Andhra-style spicy raw mango in a sweet tamarind sauce

Early summer has the vegetables vendors in India start putting out piles of green, raw mangoes. This is followed by the frenzy of making Spicy mango pickle, but also families cooking them in curries, with rice (Curd rice), beverages and so much more.

The mangoes have a delicate sourness that is wonderful and pairs well with almost any spice. This recipe is a flash of bold flavors, sour, an earthy sweetness from the jaggery, sour from the tamarind, and very spicy, a heat that lingers and makes your nose run. This dish exemplifies Andhra cuisine, bold in flavor and spicy. Do not be put off by the long ingredient list, this recipe is quite simple to make.

This is a wonderful cookbook that is packed with traditional dishes. The book was written by Archana Pidathala as an ode to her grandmothers cooking. This book is so much more than a collection of recipes, it brings to my table a history of the cuisine and people. Wonderfully written and with beautiful photographs, this cookbook fills a gap in my bookshelf in a cuisine that I know very little about.

For more delicious, and spicy, dishes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1 lb green mangoes, cut and seeds removed and pith removed if hard

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

6-10 red chilies, or to taste

3 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon split urad dal

1 teaspoon split chana dal

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

3-4 dried red chilies

A pinch of asafoetida

!/2 teaspoon turmeric

15 curry leaves

3 onions, finely minced

15 garlic cloves

6-10 green chilies, halved along the length of the chili

2 tomatoes, diced

3 tablespoons tamarind paste

4 tablespoons jaggery, or to taste

2 cups water

Salt, to taste

Cilantro, minced for garnish

Dry toast the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, and red chilies individually. Cool and grind to a fine powder in a spice mill. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a a pot large enough for the curry. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, cumin seeds, red chilies, and sauté for a minute. Add the asafoetida, turmeric, curry leaves and the ground spice powder and sauté for another 30 seconds.

Add the onions, garlic, green chilies, and tomatoes and continue to cook until the onions are soft and the tomatoes have started to break down. Add the tamarind paste, jaggery, salt and water and bring to a gentle boil. allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes till the gravy thickens.

Add the raw mangoes and simmer for 4 minutes or so, till the mangoes are cooked through but not mushy.

Serve hot with rice.