Maavinakai Kette Uppinakai (Instant Raw Mango pickle)

         

Pickles are something that everyone loves!!!!  As a child, I would have pickles with almost everything - idlis, dosas, plain rice & ghee, rotis or even bread!! :D And we always had a jar of home made pickles at home. In fact, I hadn't tasted store bought pickles until I shifted to the hostel during my Engineering days!! Amma makes different varieties of pickles and the one I have for you today is the simplest of all. Its fast, easy to make, takes very few ingredients and you need not have to wait for too long before you can start relishing it.... And it is also one of my favorites!!! :) Here's how Amma makes it....

Ingredients:

3 Raw Mangoes, medium sized

3tsp Mustard seeds

30 Dry Red Chilies, low to medium spiced

1tsp Powdered Hing

1 tsp Haldi/Turmeric

Salt as per taste

 

Method:

1. Wash and cut mangoes into 1 inch cubes; In a glass jar, spread some of the cubes and sprinkle some salt over it; Add few more cubes and make another layer; Sprinkle some more salt ; Repeat the process for the remaining mango cubes and keep aside.
2. Powder the mustard seeds and red chilies to a fine mixture; Add hing, turmeric and mix well. Note:DO NOT add any water while powdering the spices in the blender/mixie.
3. Add the powdered spices to the mango-salt mixture and mix well with the help of a long spoon; Close the lid of the jar tightly. Relish with idlis, dosas,akki rottis, curd rice.

Tips:

1. Choose mangoes carefully; The mangoes should be sour and hard.
2. The pickle may seem a little dry on the first day, but DO NOT add any water; the mangoes will give out enough water in a day or two;
3. Though this pickle can be eaten with any south indian dish, curd rice & pickle is the most famous combination.
4. Though this pickle is sort of instant and can be used right away, it tastes great after a couple of days when the mangoes would have absorbed the masalas.
5. This pickle cannot be stored for too long; Its average shelf life is about 1-1.5 months. As days go by, the mangoes would start becoming soft and start dissolving in the gravy.

Prep Time: About 30-40 mins;

Makes: Roughly enough pickle to fill a 450-500 ml bottle;

Badanekayi HinDi (Baingan Bharta, the South Indian style)

       

Hey people...I'm back!!! I had disappeared again for a coupla weeks, hadn't I??!?! Well, I didn't want to, but I got so busy with mom n dad that I could barely make time for anything else!!! Amma-appa landed early last week... They had a safe journey. They didn't have too much of jetlag either, thankfully :). Been busy showing them around Chicago, these days. Have also been relishing amma made food.... All the home made sweets and savories, varieties of pickles, daily morning breakfast.... yummm!!!! I'm loving it all. Amma's adige is the best in the world!!! :) I am trying my best to take pictures of most of the dishes that amma is making. Will post them one by one!

The recipe I have for you today is from the Sirsi-Sagar parts of Karnataka. This authentic recipe is very easy to make and is a perfect accompaniment with some hot steamed rice. Thanx to my friend Sangeeta for having shared this simple yet delicious recipe! :)

 

Ingredients:

1 Large purple eggplant

1 tbsp Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

1 Small Red Onion, finely chopped

1 tsp Amchur powder OR 1 tsp  Lime juice

1 tsp Chopped Cilantro, for garnishing

2 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

2 Green chilies, slit vertically

1 tsp Chana+Urad Dal mixture

A generous pinch of hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Pre-heat the conventional over to 350 deg F.
2. Smear the eggplant with a few drops of oil; Make a few cuts on the skin of the eggplant with a knife.
3. Place the eggplant in an over safe container and bake for about 30-45 mins or until done; Tip: The eggplant is done when the skin shrinks and forms wrinkles all over. You could even poke a toothpick at the center and see if it is cooked completely.
4. Remove the eggplant from the oven and let cool for a while; Peel off a thin layer of the skin with your hands and discard.... If the eggplant is cooked well it should come off very easily.
5. Mash the flesh of the eggplant with the back of a spoon and discard the stalk.
6. Add chopped onions, amchur powder, grated coconut, salt and mix well.
7. Temper with mustard seeds, green chilies, dal mixture and hing.
8. Serve hot with rice/rotis and enjoy!

Prep Time: About 60-90 mins;

Serves: About 2-3 people;