Raw mangoes are super delicious and healthy. Irrespective of whether you enjoy it raw with some chilly powder and salt sprinkled on it or pickled or as aam panna, the raw mango is loved by one and all. But raw mango rasam is a recipe which combines the health benefits of the original south Indian rasam and the goodness of the tender mango too.
This is a quick, refreshing, easy to prepare rasam dish which uses very few ingredients. It is spicy, tangy and slightly sweet. It is a side dish served along with a main course of rice and vegetables or plain boiled rice sprinkled with ghee. In the coastal Karnataka region of Udupi and Malnad, the Kairi Rasam is a common recipe during the mango season. Called Appekayi Saaru or Appe Huli, Kairi Rasam makes for a great appetiser. Unlike traditional rasam, this neither uses lentils or rasam powder, tamarind or tomatoes for its tangy taste.
Mangoes originated in the Indian sub-continent over 4,000 years ago, and are considered a sacred fruit along with coconut and bananas. Incidentally, it was the spread of Buddhism which helped spread the mangoes across South-East Asia. India remains the largest producer of mangoes in the world with more than 20-25 varieties being cultivated and harvested every season. It is the single, large-seed fruit native to India and Southeast Asia. The tender, green raw mangoes are rich in Vitamin C, A, B6, and K. The raw mango is also a source of magnesium, calcium, iron, and dietary fibres that help to detoxify the liver.
Rasam is also called Saaru in Southern India. In Sanskrit, rasam means ‘the essential product of digestion’, and can be considered an ideal recipe subscribing to the tenets of Ayurveda. Rasam is a soup of spices and a classic example of functional food, because all its ingredients are helpful in curing ailments. Its medicinal potential is not only proven but very underrated.
Here’s the recipe for Kairi Rasam.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1-2 raw mangoes cubed
- 3½ cups water (to be added separately – one cup to be added with the mango and the rest while preparing the tempering)
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp asafoetida
- 2 whole red chillies
- 1 tsp salt
- 5-7 curry leaves
- 2 green chillies, split into two
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 marble-sized piece of jaggery
Method:
- Peel the raw mangoes and cut them into cubes.
- Put the mangoes in a pan and add one cup of water.
- Cook until it turns soft and mushy.
- Mash it well and keep it aside.
- In another pan, take some oil.
- Add mustard and cumin seeds. red chillies, asafoetida, curry leaves, green chillies, jaggery, turmeric, and salt.
- Let the mix come to a boil.
- Then, add the mango mixture and mix all the ingredients well.
- Let boil for a few more minutes.
- Serve hot.