Methambaa: Mango Gold
A delightful sweet-sour-spicy concoction, popular in Maharashtra, made from tart green unripe mangoes (Ambaa/Kairee in Marathi), cooked with a simple Tadka that has the distinctive flavor of fenugreek - "Methi" in Marathi - hence the name: "Meth-Ambaa" (pronounced Mayth-Ambaa)
Equipment
- Pressure cooker preferred; if not available, details for stove-top directions without pressure cooker are in Recipe notes.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups green unripe mango - peeled and cut into bit-sized chunks keep the seeds too: about 600 g with seeds
- 2 tsp oil
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp fennel seeds ( optional)
- 1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1-2 chilli red chilli- whole- broken into halves cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/8 tsp asoefetida (hing) - optional
- 3/4 tsp salt adjust- add up to 1/4 tsp more as per taste preference
- 1/4 cup sugar if desired, can replace half the sugar with jaggery (2 tbsp)- shaved,/sliced to dissolve easily
- 1/8 tsp citric acid (if needed) add if the green mango is not very tart
Instructions
- Peel and cut the mangoes into bite sized pieces. Scrape close to the seed with a paring knife, - chop the pared pieces too. save the seeds!. P
- Place mangoes, along with the seeds, in a pressure cooker inset container. Place it on the on the rack in the pressure cooker. Cook 2-3 min at full pressure. Remove from hot stove to cool faster and allow pressure to release normally - takes about 8-10 min.
- Make the Tadka: Heat oil in a medium saucepan, add mustard seeds, cover immediately to catch splatter as they pop almost instantly. If they don't pop right away, then it means the oil is not hot enough; if so, continue to heat and wait until they do pop, before proceeding further. Un-popped mustard seeds do not taste very good! Al;so, as soon as they start popping, decrease the heat or the tadka will burn.
- Decrease heat, add fenugreek, cumin and fennel (if using) seeds, wait a few seconds for them to sizzle
- Add asoefetida (hing), turmeric and broken pieces of red chillies - fry for 10-15 seconds and turn heat off. Do not wait too long or the spices will burn and leave a bitter, unpleasant taste.
- Add the cooked mango pieces to the Tadka, along with the seeds and any water that may have condensed into the container. The mango should be medium soft - a bit firm and not mashed. Turn the heat on again, stir and add salt and sugar. Taste-test - check if the mangoes are sufficiently tart. If not, add citric acid; it will also become watery because of the salt and sugar.
- Stir and simmer on low heat, uncovered, for 6-8 min, to allow flavors to blend and to thicken.
- Serve as a delicious side-dish with any Indian meal. Enjoy a smidgen with chapatis, rotis, Naan, etc. It also tastes good as a relish-topping for crackers., either by itself, or with a little cream cheese.
Notes
Stove-top, without pressure cooker:
Heat 1/2 cup water in a 2 quart/2 liter saucepan. when it comes to a boil, add the cut-up mangoes. Cover and simmer for 10-15 min on low-medium heat, Check periodically to see if the mangoes are cooked to the right texture., adding 1-2 tbsp, if needed to prevent burning on the bottom. When doe, proceed further according to the recipe, starting wit "Make Tadka.."
Store in a glass/porcelain container (Do not use a plastic/steel) for up to a week or so: it freezes well too.
Nutrition
Calories: 88kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 292mgPotassium: 116mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 788IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
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