Ambe Upkari or Tangy Mango Curry

          It's been ages since I shared any recipes on my blog, so when I made this dish I felt I have to share this as this is one my favorite and also easy to make. Moreover it's an important, must prepared dish in all Konkani household in this season.

          Every household have recipes close to heart with seasonal fruits and vegetables as main ingredients. Similarly in summer, most of women are busy pickling, making preserves, papads from mango, jackfruit and other summer fruits so as to save it for a rainy day.

          Mango, everyone’s favorite, the king of fruits is the most awaited fruit by everyone. Mango milkshake, icecream, aamras, lassi, aam panna, aam papad or the recent versions, sorbet, mousse, pannacotta….the list is endless.

          But in coastal regions, our native place , where local variety of small mangoes are easily available rather than the Alphonso, the mangoes either raw or ripe are used in making curries or side dish or accompaniments or also used to add flavor to curries.

          Ambe sassam or Ambe upkari is a must and most common side dish prepared in Konkani households and is a must in all weddings and fuctions during this season. I do prefer the later as it's easy to make, ready in jiffy, no grinding masalas and all and has a host of flavors… tangy, sweet, sour and spicy.  

Sassam means mustard in Konkani and this recipe has a dominant use of mustard whereas Upkari means a subji wherein less or no masalas are used and has just a tadka of rai and curry leaves with coconut gratings.

Ingredients

5-6 small size mangoes

1 teaspoon udad dal

½ teaspoon methi

1 teaspoon rai or mustard seeds

1 sprig of curry leaves

1 -2 slit green chilli

2 red chilli

Salt and jaggery to taste

Grated coconut, for garnish (optional)

Chopped coriander leaves, for garnish

½ teaspoon sambhar/rasam masala.

1 tablespoon Oil

Method

• Wash and pat dry the mangoes.
• Remove the skin of the mangoes and put them in vessel. Make sure you don’t separate the flesh from the mango. We need the whole mango with flesh intact on the seed.
• Collect all the skin in a vessel and add little water (approx. 1 cup). You can later add more water if required to get the right consistency.
• Mash the skin using your hands so that all the pulp attached to the skin is separated.
• Squeeze the skin to remove the water and pulp and discard the skin.
• Keep the pulpy water aside.
• In a kadai add the oil.
• When it is heated add rai and allow to splutter.
• Add the udad dal and methi. Allow it to get golden in colour. Add the curry leaves and chillies.
• Next add the pulpy water to it along with salt and the whole deskinned mango.
• Bring it to boil. Check the sweetness and add jaggery accordingly.
• Finish it off with the sambhar/rasam powder and coconut grating.
• Allow the gravy to thicken a little.
• Switch of the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• You can relish this sweet, sour and tangy curry with hot steaming rice or hot pulkas or neer dosa or just by itself.

Couldn't click a better picture as it got over soon

  

Enjoy cooking…