Desi Chatpata Mango Salsa

 

Aeonian blogging for months and then a sudden breach that kept me on a lazy halt for around 2 months....gosh, this was so awkward and undesirable!! Once you lose the pace for going, you naturally go dumb and otiose, and so was I during the past couple of days. The beginning was great, being at mom's place and hogging on those yummilicious desi plates full of love and spice, but then came a phase of indolence in which my cooking and baking got lost somewhere..... but now I feel rejuvenated in travelling back to those glorious days of culinary practice again. To begin with, I could not think any better than jumping on the king of fruits, which also happens to be the star ingredient of this month's 'Cooking Made Easy Series' of mine: Mango

Of all the recipes I received so far for this event, I found 'Mango Salsa' the most tempting and easiest and thought of replicating it with a few changes to make it typically khatta meetha and Indian, so here comes the Desi Chatpata Mango Salsa.

DESI CHATPATA MANGO SALSA

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Ripe Mango: 1 

2. Onion: 1

3. Tomato: 1

4. Salt: 1 tsp or as per taste

5. Olive Oil: 1 tbs

6. Honey: 1 tbs

7. Lemon Juice: 1 tsp

8. Chat Masala: 1 tsp
9. Black Pepper Powder: 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Peel off the mango and cube it in small pieces.
2. Chop the tomato and onion finely. 
3. Transfer them to a bowl and add olive oil, honey, salt, lemon juice and chat masala to it. 
4. Give a flip and serve immediately with chips, papad, biryani or anything you wish.

Suggestions:

1. You can use any variety of mango here, but I prefer the tangy yet sweet ones, like the 'Raspuri' or 'Kesar Aam'.
2. You could also add bell pepper and jalapeno, though I found it good even without them. 
3. Addition of honey is a choice. You could skip this if you don't like honey or don't wish the salsa to be sweet.
4. Red Chilli Powder can be added for an extra kick.
5. Always add salt and spices just before serving, else the salsa will start giving up juices and will turn slightly watery.
6. Dried herbs like mint, parsley, basil or oregano can be sprinkled for that over-the-top flavor and aroma. 
7. This can even be served in tarts or small canepes.  

Submitting this to:

 My ongoing event: Cooking Made Easy With Mango,

99 day festival - Mango Mania,

Bon Vivant Fruit Recipes,

Let's Cook With Fruits by Radhika,

Summer Spunk by Anusha

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

 

 

 

Tango with Mango

Holi, the festival of colors, for some, it's just about splashing gulal, going filthy, arresting others and throwing them in the pool full of muddy water, but for others, it's quite the other way. My kiddo mind just can't help itself going back to those cuddly-buddly childhood days, especially when it's Holi and then on the top of that, when I don't happen to be in the 'Land of Colors'. The vivid memories of past, from waking up as early at 7am on a holiday to polishing your whole body with oil and cold-cream, this all can never be drawn blank. I remember gearing up in the morning before anyone could arrive, assembling all the possible colors, from dry gulal to pakka rang, even some silver tubes with that pungent smell. And then arranging gulab-jamuns and some 10 varieties of sweets and savories, also some grapes in those glass and steel bowls; filling old buckets with water and keeping them outside; pumping water into the flyseck red, yellow, green balloons, and finally getting dressed in some quondam clothes which had all the rights to go dirty. The day always used to begin with a bountiful smile, and then it used to pass away in a flash like an interesting 3 hour movie. With bags and pichkaris loaded, hair tied in some stupid fashion, the whole gang/toli of around 15 kids would head on. Ringing bells of each and every house in the colony, we were then adorably invited by all uncles and aunties to come over and fetch some sweets. Ornamenting them with some gulal on their face, we collected so many blessings, but the kids in that house, if any, could not rescue themselves from our color-water-terror. Throwing balloons on the back with full force, and watching that 'aah' expression, it always was so much fun. And then running on the roads to catch the only non-colored fellow left was the biggest thrill. Those days were and will always be the best throughout my life; recreating my soul and refreshing it every time I think about. 

