chutney in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Use it within 2-3 days.

(c) Nandita Iyer 2006-2015

Posted in: Veg-Recipes