Shobha's Food Mazaa: December 2014

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

RAW MANGO CURRY / MAMIDIKAYA PULUSU / MANGA KUZHAMBU

When raw mangoes are in season we make and relish many dishes with them. Here is the recipe of a tangy curry from the South. You can make it just with mangoes or add some vegetables like potato, brinjal or even fish to it.Serve it with plain rice.

Ingredients:
Raw mangoes ... 2-3 small ones
Onions ............ 1 ( about half cup sliced )
Tomato puree ..... 2 tbsps (you may use 1 tomato instead)
Tamarind pulp ... 2 tbsps
Ginger ......... 1 tsp
Garlic ........... 1 tsp
Red chilli powder ... 1/2 tsp (or more)
Turmeric powder ... 1/4 tsp
Kuzhambu masala powder ... 1 tbsp (see recipe HERE )
Salt ..... to taste
Coriander leaves .. handful

Tempering Ingredients:
Mustard seeds ... 1 tsp
Asafoetida .... a pinch
Curry leaves .... few
Dry red chillies .. 1-2
Oil .... 3-4 tbsps

Method:
1. Wash and cut the mangoes into big pieces. Sprinkle a little salt and set aside.
2. Hear oil in a pan and add the tempering ingredients.
3. When they crackle add the sliced onions and saute until translucent. Now add the ginger garlic pastes and about half cup water. Simmer for few minutes.
4. Now add the mango pieces, tomato puree, tamarind pulp, spice powders, salt and sugar.
5. Add sufficient water (about one and half to two cups ) to cook and simmer the curry until done.
You can add coriander leaves towards the end.

Pin for later

SWEET AND SOUR BRINJAL PICKLE / KHATTA MEETHA BAIGAN KA ACHAR / EGGPLANT PICKLE / AUBERGINE PICKLE

This is a recipe of spicy tangy sweet and sour brinjal pickle from Goa. This pickle also can be made with raw brinjals if you have the facility of keeping it in the sunlight for maturing. Since we don't have good sunlight here I have fried the brinjals and made instant one. I had tasted the raw one also at a Goan friend's place. Both have a unique taste. The spice level can be increased or decreased according to your taste.

Ingredients :
Brinjals .. 1/2 kilo (preferably small ones cut into 1 inch long pieces - about 3 cups )
Ginger .... 1 tbsp (grated)
Garlic ..... 1 pod (crushed)
Red chilli powder 2 tbsps
Turmeric powder ... 2 tsps
Mustard powder .... 2 tbsps
Fenugreek powder .. 1 tbsp
Cumin powder ...... 1 tbsp
Sugar ............. 1/4 cup
Vinegar ........ 1/4 cup
Tamarind pulp .... 2 tbsps ( I used 1 tbsp dry mango powder instead)
Salt ...... to taste
Curry leaves .. handful
Dry red chillies .. 4-5
Oil ....... 1/2 to 3/4 th cup for the pickle
Extra oil to fry the brinjals

Method:
1. Cut the brinjals into one inch strips and sprinkle salt on them
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry them until half done. Don't make them mushy.
3. Lightly dry roast the masalas and grind them coarsely.
4. In a pan heat the oil for the pickle and add the crushed garlic ginger, broken red chillies and curry leaves.
5. When they start to change the colour reduce the heat and add the spice powders and salt.
6. Stir for a few seconds and add the sugar and vinegar. Keep stirring until the sugar melts.
7. Now tip in the fried brinjals and stir carefully until they are well coated.
8. Let the pickle cool. Store in a sterilized bottle and refrigerate it.