This time on Holi, I was away from the family, away from those colors, but one thing could still connect me to that time: Sweets. Though there was no party, not many dishes to rock the table, but at least some sugar on the palate and some on the plate. I've never been this emotional while writing a post, so I guess it's better that I jump on to the recipe directly rather than flooding the blog and food table with my tears.

TANGO WITH MANGO

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: Nil

Serves: 2 

Ingredients:

1. One Ripe Mango or 1 cup Mango Puree and a few mango cubes

2. Whipped Cream: 1/4 cup

3. Vanilla Ice-cream: 1 cup

4. Sugar: 2 tbs or as per taste

Method:

1. Peel off the mango and de-seed it. 
2. Saving some tiny cubes for garnish, use the rest to form a smooth puree with a blender/juicer.
3. Add the sugar to the paste and swirl it once again to give a quick mix.
4. Keep this aside.
5. Now take chilled whipping cream and whip it till soft peaks are formed. Add 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbs mango puree and again beat for a minute.
6. Now take the ice-cream block and slice it out.
7. Layer one slice on the plate, followed by the mango puree, hen one more ice-cream slice and then the mango cream. Drizzle some cubes on the top and slurrrrrrp.

 

Suggestions:

1. The mango should be fully ripe and sweet.
2. In place of fresh mango, mango puree can also be used.
3. I also added a little gelatin (1 tbs) in the cream and puree to make it slightly mousse-like, but that needs to be set 4-6 hours prior to use.
4. If whipping cream is not available, you can use fresh cream but do not expect any peaks then. Whip it slightly with sugar and mango puree to get that creamy feel. 
5. Serve immediately and be quick in assembling. Rather keep everything ready by your side in different plates and keep shaping.

 The recipe goes to:
Cooking Made Easy With Mango  at my space,

My event: Cakes, Cookies and Desserts,  Holi Hai and Beat the Heat at My Cook Book,   

 Just 4 Fun by Sobha, Walk Through Memory Lane by Gayatri hosted by Roshan,
  Summer Spunk at Tomato Blues, Summer Splash by Kalyani hosted by Sangee,
Spotlight- Colorful Holi  initiated by Indrani and hosted by Chandrani,

I'm The Star by  Veg Food and Me,  ABC Series: Fruit Fiesta by Ramya,

Comfort Food by Daily Cuppa,  Color n Sweet - Holi Fest by Preeti,

Midweek Fiesta at Food Corner

Luscious Mango Shrikhand/ Yogurt

Nairobi, as fresh as the sparkling dew, as beautiful as the blossoming flowers, and as amicable as the grazing giraffes; a perfect holiday destination pertaining to its luscious green grasslands and mystical forests. Summer is shining its glory, and sun-rays are penetrating enough to burn and tan your skin. While going out on a Sunday after-noon to the Masai Market for some tribal shopping, I saw a young lady with a small kiddo resting on the road-corner, selling some mangoes. The little one was dancing around her mom, hiding in the surrounding bushes, and playing with the twigs and leaves. And then suddenly I realized that she was the tiny doll my hubby was telling about the last night. The two-some, mommy and daughter, sit in the scorching summers, selling fruits, especially mangoes to earn their daily breads. The first thought that flashed a smile on my face was the fact that they were not begging, but earning to survive. I adore such people who decide to work rather than to beg on the road-sides, and I respect such mothers who take this plunge of raising their kids just on their own without a wrinkle of worry on their forehead. I bought some mangoes from this lady, and I can't measure the  sweetness these mangoes carried, not just in terms of taste, but the warmth with which they were passed on with. My recipe for today has all that sweetness stirred in to the core, and for sure this is one of the best Shrikhands I've had till date. :)

LUSCIOUS MANGO SHRIKHAND/ YOGURT

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: None

Serves: 4

Fun Facts:

- Even inedible parts of the mango have interesting uses. The bark, leaves, skin and
  pit have been used as folk remedies for centuries.

- Mangoes are bursting with protective nutrients. The vitamin content depends upon the
  variety and maturity of the fruit. When the mango is immature the amount of vitamin
  C is higher, as it ripens the amount of beta carotene (vitamin A) increases.

- Mangoes are distantly related to a few plants that you'd probably never guess: the
  cashew and pistachio.

