Mangai Pachadi - Raw Mango Chutney

Iniya Puthandu Nall Vazhthukkal! Wishing you a very Happy Tamil New Year!!

Its a beautiful day outside and I am feeling really happy to be home today - after initially deciding that I would go into work, I finally got into the festive spirit and cooked up the whole traditional spread of vadai, payasam, pongal, sambar, coconut chutney.

MIL is spending a couple of months with us, so I asked her to make my favourite food for this festival - mangai pachadi. Somehow, food cooked by Moms are that much tastier, aren't they?!

Raw mangoes which just about make their appearance around this time are chopped and cooked till soft and then cooked again in a jaggery syrup till it reduces to a sweet and sour chutney. We usually take a small part of this chutney aside and mix into it crushed and fried neem flowers to impart a tinge of bitterness. Tasting this chutney which is sweet, sour and bitter is supposed to prepare us for the New Year ahead - which will have some sweet stuff and some not so sweet stuff too.

This pachadi is very addictive and I can often be found at the table, long after the meal is done - putting spoonfuls of it on my plate (this is the last spoon - absolutely the last!!) and licking it off my fingers :)

This is going off to Manina's Eating with the Seasons event; she want's us to find out what's in season - and in India, it almost summer and definitely the start of the mango season!.

Manga Pachadi - Raw Mango Chutney

2 small raw mangoes
1 small slit green chilli
1 cup grated jaggery (you can use 1/2 cup sugar instead)
pinch of salt

Method:

1. Peel and chop the raw mangoes into small pieces. Cook covered in a glass of water (about 200ml) till the pieces are soft and mushy, with the slit green chilli.
2. You can keep the pieces whole if you like a chunky chutney - I drained and reserved the water and mashed the pieces lightly. Remove the green chilli.
3. Put the mashed mango with the reserved water, a pinch of salt and the grated jaggery back on the fire for about 8 -10 minutes till it reduces to a thick consistency.

That's it - in about 15 minutes you have a lip smacking chutney ready!