Happy Tamil New Year!
Our life is mixed with all emotions yet it is beautiful and is a wonderful journey of different experiences. Likewise the manga pachadi, a lip-smacking relish - we prepare on the Tamil New Year is full of all different flavors indicating that our life too is like that. It signifies how we have to take the ups and downs in our life. This traditional manga pachadi has all the flavors - sourness from raw mango, sweetness from jaggery, hotness from chillies, a pinch of salt, and bitterness from neem flowers. Neem flowers (which bloom now in full swing) are fried in ghee and added only on the Tamil new year day. Today being the Tamil New Year, I made this along with my mom (double happiness), and here is my mom's recipe for the awesome manga pachadi. Please try and enjoy with your family!
Ingredients
Raw mango - 1 cup, chunks 1'' size
Jaggery - 3/4 cup plus a tbsp
Salt - a pinch
Rice flour - 1/2 tsp
water
Green chilli - 1, slit lengthwise
Seasoning
Ghee - 2 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Split urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Neem flowers - 1 tsp
Method
Take the chopped mangoes, chilli in a pot and pour water till the mangoes are immersed. Cook on a medium flame till the mangoes are cooked.
Add the jaggery and continue cooking till the jaggery is completely dissolved. If the mixture is too thick add a little water and continue cooking.
Mix the rice flour in 1/4 cup water and add it to the mango jaggery mixture. Continue cooking for a few minutes till the pachadi thickens.
Heat ghee in a pan, add the red chillies, mustard and urad dhal and fry. When mustard starts to splutter add the neem flowers and add to the pachadi.
Enjoy tasty manga pachadi with friends and family!
Tips
The quantity of jaggery depends on the sourness of mango used.
Kilimooku mango variety is the one that we use in our home always to make this pachadi.
Rice flour is the thickening agent used.
If you don't get any fresh neem flowers, you can substitute with a few little dried ones. This pachadi can be made without neem flowers too.
Leave a Reply