Mampazha Pulissery - Mangoes in yogurt sauce

Chandrakaran is a variety of mango that used to be available in south India. I have not seen them in years... I dont mean to suggest that they are extinct... hope not... Dont know the scientific name or for that matter any other name of this variety. They were small...smaller than apples...was one of the most aromatic varieties in mangoes...skin was thicker than other varieties... but inside was pulpy... This variety was not sliced, but the pulp was sucked out by making a small bite on its skin...much like sipping without a straw... 

Mampazha pulissery used to be made with this variety of mango... Usually the skin is torn away and the rest of it goes to the sauce... Ever since this variety became scarce, we use any variety of ripe mango.

Ingredients:

Ripe Mango - 1 

Shallots/Onion - 2 tsp thinly sliced

Garlic - 1 petal

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Green chilli - 1

Turmeric powder - quarter tsp

Mustard seeds - half tsp

Fenugreek seeds - half tsp

Red chilli - 2-3

Curry leaves - 2-3

Thick Yogurt - 3/4 th of a cup

Grated coconut - 1/4th of a cup (optional)

Oil- 1 tbsp

Notes:

Grated coconut is used in the sauce to adjust consistency and the sourness of yogurt. If you have really thick yogurt, which is not sour, skip the coconut completely.

If you have thick yogurt, but it is sour, add thin coconut milk.

If your yogurt is not thick, it would be better to use grated coconut.

This is a hot n sweet dish. Taste your mango and sauce before you mix them.

To make it sweeter, add 1-2 tsps of sugar while sauteing mangoes.

If your sauce is hot enough for you, reduce the no of red chillies and remember to remove the seeds before adding. To make it hotter, add more red chillies.

Any sauce with yogurt, should not be heated on high flame. It could curdle.

Method:

For the sauce: Make a smooth paste of garlic,green chilli, cumin seeds, turmeric and coconut. To this add yogurt and blend. Keep aside.

Skin and cut the mangoes into medium sized pieces. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard and fenugreek seeds. when they splutter add onions, curry leaves and red chillies. After two mins, add sliced mangoes. Stir well. If you need, add sugar at this time. When mango begins to soften, shut off the flame and add the sauce and keep stirring. If the sauce is too thick add some water to get desired consistency. Let it warm in low flame. Do not heat or the sauce would curdle.

And we are done :)