Ingredients:

1. Fully Ripe Mango: 1 ( Big and sweet)

2. Hung Curd/ Yogurt: 2 small cups

3. Sugar: 4 tbs or as per taste (also depends on the amount of sugar contained in the mango by itself)

4. Milk: 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Peel out the mango skin and cube the flesh, excluding the inner seed. In simple words, take the mango flesh and cut it in small cubes/pieces. Save some finely cut cubes separately for garnish.
2. Push the remaining cubed mango into a blender/juicer with the milk and sugar, and then pulse it till you get a smooth mango pulp/paste. 
3. Now add the hung curd or yogurt to it and give a strong stir so as to blend them well. 
4. For ease, you can use a blender for this too, but I prefer using a spoon to do that, because blending hard and fast can sometimes cause the curd to leave butter if it is too chilled.
5. Ornament the Mango Shrikhand/Yogurt with the saved mango delights/cubes.

Tips:

1. Always prefer fully ripe mangoes for preparing this which are sweet in taste.
2. If you are using home-made curd, please make sure that it is fresh and not sour. 
3. Hang the curd in a muslin cloth for 1 hour prior to use, for getting the perfect creamy texture.
4. Adjust the sugar addition as per your taste and based on the glucose the mango already carries.

The recipe takes off to my event, Cakes, Cookies and Desserts,

Just 4 Fun  by Sobha, Show Me Your Hits by Spicy Treats

Let’s Cook ~ Sweet Somethings by Radhika, Vardhini’s Sweet Luv,
Kalyani’s Serve with love, Sumee’s Bon Vivant,
Kid's Delight hosted by Edible Entertainment,
  Dish For Loved Ones by Srav's, Holi Hai at My Cook Book
Simple and in Season on Fabulicious Food

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. 

 

Mango Panna Cotta

Today I'm feeling so nostalgic; all memories of Manila waving in front of my eyes and I'm remembering the first time I tasted this dessert in 'The Peninsula, Manila'. Awww, that was awesome!! :) That night, after returning from the dinner party, my fingers were tapping the keyboard and searching for that recipe. Finally, I got that and after some experimentation and personalizing, I came up with this easy recipe of Panna Cotta.

Panna cotta (from Italian cooked cream) is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. It is generally from the Northern Italian region of Piemonte, although it is eaten all over Italy, where it is served with wild berries, caramel, chocolate sauce or fruit coulis.

MANGO PANNA COTTA:

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Refrigeration Time: 2 hours

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1. Fresh Cream (I usually use Amul/ Nestle): 200 ml (1 packet)

2. Milk: 1 cup

3. Sugar: 3 tbs

4. Gelatin (non-flavored): 2 tbs

For the Topping:

1. Ripe Mango: 1 (pureed)

2. Milk: 1/4 cup

3. Sugar: 3-4 tbs (depending on how sweet the mango is)

Method:

1. Mix gelatin with milk in a heavy bottomed vessel, and heat it on low flame till it gets completely dissolved. Keep stirring to avoid sticking at the bottom and burning.
2. Mix cream with sugar and simmer; do not boil. Let it cool.
3. To the sugary cream, add the gelatin milk ad mix well.
4. Refrigerate in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
5. The consistency should be jelly-like and not frozen. If it looks frozen, keep it out for some time.
6. On the other hand, prepare the mango topping. Blend the topping ingredients and refrigerate the puree in the normal compartment for 2 hours.
7. After 2 hours, take the jelly-like creamy Panna Cotta in a serving bowl and top it lavishly with the mango puree.

Tips:

1. To add an extra mile, you could embellish it with small mango cubes.
2. In place of mango, you could also use any other fruit pulp/ puree. Also, you could use different berries, like strawberry or blueberry.  
3. Since it has jelly like consistency, so you can mould or cut it in desired shapes.
4. Since it is made of milk and fresh cream, so it's definitely healthier than the 'Jellies' available in the market which contain artificial colors and flavors.

 

Submitting this recipe to:

My event: Cakes, Cookies and Desserts 

Fun N Sun by Tickling Palates, Serve It Chilled by Oh Taste n See, Kid's Delight

by Seduce Your Taste Buds and Srivalli's  Kid's Delight Post