Manga Kari | Instant Pickle

Yippeeeeeee. We are in the last week of this month long marathon and I am happy that I have managed to be ready with all the 5 recipes for this week. I just have to edit the pictures and my post.

For the last week the ingredient I have chosen in raw mango. It is off-season now but I managed to get 1 or 2 mangoes for some of my recipes and few recipes I had prepared over summer but never posted. 

Manga kari makes an entry 2-3 times in our kitchen during the summer season. There is a mango in the name of kilimooku in tamil and kilichundan in malayalam meaning parrot's nose. Whenever I find this mango (Raw) I buy them in huge and make a variety of recipes like this manga kari, manga chammandhi, manga koottan etc... Will try to post most of these in this week's marathon. 

Starting this week with a very easy to make and instant pickle. This pickle often finds its place in the sadya menu. This can be made in a jiffy. The only time consuming process being chopping up the mango into small pieces. This kari stays good in room temperature for 2-3 days. Most of the times it gets over within that time. If you are planning to keep it for more time then it has to be refrigerated and consumed within about a week.

Ingredients:

Mango,unripe - 1 

Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp 

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Roasted fenugreek seeds powder - 1 pinch

Salt - As needed

To temper

Sesame oil - 1 tblsp

Mustard - 3/4 tsp

Method:

• Chop the cleaned mango finely - as tiny as possible and place in a mixing bowl. 
• Add salt and raw asafoetida and mix everything with the chopped mango.
• In a pan/ kadai, heat oil and temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table. 
• Switch off the stove and add fenugreek seeds powder, turmeric, red chilli powder and mix well.
• Add this to the chopped mango. Mix well until the oil is evenly coated.

Instant mango pickle is ready!! Enjoy with a bowl of curd rice.

Notes:

• Adjust the spice and salt according to the tanginess of the mango.
• You can also add 1 red chilly while tempering. I usually don't add.
• This pickle also goes well with biriyanis.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 68

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Varagu Pongal

The last one in the 'varagu' aka 'kodo millet' ingredient week is Pongal with varagu. Millets are rich in fiber, low in cholesterol and are gluten free. I made this pongal along with vadai. Pongal vadai with sambar and chutney is an wholesome breakfast. This varagu pongal is very easy to prepare, tastes delicious and also very healthy. There is not much difference between rice pongal and this pongal except that I felt it a little dry when compared to our normal rice pongal. I mean it was not muchy.

Ingredients:

   Varagarisi /Kodo Millet- 1/2 cup
   Split green gram dal/Moong dal/pasi paruppu -2 tbsp
   Water - 2 1/2 cup
   Salt to taste

   For the seasoning

   Oil - 1 tbsp
   Ghee - 1-2 tsp
   Cumin seeds/jeera - 1 tsp
   Whole black pepper/milagu - 1 tsp
   Cashew nuts - 4-5
   Ginger finely chopped - 1 tbsp
   Curry leaves - a sprig

Method:

• Dry roast moong dal in little ghee until it is hot to touch. 
• Wash and pressure cook both dal and millets with 2 1/2 cup of water and salt needed for 3 whistles.
• Once the pressure subsides, open the cooker and mix the content well.
• Heat ghee in a kadai/pan, add mustard seeds. When mustard crackles add cumin/jeera seeds, pepper finely chopped ginger, curry leaves. Fry for 30 seconds and pour it over the cooked millet + dal.
• Fry cashewnuts in ghee and pour it over the pongal.
• Cook the pongal on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Add remaining ghee, mix well and switch it off.

Delicious pongal is ready!!! Enjoy it with chutney and sambar.

Notes:

You can substitute kodo millet with little millet (samai) or barnyard millet (kudraivali) and prepare the same recipe.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 68

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Varagu Pakora | with leftover idli batter

I normally make pakora with left over idli batter. Thats how I got the idea for this varagu pakora. But this time I didn't have any batter left from the idli/dosa batter made with varagu arisi. SO I prepared fresh batter just to make these pakoras.

This is the 20th recipe we are posting in this month long marathon and we have 6 more recipes coming up. This time I haven't done much justice with commenting on my fellow bloggers who are participating in this mega marathon. But I am happy that I am able to prepare and post the recipes as planned. Hope the rest of the 6 days will also go smooth.

When we have idli batter leftover for more than 2 days, these pakoras are the best option. Since the batter will also be little sour, it gets compensated with the onions and the rice flour added and gives a nice crispy taste. Well at my place, people did not make out that the idli was made out of varagu arisi. The same goes for pakoras also :)

Ingredients:

Leftover sour idli batter (with varagu) – 2 cups

Rava / Sooji – ½ cup

Onion – 1

Pepper powder– 1 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Green chillies – 2

Rice flour – 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves - a bunch

Oil – for frying 

Method:

• Finely chop the onions, coriander leaves and green chillies.
• Now add the onions, green chillies, rava, pepper, salt, coriander leaves and rice flour to the idli batter.
• Mix them well. The consistency should be thick, so if required add water.
• Let the batter sit for 10 -15 minutes. Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai.
• Once the oil is hot enough, bring down the flame to medium. Using a spatula or a spoon pour the batter in the oil.
• Fry till they are golden brown. I fried 4-5 pakoras at a time. 

Pakoras are ready!!! Relish it with hot tea.

Notes:

• Don't crowd too many pakoras in the oil. Otherwise they will stick to each other.
• You can add more vegetables to this batter and make it a vegetable pakora.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 68

An InLinkz Link-up