Its the beginning of the Mango season in India. Mango is a very auspicious tree for us South Indians. For all major festivals we make a thoraNa( String) of fresh, young mango leaves and tie it to the front door. Mango leaves are also used for making kalashas during important puja’s. India grows some of the best mangos in the world. Mangoes are full of antioxidants and vitamins, and taste great ripe, as well as raw.

Every form of the mango is used in our cooking. The Green, unripes mangoes make great pickles, chutneys and Thokku. The dry powder from raw mangoes is called ‘Amchur’, and is used in all types of Indian cooking. Amchur powder and the powder of dried gooseberries( Nelli Chettu) are used a lot during the Chaturmasya Vratha, instead of tamarind.

Unripe mangoes can be found in Indian grocery stores in all seasons in the US. This is a recipe for a common chutney made from grated mangoes. The chutney can be mixed with rice to make a great tasting Chitranna, or eaten with chapathi, dosa or idlis.

Ingredients-

1. Green Unripe mango- 1 medium sized( Peeled and grated)
2. Fenugreek seeds( Menthya)- 1 Tsp
3. Whole Red chilies- 5 to 6( depending on how hot they are)
4. Dried Turmeric root( arashinada beru)- 1 inch piece OR 1/2 Tsp turmeric powder
5. Asafetida- 1/4 Tsp
6. Dry grated coconut( Optional)- 1 Tbsp
7. Mustard seeds- 1 Tsp
6. Oil- 2 Tbsp
7. Curry leaves- 1 Sprig
8. Salt- To taste

Method-

Dry roast the all the ingredients( Fenugreek, red chilies, coconut including the turmeric and the asafetida) till you get a nice aroma. They can also be done seperately to avoid burning. Cool well and make a fine powder.

Make a tempering of the mustard seeds and curry leaves in the oil. Add the grated mango,masala powder and salt. Stir well till the oil starts floating. Cool and store in an airtight container. This chutney can stay outside for up to a week, and much longer in the refrigerator.

The other way would be to grind together the roasted ingredients with the grated mango and salt (This way works better if you have a grinder that can grind without adding water). Add the paste to the tempering and stir well. Cool and store.

To make the Chitranna-

You will need

1. Cooked Rice( cooled)- about 4 cups
2. Peanuts- a fistful
3. Channa Dal- 1 Tsp
4. Urad dal- 1 Tsp
5. Oil- For the tempering

Fry the peanuts in the oil and keep aside. Add the Channa dad and Urad dal, when they start getting brown, add the mango chutney, mix well, add the peanuts. Mix the Rice well, check for seasoning and serve hot.

Our Karnataka cuisine includes many types of spiced up rice varieties, which we call ‘Chitra Anna’. There are many different types of Chitra anna. I have written the recipe for the tangy tamarind type below, made from a spicy, sweetish, tamarind sauce called ‘Gojju’. Gojju is supposed to be a perfect mixture of all the 4 basic tastes- sour, sweet, salt and bitter, pepped up with a little spice. Though this dish used to be made from scratch back home, the recipe below is more like an instant version and cooks up very fast. ‘Gojjina Chitranna’ is very popular on festivals, and is also served a lot in temples.

Ingredients-

1.Rasam Powder- 3 Tsp( adjust according to spiciness needed)
2. Tamarind paste( Tamcon)- 3/4 Tbsp OR Water from a golf ball sized tamarind ball
3. Jaggery powder- 2 to 3 Tbsp( approximately)
4. Peanuts- 1/4 cup( I love peanuts and add a lot, so it does not really need to be so much)
5. Dry grated coconut- 1 Tbsp
6. Turmeric powder- 1/4 Tsp
7. Curry Leaves- 1 Sprig
8. Whole Red chilies- 2
8. Asafetida- 1/8 Tsp
9. Mustard seeds- 1/2 Tsp
10. Channa Daal- 1 Tsp
12. Urad Daal- 1 Tsp
13. Oil- 4 Tbsp
14. Salt- To taste

Roast the following till the sesame starts popping, and powder coarsely in a dry grinder-
15. Sesame seeds( eLLu)- 1 Tbsp
16. Fenugreek seeds(Menthya)- 1/2 Tsp

Method-

Make a runny paste of the rasam powder, tamarind, jaggery, turmeric powder, a little asafetida and salt with water. Heat the oil in a kadai, fry the peanuts and keep aside. make a tempering of mustard seeds, channa daal, urad daal, red chilies, asafetida and curry leaves. Reduce the flame and add the tamarind paste mixture, otherwise it will splutter hot oil all over. Add the dry coconut and peanuts and simmer the mixture till it thickens well and all the oil starts settling on the top. Add the powdered sesame and fenugreek seeds and mix well. This gojju can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to 15 days in the fridge.

Mix well with cooked rice to make Chitranna, and top off with some fresh, chopped coriander. It can also be eaten with Chapathi, Dosa or idlis.