Kasundi - Traditional method…

 Kasundi is quintessentially a part of the Bengali cuisine. It’s used in cooking and used as an accompaniment with fried food as dip, salad and starters. Kasundi has a sharp pungent taste.

 Traditionally Kasundi is made with lots of rituals and many restrictions are followed. Earlier only the Bramhins could only make the Kasundi. Made in the month of April ( End April and starting of May,  as the mustard seeds have been harvested and dried in the Sun. Kasundi should be made before the monsoon begins. The mustard seeds and other spices are washed, dried in the Sun and ground into fine powder. Black mustard is used. The water is boiled and reduced into 3/4 quantity. The mustard powder is added into the mud pot along with salt and Turmeric powder. Gradually warm water added and stired well. The Kasundi is made into thin consistency. The Kasundi is stirred very well. Some people add raw mango pieces into the Kasundi. 

In villages people enjoy Kasundi with puffed rice / muri makha, different types of vegetables makha or add the Kasundi in the green vegetables like paat saag / jute leaves. 

Now it is made at home with ease. Apart from traditional Kasundi there are now many ways and ingredients vary while  making the Kasundi. 

Here is a humble try of making the traditional Kasundi at home. It stay for a long time out, but I prefer keeping the Kasundi in the fridge. 

Here I have used Black and Yellow mustard. I have added few Garlic cloves, it’s optional. I have added vinegar so that it stays well for a longer period of time.

Ground Spices for Kasundi 

Ingredients 

1 tbsp Cumin seeds 

2 tbsp Coriander seeds 

6 to 8 Pepper corns 

4 Bay leaves 

6 to 7 Dried Chillies 

4 Cloves

3 Green Cardamom 

1 small piece of Cinnamon 

Method 

Dry roast all the above ingredients until an aroma releases. Switch off the flame and keep the spices aside until it cools down. 

Kasundi 

Ingredients 

1 medium size Raw Mango washed, peeled and ground into paste. 

4 Green Chillies (optional)

1 medium piece of Ginger

4 Garlic cloves (optional)

1/2 cup Yellow Mustard seeds 

1 cup Black Mustard seeds

Salt to taste 

2 tsp Turmeric powder 

Ground spices 

1 1/2 liter or more Boiled warm water ( Water has to boil and reduced to 3/4) 

2 tbsp Vinegar (optional)

Method 

Wash the black and yellow mustard seeds. Dry the mustard seeds in the sun until it’s completely dried up. 

Take a grinding jar, add the mustard seeds, Grind the mustard seeds into fine powder. Also make a paste of the green chillies, ginger and garlic together. Add the ground spice powder into the mustard powder. Sieve the ingredients together, so that we get a very fine powder of the ingredients ground. Take a mud pot, add the mustard and spice powder into the pot. Add salt and turmeric powder. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the ginger - chilli - garlic paste and mango paste. Now add the warm water gradually into the pot and keep on stirring, so that no lumps should form. Keep stirring, check on salt. Add salt if required. Keep stirring and keep adding warm water until the sauce has a thin consistency. Keep stirring for 10 to 15 minutes as all the ingredients blends together and all the flavours releases. Add the vinegar. Gradually the Kasundi will become a bit thicker later. Cover and leave the Kasundi aside in the mud pot. Next day transfer the Kasundi into the dry clean bottles and keep it in a dry place. Later keep it in the fridge.