Green mango in black gram and fenugreek curry (Torachi uditmethi)

Green mangoes have flooded the market and come in numerous varieties for pickling, salads, sauteing, and curries. The variety of mangoes in India is astounding, and specific varietals are used for particular dishes. Here is a lovely curry with a large semi-ripe green mango that has a mellow, tart flavour.

This dish has traditional flavours: mango tartness, palm jaggery sweetness, coconut cream, and spiciness. The flavours are in harmony, highlighting each other. Susegado is the term that Goans use for a relaxed life, and this dish depicts that lifestyle. Packed full of flavour from local ingredients and rich in coconut curry sauce, this is a dish of good eating, as the Goans do.

The Goa Portuguese Cookbook is a collection of recipes from the famed restaurant. The recipes reflect the richness of the cultural heritage of Portuguese and Goan lifestyles. The dishes are both traditional fares and some local Goan cuisine, which is flavoured beautifully and stays true to the deep cooking traditions. This is the cookbook for those who want to learn about and master this cuisine. You will see me cook from here often.

For more recipes from this is lookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the curry paste:

1 tablespoon black gram (urad) dal

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

10-12 black peppercorns

1 cup grated fresh coconut

3-5 green chillies, or to taste

1 cup water

2 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon black gram (urad) dal

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

10-12 curry leaves

A generous pinch of asafoetida

2 tablespoons jaggery

1 teaspoon chilli powder, or to taste

Salt, to taste

2 small or 1 large green mango, peeled and cut into long slices

Cilantro, minced to garnish

Slices of desiccated coconut to garnish

Dry roast the black gram dal, fenugreek seeds, and peppercorns until lightly coloured and aromatic. Cool and grind to a fine powder in a spice mill. Add the spice powder, coconut, green chillies, and water to a small blender and blitz to a fine paste. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or a small pot and add the mustard seeds. Fry for 10 seconds until they splutter, about 20 seconds, and add the urad dal, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida in that order. Mix well and add the mango and jaggery. Cook on low heat. The jaggery will dissolve and form a sticky sauce. The smaller pieces of mango should be just cooked through but still with a crunch. Remove the mango pieces, leaving the sauce behind.

Add the coconut-spice mix, chilli powder, and salt and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes until thickened. Add the larger pieces of mango and cook for 2-3 minutes until they are cooked through. I like the mango to remain crunchy but just cooked through. If you cook it too much, the mango will start to disintegrate into the sauce. Add the smaller pieces and turn off the heat. Taste for salt and spice. The sauce should have a thickened consistency, like heavy cream.

To serve, heat the curry. Remove the large mango pieces and arrange them on the shallow bowl to resemble a half mango. Spoon the curry around the mango. Serve immediately, garnished with either cilantro or desiccated coconut slices.