Guest post for CWK Series: Instant Raw Mango Pickle

In this life full of hustle n bustle, hurries and worries, sometimes you come across pearls that shine and leave their radiating reflection in your eyes never to be forgotten. One fine day when I was playing with my daughter, rhyming with her on the tunes of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star', and I received a buzz from this young, talented girl on my chat. I only knew her as a blogger by then and that day I saw the other side of her, the brilliant girl who's going for her C.A., all destined and aimed towards her goals, and still the passion for cooking reigning her mind. I was bewildered to know that she learnt cooking at the age of 9; gosh, I didn't know how to make tea at that age!! She is a girl full of life, vivacious and charming, talented and determined, and I wish she stays like that forever. We all love you, Kavi, and your blog 'Edible Entertainment' rocks!!

This girl has been hosting a number of events, and now with this new event of hers, called 'Cooking With Kin', she's inviting her fellow blogger and non-blogger friends to guest post on her blog; what an honour!! I'm literally delighted to be a part of that team and I feel great in writing this post for her. 

 

This recipe is a favorite in my family because it's very simple, very quick and goes well with just anything and everything. I always used to see my mom and grand-mom making pickles/ achaar during summers and saving them for the whole year, but I never did that. For me, life has always been a run from here to there, flipping countries like pages and going on and on. With this fast pace of life, this recipe is what I cherish as a gift. This one is very close to my heart and hence I feel elated in posting this for someone who's also a sweetheart. 

 

Please click here for the recipe and do check her fabulous blog for those utter tempting recipes. :)

 

 

Linking this recipe to my ongoing event: Cooking Made Easy With Mango

 

 

 

Kacchhe Aam Ki Chutney/ Lunji/ Galka ( Raw Mango Sauce)

For the last two weeks, I've been really busy; my in-laws were here, so I was all set to cook, serve and also learn a lot from my mother-in-law. I have a lot of bookmarked recipes to follow for the coming weeks, because this whole while I was trying to learn all authentic Lucknowi cuisines from her. Here's one of them, which is called 'Galka' in Lucknow. This is a recipe that I bookmarked from my mom 4 years back, and again I'm bookmarking the same from my mother-in-law, with a slight variation.

In Rajasthan, this is called 'Lunji', and 'Galka' is a Lucknowi version of the same, with the only difference that 'Lunji' is made from raw mango cubes, whereas, 'Galka' is made from grated raw mangoes.

KACCHE AAM KI CHUTNEY/ LUNJI/ GALKA

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1. Raw Mango (cubed/grated): 1

2. Sugar: 2 tbs or as per taste

3. Oil: 2 tbs

4. Mustard Seeds (rai): 1/2 tsp

5. Cumin Seeds (jeera): 1/2 tsp

6. Aniseed (saunf): 1/2 tsp

7. Salt: 1 tsp

8. Red Chilli Powder: 1/2 tsp

9. Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Cut the raw mango in small cubes or grate it. I prefer the typical green raw mangoes, but even if you have the slightly yellow ones, they'll do good; just add a little less sugar if they are already sweeter. 
2. Take oil in a pan and heat it on high flame. Once hot, switch the flame to low and add jeera
   (cumin seeds), followed by saunf and rai. Let the rai splutter.
3. Now add the mango cubes to it and mix well.
4. Add all the spices and salt and cover the pan for 5-7 minutes, keeping the flame on low.
5. By this time, the raw mango cubes would be optimally cooked; if you feel they are still not soft, cook for 2-3 minutes more, adding 1 tsp of water. 
6. At last, add sugar to it and mix well. 
7. Put off the heat and let it cool.
8. Relish this with Parantha or any snacks.

Tips:

1. You can even make this with ripe mangoes if they are a slightly sour and tangy; just add less sugar and cook for lesser time.
2. This can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

 Submitting this to:

"Every Tuesday " event started  by Priya and Aipi. 

 

Hot n Spicy Banana Chilli Spirals with Apple Chutney and Carrot Cucumber Raita(Yogurt)

Did you know eating an apple is a more reliable method of staying awake than consuming a cup of coffee? The natural sugar in an apple is more potent than the caffeine in coffee.

But why am I talking about apples here? You guessed it right; this recipe has something to do with Apples. ;)

I owe a heap of gratitude to Manjula Aunty who keeps raising wonderful cooking contests every month that give you the platform to experiment with never-tried combinations and blush out with new innovations. Also, you get to know such interesting facts about the ingredients you are pushing into your recipe. :)

This month, the challenge is to take up at least 2 of the following 5 food items and come up with an appetizer.

1. Carrot

2. Cucumber

3. Celery

4. Banana

5. Apple

As usual, I thought of several combinations, like Banana-oat patty, Carrot Mutthiya, Cold Apple Pickle, but none was making a perfect deal for a complete appetizer that could gratify the taste buds. Finally, a trio clicked me which would be tangy, healthy and at the same time, pleasing to the eyes. Also, it will cover four of the above five ingredients which makes me a little happy, though I would have loved to use all five of them. :)

Here goes the recipe.....

Hot n Spicy Banana Chilli Spirals with Apple Chutney and Carrot Cucumber Raita (Yogurt):

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 2

Health Meter: This goes perfect for people who are 'chilli bhajji/mirchi vada lovers'. Its hot n spicy flavor will tease your tongue and the refreshing cool yogurt will extinguish that fire. The complete dish has Vitamin C from green chillies; Iron from banana; Calcium and Potassium from apples; Carbs from gram flour, banana; Carotene, Vitamin A and K from carrots, apples; Minerals from cucumber; soothing tinge from curd/yogurt, and a smile :) that follows after you consume all this. :) Though I would also mention that it is a fried food, so to make it cholesterol free, please use cholesterol free vegetable oils, like Sunflower oil/Canola oil/Soyabean Oil.

