Kanda Keri Nu Kachumber
Kanda Keri Nu Kachumber or Mango Onion Salad is a simple but bursting with flavors kind of salad. Enjoy it as a part of your main meal, or with some khichdi or on its own as a snack. Healthy, its the best way to enjoy semi ripe mango during the summer season. Kanda is the Gujarati word for onion, keri is mango and kachumber is salad.
Memories
I remember whenever we visited my aunt (Manju Aunty) in Mombasa during the Christmas Holidays, kanda keri nu kachumber was always served with our lunch. After all, back then Mombasa was famous for its mangoes, coconuts, cassava and cashew nuts.
During our visit to Mombasa, we would stay at my aunt’s (foi) place for a few days before we would head for the cottages or hotel on the beach. My aunt’s family was big as my uncle’s brothers all lived under the same roof. Besides all the fun we would have with our cousins, I remember sitting with them on the window ledge and watching the world go by, snacking on kachri bateta, and walking to Lighthouse. The other vivid memory I have is the vegetable man coming to deliver vegetables everyday. No storing vegetables in the fridge in those days. The man would always give a few green chillis, ginger, coriander and a small raw mango for free along with the vegetables. My uncle would get mangoes and from the semi ripe ones, my aunt would prepare kanda keri nu kachumber.
My memories of our annual visit to Mombasa with my family are memorable. We would normally drive down to Mombasa at night from Nairobi with my dad’s friends and their families. On the way we would get to see wildlife on near the road in abundance. Sadly, this is not the case anymore. We never had to go into the National parks to see lions, giraffes, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, buffalos and so many other animals. A journey by road or rail and one saw almost everything.
Kanda Keri Nu Kachumber
When the mango season begins, I love to prepare this delicious, sweet and tangy salad, especially whenever I make khichdi. It goes so well with it. A quicker version is to slice the onion thinly and grate the mango. If I am serving it as a part of a lunch thali then I prefer to chop the mango and onion into tiny cubes. Add salt, chilli powder and jaggery and allow the salad to rest for at least 30 minutes. This way the onion gets marinated slightly and it gives the jaggery to melt. Add jaggery according to your taste. While jaggery does taste awesome with the keri, you can by all means use white sugar, brown sugar or coconut sugar.
Other Mango Salads:
Ingredients Required For Kanda Keri Nu Kachumber
- Semi Ripe Mango – When in Kenya, I prefer to use Apple Mango. In India I use Banaganapalli mango.
- Onion – for this kachumber recipe, I prefer to use red onion. However, you can use any onion of your choice.
- Salt – I have used Himalayan Pink Salt. Feel free to use any salt of your choice and according to your taste.
- Red Chilli Powder – add according to your taste
- Jaggery – powdered. Can use white, brown or coconut sugar too.
- Cumin Powder – lightly roast some cumin seeds in a pan over low heat, till you get the aroma. Crush the cumin seeds (jeera, jeeru) in a mortar with a pestle. Or using a rolling pin to crush into a coarse powder.
KANDA KERI NU KACHUMBER/ MANGO ONION SALAD
Ingredients
- 1 large semi ripe mango
- 1 small red onion
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp jaggery powder
Instructions
- Peel and grate the mango or chop it finely.
- Peel the onion and chop into thin slices or dice it finely.
- Mix the mango and onion together.
- Add salt, red chilli powder, cumin powder and jaggery.
- Mix it well.
- Cover the bowl with a lid or cling film and allow the salad or kachumber to chill for at least 15-30 minutes.
- Serve with the main meal or khichdi. Can also enjoy it as a healthy snack.
Notes
- Make sure the mango is not ripe.
- Add red chilli powder and salt according to your taste.
- If you don't have jaggery, replace it with brown sugar, coconut sugar or white sugar.
Pin For Later:
A little request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962