Maambazha Pulisseri

Recipe three from my Ona Sadhya :-) Since we are playing favourites, let me post mine. I have a confession to make, though. I never did like any of the dishes which used mangoes, when I was a child. To, me it was a waste of a good mango, which was better off eaten raw; preferably, with a red chillie/salt/kaachiya enna mixture. I also tended more toward the raw mango, preferring its tartness to the sometimes cloying sweetness of the ripe ones. Also the dishes made with the ripe mangoes tended to be on the sweeter side, and I liked mine hot and spicy. Maybe it is because I do not have access to side dishes made out of mangoes that I now miss them a lot. Also, as I grow older, I am beginning to appreciate the subtle flavours of maambazha pulisseri -it is sweet, but the hint of underlying spice is tantalising to say the least. There is also the tartness that sour curds gives the dish - made well, this is a dish that balances flavours well.


Let me say at the outset that this is a variation of that traditional dish. I miss the delicious varieties of mangoes that would traditionally be used for this dish; not having access to them is no reason not to cook a dish, so, armed with the knowledge of the basic recipe, I set out to adapt it to the needs of the moment.

So, without much ado, here folks, is my

Maambazha Pulisseri

1 ripe Mango ( I used a Mexican variety that we had picked up from Costco; any sweet mango will do)*
1/2 a tin Ratna Alphonso Mango pulp (NOT the Kesar variety)
250 gms white pumpkin / kumbalanga **
3 cups sour curds at room temperature, well-beaten
1 coconut, grated
15 - 20 green chillies, depending on its heat, and your capacity for spice
1 tbsps cumin seeds
salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 sprig curry leaves

Tadka


3 tbsps coconut oil
1 tbsps mustard seeds
3-4 red chillies, broken
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds/ uluva/ methi
2 sprigs curry leaves

Place the mango pulp into a heavy bottomed vessel, with the turmeric and red chillie powder. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer. Wash, peel and de-seed the mango and cut it into 1" pieces. Add to the pulp, cover and continue to cook on low heat until the mango pieces are cooked through. Cut the skin of the white pumpkin, and wash before you cut it into 1"pieces. Cook separately with a little turmeric, and 1 sprig curry leaves.

In the meantime, grind grated coconut with green chillies and cumin seeds, with as little water as possible. The resultant paste must be 'venna pole' - 'like butter' - using a Sumeet mixer helps :-) even if it is not as finely ground as when using a grinding stone.

Add the cooked pumpkin to the cooked mango pieces. Add salt to taste, and remove from fire. Add well-beaten curd and cook on low heat until you see the first bubbles appear on the side of the vessel. Immediately add the grated coconut and mix well. Adjust the salt, if necessary. Turn off the heat. If you are cooking on an electric stove, remove the vessel from the stove. Add 1 tbsp of raw coconut oil, and 1 sprig of curry leaves and mix well.

In a small kadhai, heat the remaining oil to smoking point. Add the mustard seeds; when they begin to pop, add red chillies, uluva, and the remaining curry leaves (in that order). Swirl over the pulisseri. Enjoy!

* If ripe mangoes are not available, then at a pinch, you can use a can of alphonso mango slices in syrup. Just drain the slices, and cook as above. Cooking time will reduce considerably, so make sure you cook the mango pulp on its own till it looses its raw taste, before you add the slices. It will also be considerably sweeter than using fresh fruit, so adjust your spices accordingly. All cooking is a matter of personal taste, so don't be afraid to experiment.

** Traditionally, if they ever used any other vegetable in the pulisseri, Vellarikka was the vegetable of choice. Since that is rarely available in the US, I have been using white pumpkin with no appreciable taste difference. Dudhi / lauki is another option. In any case, where is my recipe following traditional norms? :-) It tasted good, though.

© 2008 Anuradha Warrier

This article may not be reproduced in its entirety without permission. A link to this URL, instead, would be highly appreciated.