For more information on nutrition facts, please go through  http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/

 

BANANA CHILLI SPIRALS:

Ingredients:

For Filling:

1. Raw Banana/Plantain: 1(Boiled, peeled and mashed)

2. Yellow Chilli/Bhajji : 4

3. Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp

4. Coriander Powder: 1 tsp

5. Cumin Powder: 1/2 tsp

6. Red Chilli Powder: 1/2 tsp 

7. Amchoor (Dry Mango) Powder - 1 tsp

8. Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp (optional)

9. Salt: 1 tsp or as per taste

10. Dried Mint Powder: 1/2 tsp (optional) 

11. Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp

12. Oil - 3 tbs

Outer Spiral:

1. Maida (All Purpose Flour): 1/2 cup

2. Besan (Gram Flour): 1/2 cup

3. Ajwain: 1/2 tsp

4. Salt: 1/2 tsp or as per taste

5. Oil - 2 tbs (for moin) and rest for deep frying

5. Water (for making dough)

 

Step-by-Step Method:

1. We'll prepare the Spiral dough first. Take the maida, besan, salt, oil, ajwain seeds and mix well. Now slowly add water to it making a soft dough. Knead it well. Keep the consistency like that of chapati/poori dough. Keep it aside, covered with a soft cloth or vessel.
2. Now let's prepare the filling. Boil the raw banana/plantain in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes (just how you do for potatoes). Peel off the outer cover and mash it well.
3. Now take a pan and add 3 tbs oil to it. Heat it and add cumin seeds. Now add the banana pulp followed by all spices and salt. Cook it for 5 minutes with continuous stirring as the banana pulp will keep sticking to the bottom. Cook till the oil separates (it will hardly take 8-10 minutes). Your filling is ready.
4. Now take the yellow chillies/bhajji and wash them well. Wipe with a clean cloth. Now make a vertical incision in each chilli without cutting it into two pieces (You must be knowing how to dissect it without murdering it ;)) Take out all the seeds from the chilli. Now fill the banana filling gently in each dissected bhajji with the help of fingers and be careful that you don't break the chilli. Keep these filled chillies aside.
5. Now we'll prepare the outer spiral. Take a medium part of the dough, and make a ball with it. Now roll it into a roti which is 5mm thick. Cut vertical long stripes of 2 cm width each with the help of a knife.
6. Now take the filled chilli/bhajji and start wrapping it with the stripes in a spiral fashion. Start from the tail of the chilli, and keep rolling carefully till you reach the top where you seal it. Be sure there is no gap left from where the chilli could peep out. If one stripe is not long enough to cover the whole bhajji, use 3-4 stripes joined together with water droplets.
7. Now take oil in a pan/kadai and heat it. Now deep fry the filled spirals on low-medium heat till they turn golden brown. Do not fry on high flame as it would burn the outer layer without cooking the chilli within.
8. Take them out and serve these hot n spicy spirals with Apple Chutney and Carrot Cucumber Raita/Yogurt.

APPLE CHUTNEY:

Ingredients:

1. Apple: 1

2. Red Chilli Powder: 1/4 tsp

3. Black Pepper Powder: 1/4 tsp

4. Salt: 1/2 tsp or as per taste

5. Cumin Powder: 1/4 tsp

6. Sugar: 1tsp

7. Cumin seeds (jeera): 1/4 tsp

8. Chat Masala: 1/4 tsp

9. Oil: 1 tbs

Method:

1. Peel the apple and cut into small pieces.
2. Now take oil in a sauce-pan and heat it. Add cumin seeds (jeera) to it followed by the apple pieces. Now add all the masala and cook for 2 minutes. Add sugar, stir and cover the pan for 5 minutes. Now let it cool. After it has cooled down, grind this into chutney and serve with the spirals. 

CARROT CUCUMBER RAITA/YOGURT:

Ingredients: 

1. Carrot (grated): 1

2. Cucumber small (grated): 1/2

3. Yogurt/ fresh curd (beaten): 2 cups

4. Salt: 1/2 tsp or as per taste

5. Cumin Powder: 1/4 tsp

6.  A dash of Black Pepper Powder

7. A dash of Black Salt

8. A dash of Dried Ginger Powder

Method:

1. It's as simple as it sounds. Just beat the curd or take yogurt. 
2. Add all the above ingredients and mix well.
3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve chilled with hot n spicy spirals.

Suggestions:

1. For staying healthy, use cholesterol free oils, like Canola/Sunflower/Soyabean for deep frying.
2. To lessen the calories, use low-fat yogurt or low-fat curd.
3. While preparing Raita/Yogurt, you could also use steamed/microwaved carrot for soft texture, though I prefer to use the peeled fresh ones.
4. An alternate for Apple Chutney could be Cold Apple Pickle where you can spice up peeled and grated apple with the spices without frying it. Then you can refrigerate this pickle for 2-4 hrs so that the spices get their nerves. 
5. In place of banana in spirals, you could also use any vegetable, like potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots.
6. Always cook your dishes with a good mood and happy heart as they are reflected in the taste/flavor your dish wears.
7. If some filling is extra, you could make 'banana samosas' with them. 

At last, let me share one more interesting fruit fact with you:

Bananas are actually an herb, not a fruit. It is in fact the world's largest herb, related to the orchid and lily families. The bananas are actually considered the berries of this giant herb.