I absolutely adore mangoes. I wait every year for mango season, and go berserk eating tons of them everyday until I get a tummy ache from eating too many mangoes, and then I repeat the same thing again the following year ! Zero lessons learnt, and soo worth it 😀
There are very few fruits as versatile as the humble mango. They lend themselves beautifully to both savory as well as sweet food preparations, in their raw as well as ripe forms. No wonder that they’re called the king of fruits then! Also, it’s mango season in Chennai now (yay!) And I’ve been sneaking this fruit into every other meal in every conceivable way. Expect a lot of mango based recipes in the next few weeks here!
I’m also a lover of morkozhambu, which is a South Indian yoghurt based gravy. My friends from Kerala make something closely similar, called the pulissery. So when I stumbled upon the recipe combining two of my favorites – mangoes and morkozhambu, I absolutely had to make it and eat it. Also, the whole thing takes only about 15-20 mins to make, and is really helpful when you have no time for an elaborate dish. This is a curry that can satisfy all your cravings in one go – sweetness from the ripe mangoes, sour from the yoghurt, and spice from the green chillies- just totally heavenly. Serve this with steamed white rice, potato fry ( or even potato chips) or vadaam and that’s really all you need for lunch.
Read on for the recipe!
Ingredients:
- Ripe mangoes – 2 big, peeled and chopped into big chunks (use Alphonso for best results – I used Banganapalli, and they were okay as well)
- Yoghurt, thick – 1.5 cups (fresh is preferable, a little sour is fine)
- Asafoetida – a pinch
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
- Oil – 3 tsp
- Mustard – 1/4 tsp
- Curry leaves – 6 or 7
- Salt and sugar to taste
To Grind:
- Fresh grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
- Green chillies – 2 or 3, big (you could also use dry red chillies, same qty)
- Cumin – 1 tsp
- Ginger – 1 inch piece
Method
- Heat some oil in a pan. Once oil is hot enough, add mustard seeds and curry leaves and wait for them to splutter.
- Add asafoetida into the oil and mix for a second.
- Add your chopped mangoes into the oil. Immediately top it up with some water (just enough to cover the mangoes). Add 1/2 tsp of sugar and 1/4 tsp of salt, turmeric. Gently mix.
- Turn down your flame to a low sim and let this simmer for about 5 minutes. Again, this time can vary more or less depending on your mangoes – based on how sweet and ripe they are. You just need to make the mangoes tender, no need to cook through. It took me about 5 minutes.
- While the mangoes are simmering, get your ‘to grind’ ingredients and pulse them into a smooth consistency in your mixer, using water a little at a time. Do not use too much water as it may turn your curry watery.
- Dip your yoghurt into a bowl. Whisk well to remove any lumps.
- Add the ground mixture to the yoghurt and whisk well to combine.
- Add this mixture to the simmering mangoes. Adjust for salt and sugar as per your taste.
- The curry needs to just be on simmer for 1-2 mins. Switch off the stove.
- Serve hot with steamed rice or chapatti.
TIPS
- Do not boil any yoghurt-based gravies, as the mixture will curdle and split. We do not want that. Always cook on low flame to simmer.
- The color of your curry largely depends on the type of mangoes used, and turmeric powder quantity. Make it when mangoes are in season. Alphonso mangoes will generally impart a brighter yellow/orange color.
- This curry is sweet/sour in nature, and is excellent even the next day (store in refrigerator).
Enjoy!
a burst of flavor 