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As beloved as mangoes are enjoyed in aam ras, pickles, shrikhand and milkshakes, South Indian regional cooking has made sure to conjure up dishes that are packed with flavour and highlight the sweetness and sourness of both, ripe and raw fruits. Here are seven regional special delicacies that have mangoes as the star of the dish and should be on your bucket list of dishes to taste whenever you find a chance to.
Kaad Maanga Curry
This Coorg-style mango curry is made with tiny, wild mangoes that are ripe and cooked with jaggery and a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves. Usually eaten with neer dosa, rice or kadumbattu (rice balls), this tangy-sweet curry has just a hint of spiciness, making it ideal to eat for those whose tolerance for heat is relatively low. The traditional recipe uses wild mangoes sourced from Coorg and Madikeri and can be made using a few commonly used ingredients as a one-pot meal.
Pacha Manga Avial
Avial, a mixed vegetable medley cooked with ground coconut, is a popular dish from Kerala. This pacha manga (raw mango) avial, is a twist to the classic Keralan recipe where the tangy flavours of the raw mango spike the otherwise mellow-tasting curry that is eaten with boiled red rice. The base of the curry is formed by a coconut-green chilli paste, in which vegetables like drumstick, orange pumpkin, white pumpkin, carrots and raw banana are cooked slowly with raw mango, for an elevated tangy flavour.
Mambazha Pulissery
Image Credits: Swaad Of Kerala/YouTube
This lip-smacking ripe mango curry from Kerala is one of the most popular mango offerings that you can find in local eateries around the state, during the summers. Cooked in a gravy base made with ground coconut and yoghurt, the tanginess of these ingredients offset the taste of the sweet mangoes, which are cooked whole, in the sauce. The mango dish is similar in flavour profile to the manga mor kozhambu from Tamil Nadu and the majjige huli from Karnataka; and tastes best when eaten with rice and thoran (stir-fried vegetable dry preparation).
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Puli Manga Kuzhambu
A robustly spiced curry from Tamil Nadu, this tamarind-based raw mango curry packs quite the punch with flavours from coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and spicy chillies. The curry also has a sweet aftertaste and the roasted whole spices bring a deep flavour to the gravy, which tastes unlike most other regional Tamil curries. Usually eaten with dosas or idlis, the manga kuzhambu is equally delicious when poured over rice and enjoyed with crispy poppadums.
Manga Pachadi
Pachadi, a preparation of tempered yoghurt and a vegetable of some kind (beetroot, lady’s finger, pumpkin), sees a summer makeover with the addition of grated raw mangoes, which is mixed with whisked yoghurt and tempered with a mixture of coconut oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves. This cooling South Indian delicacy is best eaten with an assortment of other dishes like rice, sambar, a dry vegetable preparation called poriyal and appalam; as part of a meal. The addition of raw mango to tangy yoghurt, makes this the perfect digestive to consume and is known to be extremely cooling for the body.
Manga Sadam
Image Credits: Tamil Food Corner
Known to be a lunchbox classic, this manga sadam or raw mango rice, is quite the summer staple in Tamil kitchens. Women usually prepare this as a dish that keeps well for long – due to the lack of any moisture and its sharp tartness – as something to pack for long journeys or picnics and enjoyed with rice crisps or banana chips and a cool cucumber raita. Simply tempering mustard seeds, curry leaves and sautéing grated raw mango before adding pre-cooked rice and some seasoning is all it takes to make this in a jiffy.
Mavinakayi Gojju
This tangy-fiery curry/side dish from Karnataka is a preparation that is almost chutney-like and tastes best when eaten with dosas, chapati or idlis. Unlike most other recipes, the gojju utilises raw mangoes that are on the verge of ripening, giving them a complex tart-sweet flavour that is hard to miss. Depending on the family recipe, the texture of the raw mango changes as some people prefer to use chopped pieces and some enjoy pureeing raw mango pulp, to be slowly cooked down, like a thokku.
