Mango Gojju/ Chutney (Preserve)

It’s summerand how can we not mention the king of fruits! SMS’s mother makes the best ever puliogre (Tamarind Rice) I have ever tasted in my whole, entire life. I have been eating the puliogre she makes for 18 years now and the taste hasn’t changed in the slightest and my love for it has increased over the years. Aunty is an amazing cook and since we are now no longer little girls she has been kind enough to share one of her recipes with us. Aunty is tam - bhram and this mango gojju is as authentic as it can get.

Ingredients:

12 medium sized raw mangoes

7 - 10 Tbsp oil

2 heaped Tsps of mustard

Lemon sized ball of jaggery

3 - 4 Tbsp of tamarind juice

6 - 8 Tbsp of sambar powder

12 sprigs of curry leaves

5 - 7 Tsp Salt

Method:

Part 1 - Prep: 

 

1.     Wash and dry the raw mangoes thoroughly. Cut the tops near the stem and then peel the mangoes. Then proceed to grate the mangoes.

2.     Soak a gooseberry sized ball of tamarind in water. If you use readymade tamarind paste then soak about 3Tsp paste in 2 Tbsp water.

3.     Heat the jaggery in water and once it melts and blends with the water, cool it and strain and keep aside.

Part 2 – Workout:

1.     In a wide mouthed pot heat 5 Tbsp oil on medium heat. Add mustard and curry leaves wait till the mustard splutters and the leaves turn a little crispy. To this add the grated mangoes and mix well. You have to keep stirring to ensure that the mango doesn’t stick to the bottom or sides of the pot. Keep stirring till the mango gets all mushy and the raw smell leaves and you get a mustard infused mango dessert smell.

2.     To this add the tamarind juice and blend well. Then add the jaggery juice and mix and continue stirring till the mixture looks brown and glazed.

4. Now add sambar powder and mix well. Keep mixing and stirring continuously to ensure the mixture is constantly moving in the pot without sticking to it. Add salt and continue stirring.

5.    Basically for the next half an hour you’ll be giving your arm the workout it needs by stirring the contents in the pot.

6.    You know you are close to done when the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pot. That is your ray of hope that this will all be over soon.

7.    But, it is not over until it is over. You’ll know it is over when the oil starts leaving the mixture. Right about now is a good time to crack a smile.

8.    Once the mixture separates from the oil switch off and let it cool.

After it cools down, bottle the mixture and refrigerate.

Part 3 – How to use this mixture? Make Mango Rice!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Mango Gojju

1 and ½ Tsp sambar powder

1 red chilli

2 Tbsp peanuts

3 Tbsp freshly grated coconuts

3 cups of cooked rice
1 Tbsp oil

Salt

Method:

1.     Cook rice and set aside.

2.    In the same pot that we made the mixture in, add a few peanuts and heat the gojju on low flame. Add red chilli and sambar powder and mix well.

3.  To this add rice and mix well. Add salt. Mix well. Garnish with freshly grated coconut.

Notes:

·     While making the gojju keep checking the taste. I tasted the mango to see how sour it was and accordingly balanced the other ingredients. If it is too sour increase the quantity of jaggery and sambar powder to balance out the taste.

·       Store in air tight container and refrigerate and it’ll last you for over a year.

·  Apart from using it to make mango rice, you can also use it as is as an accompaniment for dosas, idlis and chapattis. When I say same pot in the recipe, it's because I made the mango rice on the very day I prepared the gojju and hence didn't add any 'extra' oil. You dear reader are at liberty to use a pot/kadai/pan of your choice. Just ensure that it is washed, clean and ready to use.