Recipe: MAMBAZHAPPACHIDI (மாம்பழப்பச்சிடி)

Puthaandu Nal Vazhthukkal! (That's HAPPY NEW YEAR in Tamil)

The summer has started with a bang and with it comes along the king of fruits – mango. I simply love them and so does a huge part of the world population. Raw mangoes can be pickled in various ways. While eating a ripe mango all by itself is a treat in itself, this recipe of Mango Pachidi is simply yummy.
 
This is a traditional recipe from Tamil Nadu that is made on the Tamil New Year’s Day or Varusha Pirappu in mid-April. This year the Tamil New Year’s Day falls on April 13, 2012, that's today.

INGREDIENTS:

Ripe Mangoes – 1 kg (peeled and cut into cubes) (you can also use half-ripe mangoes if you like a slightly sour taste)
Jaggery – 200 gm
Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
Red Chillies – 2 (broken into 2-3 pieces each)
Salt – a small pinch
Water – 2 cups
Ghee – 1 tsp

*Alternate measurements – Mango cubes – 5 cups & Jaggery – 1 cup

METHOD:

1. Take a thick bottomed vessel or a saucepan and cook the mango cubes in the water along with a pinch of salt. The mango pieces should just turn soft before the gas is switched off. If you cook for too long, the whole mixture will turn into pulp and we don’t want that to happen.
2. Melt the jaggery in a few spoons of water and filter it for impurities.
3. Add the melted jaggery to the cooked mango and allow the mixture to boil together for 3-4 minutes before switching off the gas.
4. Heat a teaspoon of ghee in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds. Wait for it to crackle before adding the red chillies.
5. Add this to the mango jaggery mixture and mix well.

The super-delicious Mango Pachidi is ready to eat. Serve it hot or chilled, whichever way you like it.