Sweet and sour Mango Pickle

It is just March and the mango trees are full of blossom and buzzing bees . But the mango tree in my back yard seems to be in bit of a rush and we are already having round green ones ready for harvest. What i have in the backyard are the varieties good to make pickles and they dont taste good when they ripen. So I have this family recipe - maybe i can even say heirloom recipe which is a hot and sweet one and has a very long shelf life ...

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At my grand moms all the seasonal fruits and vegetables when they are found in abundance were either pickled and bottled or sun dried and stored . They were made in such huge quantities that they would last through the year. As i write this i have the image of giant glass containers neatly covered and tied with pure white muslin cloth sitting pretty near the window sill with varieties of pickles. My favourite was juicy green gooseberries (Amla) in salty syrup. Oh my! i miss those soaked and swelled treats!. They are like murabas but saltier version . Store bought ones dont taste half good as the ones tended and made with loving hands!.

This pickle tastes great when made with 'Bilbiskin/kilimooku' variety the reason being it is not too sour and has good flavour. The mango should be half ripe and not too mushy. I did not use 'kilimooku' and i dont know what variety they are but they tasted just as good!.

Ingredients :

2 cups mango cut into small square pieces
1 cup sugar
salt to taste
chili powder 1 1/2 tsp
mustard - 2 tsp
fenugreek seeds - 1tsp

Method:
1. mix the sugar and mango pieces and keep it covered for two to three hours..
2. The sugar should have melted and mixed nicely with the juice from the mango .
3. In a wide and heavy bottomed pan put the mango with the syrup and cook on medium heat
4. The sugar will start to caramelize and will begin to coat the mango. Also it will start to bubble at this stage. It is important to get the consistency right at this point. Another test is to feel the caramel syrup in between your fingers. When it gets stringy it is time to take off the pan. Remember it should be stringy and not sticky!!.
5. Add the salt, chili powder and return to heat. Check for taste.. It should have a fine balance of Sour, salt , chili and sweet ..
6. Take off the fire and let it cool
7. Dry roast the mustard and fenugreek seeds and add it to the pickle.
8. Now it is ready for bottling.

Well it is a simple pickle that u can make with no fuss... It has incredibly long shelf life . Tastes terrific with curd rice and rotis too...

It has got a sticky chewy and carmalized texture and if u noticed there is not a drop of oil to it.

sticky lemon bars

My mother grows these amazing 'Limes ' in her farm that i cant get enough of. They are huge with dense flesh and are lusciously juicy and smells divine. Every time i get my share it becomes a big lemony feast at home. One becoz i don't get them very often, and two the batches come in plenty that i don't want to waste them.

So i have few tried and tested standard recipes like Lime Cordial, Cheesecake, Lemon Cake, Lemon pie and several other marinades. Oh how can i forget Lemon Pickle! Yes !. But this time i added something new to my list which is the 'Sticky Lemon Bars'!.
I am totally bowled over and in love with them.

It cant get simpler than his. Even a beginner can fix this without any hitch!.

It has got a soft crust base which is basically short bread , with a topping of silk smooth tangy lemon filling. mmm divine!

For the Crust
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 tbsp lemon zest

For the Topping
1 cup Sugar
3 tablespoons unbleached white flour
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, strained


Preheat oven to 180 deg. Butter the inside of a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.


To make the crust: In a medium-sized bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla, lemon Zest and salt. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Spread the dough (it will be quite liquid) evenly in the bottom of the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is evenly browned.


While the crust is baking, make the topping: Stir together sugar and flour. Whisk in the eggs. Add lemon juice and zest and stir until combined.


When the crust is baked (and still hot), pour in filling, turn oven down to 300, and bake for 20-20 minutes or until center no longer jiggles. Let cool completely in pan before slicing. Dust it with powdered sugar.



Makes great teatime snack



Verdict : My Second twin who cant take any sourness in his food finished two bars!!

Black rice and Lychee dessert...

Okay now i am not sure how many of you are familiar with 'Black rice'. In case if you have not i thought i shall just add few information about it.


Black rice is one of several black-colored heirloom plants producing rice variants such as Indonesian Black Rice, forbidden rice, or wild rice. High in nutritional value, forbidden rice is rich in iron. Unlike other black rice from Asia, it is not glutinous or rough. This grain is high in fiber and has a deep, nutty taste. Black forbidden rice is a deep black color and turns deep purple when cooked. Its dark purple color is primarily due to its high anthocyanin content [1] [2]. It has a relatively high mineral content (including iron) and, like most rice, supplies several important amino acids. - Courtesy WiKipedia

Here it is called as 'Kavini Arisi'. Actually i don't know what it means but it is used quiet popularly in the Chettiar households of South India. It should be easily available in the Asian stores.

Some of the dishes that can be made using kavini arisi/ Black rice is Sweetened version like a pudding, or Halwa which is a fudge like dessert or Kheer which is a syrupy dessert.

What is traditionally made at home is a 'Kavini Arisi Payasam'/ Kheer. The rice is broken and ground to a paste which is again cooked and sweetened and flavoured with cardamom.


But i have an interesting recipe which is a fusion of Thai and Indian.

Basically the rice is cooked and diluted with thick coconut milk. I add Rose syrup or Rosewater and bits of Lychees to it. I simply love the nutty taste of this rice which is further enhanced with sweet smelling rose syrup and juicy lychees. It tastes divine the second day.


I urge you to give it a try because it is unusual and will surely be enjoyed.





I used

1 cup black rice
2packets coconut milk - 400ml
Rose water - 2 to 3 tbsp
1/2 cup milk
sugar to taste
Tinned Lychees

Soak the rice overnight...

Boil 3 cups of water and pressure cook the rice till it turns nice and mushy..
You can use a masher to mash it up a little bit.

Now let the rice to cool for some time.

Add sugar , boiled milk and one packet of coconut milk and rose water and leave in the refrigerator to chill. When it has chilled completely add the second packet of coconut milk and give it a stir.

Chop the lychees into bits and mix it up.

Serve chilled.