Bharela gunda (Stuffed gumberry Gujarati pickle)
Call it lasoda or gunda, when stuffed with Gujarati pickle masala (koro sambar) and sour mango, it transforms this slimy berry into a lip-smacking delicious pickle that you can enjoy instantly.
Gunda, also known as lasoda or lehsuya is a wild fruit available during summer when the markets are buzzing with all things ‘pickle’. Visit the vegetable markets during summer and you will see vendors selling different varieties of raw green mangoes, firm and tart for pickling. In fact, in recent times you will also see them offering to peel, cut, cube or grate the mangoes for you, making the pickling process so much easier.
For me, summer time meant helping my mum store wheat, rice and daal to last us through the year. It also meant helping her sort the grains by removing the stones, drying the mangoes on the terrace for pickling, carrying dry chilies, coriander and cumin seeds to the mill to powder and of course, savouring those tart marinated mangoes when she wasn’t looking!
During the pickling season, along with koro sambar, methia keri, chundo and gol keri, she would also make bharela gunda which we could savour instantly unlike the other three traditional pickles which takes a while before you can enjoy them.
Most pickles are fairly straightforward with few ingredients. But there are certain ‘rules’ of pickles that make or break the pickles meant for storing through the year. However, bharela gunda is an instant pickle and therefore the rules are slightly different. Let us understand few tips and tricks to get this pickle right.
- Make this pickle in small quantity that can be consumed within 2-3 weeks. I live in a hot, humid country and even though I keep it in the fridge, it tends to spoil after 3 weeks. I have given quantities for one kilogram of gunda, do halve or double the quantity according to your needs.
- Buy gunda that are firm and vibrant green in colour. Pale yellow and gunda with blemishes tend to have pests in them.
- Lots of salt and a large protective cover (gloves, a plastic sheet or a newspaper) over your workspace will make it easier to work with gunda that are slimy from inside.
- The stuffing that fills the gunda need to be ‘agal padtu’, which means, use a heavy hand with salt and spice while making the stuffing and use extremely tart mangoes to get the best out of this pickle.
- Gunda’s inside tend to discolour once the seed is removed, so it is best that you prepare the pickle masala beforehand and fill it with the stuffing immediately.
- Even some green gunda without blemishes have pests in it, so it is advisable to check the insides before stuffing it.
- Wash the gunda after removing their stalks. I prefer to remove the crowns of the gunda after it is done washing and drying as sometimes during the washing and drying process, the gunda can break or tear making it slimy and difficult to work with.
I hope with these tips and tricks, you will be able to enjoy this instant version of bharela gunda. If you are looking for ideas to enjoy this pickle, have a look at some of these recipes:
Recipe Card
Bharela gunda (Stuffed gumberry Gujarati pickle)
Recipe Rating
AUTHOR
Hema B Kathrani
CUISINE
Gujarati
PREP TIME
1.30 minutes
COOK TIME
25 minutes
SERVINGS
makes 1.25 kg
Author: Hema B Kathrani | Cuisine: Gujarati | Category: Accompaniments
Prep Time: 1.30 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Servings: makes 1.25 kg
Call it lasoda or gunda, when stuffed with Gujarati pickle masala (koro sambar) and sour mango, it transforms this slimy berry into a lip-smacking delicious pickle that you can enjoy instantly.
Ingredients
- 1 kg gunda, stalks removed
- For masala (koro sambar): *read notes
- 2 cups grated raw mangoes
- ½ cup yellow mustard seeds (rai)
- 2 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
- ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tsp black salt
- ¼ cup kashmiri red chili powder
- ¼ cup red chili powder (kashmiri or reshampatti) *read notes
- ¼ cup peanut oil
- ½ cup peanut oil *read notes
Method
- Wash and dry destalked gunda thoroughly.
- Prepare the masala:
- Dry roast yellow mustard seeds, remove and keep it aside.
- Dry roast fenugreek seeds in the same pan for 30 seconds as they tend to burn quickly.
- Grind yellow mustard seeds in a coarse powder and remove in a large bowl.
- Grind fenugreek seeds in the same blender jar to a coarse powder and mix it along with the crushed yellow mustard seeds powder.
- Add asafoetida, salt, black salt, ¼ cup of kashmiri red chili powder and ¼ cup of the chili powder of your preference and mix well.
- Place warm peanut oil to the spices and mix well.
- Add the grated raw mango to the spice mix and mix till thoroughly combined.
- Adjust the seasoning (chili and salt) as per your taste.
- Prepare the workstation by setting a large sheet of plastic/gloves to clean the slimy gunda, placing a pestle, a knife, a large pan and a plate with ¼ cup of salt. (The pictorial recipe is below the recipe card)
- Working over the plastic sheet, remove the crowns of the completely dry gunda
- Using a pestle, break the mouth of the gunda
- Coat the knife generously with salt and remove the slimy seed from the gunda and check the interior of the gunda for any pests.
- Stuff the gunda generously and tightly with the raw mango and spices masala and place it in a large pan.
- Repeat the process with the remaining gunda.
- Sprinkle the remaining masala and pour ½ cup oil over the stuffed gunda.
- Place the pan over a low flame and cover it with a lid to cook for 15-20 minutes. Stir from time to time.
- The gunda is ready when it turns from bright green to olive green colour and the knife cuts through the gunda easily. On tasting, it should be soft and not hard and slimy.
- Cool completely and remove it in a container and store in the fridge.
Notes
- I got 2 cups of grated raw mango from 4 raw mangoes. If you like a lot of masala along with the gunda, you can increase the quantity to 2 ¼ to 2 ½ cups of grated raw mango.
- Use extremely sour and firm pickle mangoes for this pickle. The sour and spicy stuffing is what makes this pickle lip smacking delicious. I used ladvo – one of the sour varieties of the green mangoes used for pickling.
- If you have readily available koro sambar, you can use 200 gm of that in lieu of pickle masala written above or alternatively, if you have made my recipe of koro sambar, use 200 gm of that masala. Add 200 gm of koro sambar + grated raw mango + ¼ cup of kashmiri or reshampatti chili powder and proceed with the recipe. Adjust the salt as necessary.
- Depending on the spice level you prefer, you can use ¼ cup of kashmiri red chili powder or the spicier reshampatti chili powder additionally to the ¼ cup of kashmiri red chili powder I have written for the colour in the masala.
- Do check the seasoning by tasting the pickle masala before stuffing into gunda. The pickle masala needs to be little heavier on salt, sourness and spiciness as it will be stuffed in plain gunda.
- This pickle can be frozen. Though it still tastes delicious, the colour and the taste of the pickle is slightly impacted.
- If you prefer, you can sauté this pickle in ¼ cup oil too but while doing so, you will have to pay closer attention to the pickle while it cooks so that it doesn’t burn. Use a heavy bottom pan and stir frequently to get the best results.
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