What is gunda, gumberry, gunda for pickle?

Also known as 'fragrant manjack, gunda is the fruit of a genus of shrubs called cordia, belonging to the borage family. About 300 species have been identified worldwide, mostly in warmer regions. Many of the species are commonly called manjack. Many Cordias have fragrant showy flowers and are popular in gardens, although they are not especially hardy. Like most other Boraginaceae, most have hairy .In India, the fruits of local species are used as a vegetable, raw, cooked, or pickled, and are known by many names, including lasora in Hindi. Possessing only a few, long, drooping branches, the crown of this species is made moderately dense by the large size of its foliage. Leaves are simple, alternate, and arranged in two tiers along the twigs. Gunda is the glossy, green, globular fruits (1.5 cm) of the cordial tree. As they mature, they turn pale to dull yellow or white and become translucent. In them, a solitary seed is found, which is surrounded by a thick layer of slippery, jelly-like pulp.

Whole Gunda

The whole fruit is chopped in big or small chunks using a sharp knife and used for making pickles or chutneys.

Deseeded Gunda

The seeds may be removed by scooping out the pulp.

Pickled Gunda

The sour taste of gunda is favoured in pickle preparations. The gunda is pickled with or without seeds by adding salt, sugar, citric acid and spices.

How to select gunda, gumberry, gunda for pickle

The gunda fruit should be firm and green in color. They should be without any blemishes or soft spots.

Culinary Uses of gunda, gumberry, gunda for pickle

· Gunda is taken as food and the immature fruits are pickled and are also used as vegetable.
· Gunda is used in making chutneys which are served with rice or dosas in Southern part of India.
· Gunda imparts sour tastes in many Andhra based cuisine and recipe.

How to store gunda, gumberry, gunda for pickle

Gunda like other tropical fruits should not be refrigerated unless over ripe. Ripe gunda should exhibit a fragrant fruity aroma. They will continue to ripen after harvest and should be stored at room temperature unless it is very ripe.

Reviews

Margaret Harder

on 18 Sep 22 06:15 AM

My brother left us with some foods, among them Khaman Gunda (bottled, pickled) that looked like olives but tasted...different! Of course, I just had some on rice with pork as a sampling of Indian cuisine. He was an adventurous cook, ground his own spices, and if an ingredient was unavailable, he sought it out and bought it for his cooking. I miss him very much.

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Tarla Dalal Thanks for the feedback.

21 Sep 22 12:16 PM

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