Mango Pachadi

IMAGERY:

Mango Pachadi is an interesting recipe where you can get the 5 taste flavors out of the 6. This recipe is an ancestral one which travels down from our great grand parents. I have heard that people use to eat this pachadi along with curd rice. Sometimes, my granny mixes this with rice in her lunch and sometimes, adds this in a small bowl and takes it for her evening snack. Such a delicious recipe is the mango pachadi. When they cook the mango pieces for this pachadi, the seed is also cooked along and then added to sambar or vatha kuzhambu which is yet another addent to sambar/kuzhambu.

In most of the South Indian families, this pachadi is prepared during Tamil New Year(1st day of Chitra,a Tamil Month). It is believed that making this pachadi means, similar to all flavors of pachadi, we have different emotions which needs to be balanced for a smooth life. The balance of taste makes a yummy pachadi whereas the balance of emotions makes a beautiful life. Over to such a lipsmacking recipe of our South Indian Cuisine. Do enjoy this recipe in your kitchen and let me know your valuable comments.

INGREDIENTS:
Ripe Mango                       -   1 medium size mango
Jaggery                              -    required as per the taste of the mango
Salt                                    -    a pinch
Green Chili                        -   1
Neem Flower (optional)    -   3 to 4 flowers
For Tempering:
Oil                                      -   1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds                    -   1/2 tsp

PREPARATION:

• Peel the mango skin and slice them to thin pieces. Take these mango pieces in a vessel and pressure cook for 1 whistle. No need to add water to the pieces as the mango itself will become with its juicy nature. 

• Once cooked, taste the cooked mango to decide on the amount of jaggery to be added. If the mango is sweeter, add less amount of jaggery. Add crumbled jaggery to the cooked mango and heat the mixture in a medium flame.

• Stir occasionally so that the jaggery melts and blends with the mango. Mash the mangoes such that there are no lumps.
• Add a pinch of salt and slit green chilly. The jaggery melts and becomes a little liquid. Sitr for 5 minutes so that it becomes a little thick, enough to take and eat like a semi jam.

• Once cooked, sputter mustard seeds in little oil and add to the mango pachadi.
• If you are adding neem flowers, add them once the mustard seeds splatter. Off the stove and add the flower so that it does not get burnt.

Mango Pachadi is a mix of 5 tastes with mango,jaggery,salt,neem flower and chili.
Enjoy the 5 taste variants in one dish :-)