Mangai Kootan

Kootan in Palakkad lingua means Kuzhambu, something that’s like gravy and can be mixed with rice. As I have mentioned in one of my previous posts, I mostly like North Indian cuisine and so I never learnt to cook any of our day to day dishes which mom used to make on a regular basis. Then, once marriage got fixed, and I came to know that hubby dear is a diehard fan of our regular homemade food and does not prefer other cuisines, I had to equip myself with the bare minimum, i.e molagootal, Sambar and Rasam. I have a diary in which I sat and noted all the Palakkad recipes. Though I don’t use that diary very often these days, but it has helped many of my other newly married cousins and also hubby dear, when I am not around.

H is really fond of these yogurt based Kootans, like Mor Kuzhambu, Rasakalan, and this Mangai Kootan. Actually, mangai kootan is everyone’s favorite in our house and once the mango season starts, its mango dishes all the way till the end of the season.

Though the mango season has come to end, my hubby found some mangoes in a Kerala shop nearby, and could not resist his temptation to buy it. So, came hubby with these perfectly green raw mangoes. (I wonder though, how the shop keeper managed to get them in this season.) But they tasted quite good. One of them was straightaway cut and eaten as it is. With the remaining I made this Kootan about 2 or 3 times. So here is the recipe:

Serves: 4

What you’ll need:

1. Raw Mango – 1 Medium size

2. Malabar Vellari /Ash gourd - 1 cup cubed

3. Drumstick - 1 cut into finger sized pieces
4. Beaten Curds – 1.5 cups
5. Jaggery – 1 Tbsp
6. Turmeric Powder – a pinch
7. Salt to taste

To grind

1. Fresh scraped coconut – 1 cup
2. Fenugreek Seeds/ Methi – ½ tsp
3. Dried Red Chillies – 3 to 4

For Tempering

1. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
2. Curry Leaves a few
3. Coconut oil – 1 tsp

Method

Wash, peel and cut the mango into medium sized pieces. In a vessel, cook the mango pieces, along with the ashgourd and drumstick pieces with salt, turmeric powder and enough water.

Once the mangoes are half done, add the jaggery. And stir well. Let it boil till the mangoes and vegetables are fully cooked.
In the meanwhile, heat a small frying pan, and fry the methi seeds and red chillies taking care not to burn the methi seeds. Allow to cool. Then grind these with the coconut adding little water, into a fine smooth paste.

Once the mangoes are done, add the ground paste to it and let it boil for about 2 minutes. Finally, reduce the heat to low and slowly add the whisked curds and blend well. Check for salt and add it if required. Simmer for about a minute or till the gravy just starts foaming. Remove from heat. Garnish with curry leaves. Temper with mustard seeds.

Yummy Manga Kootan is ready. Serve with steaming rice and any stir fry of your choice.

Notes:

1. If mangoes are not sour, you will have to use sour curds else  a day old curd will do.
2. Adjust quantity of jaggery according to sourness of the mango. Add more if required.
3. Do not boil, after adding the whisked curds else, the curds will split. ( you can turn off the heat and add it too)
4. If you want to reduce the quantity of coconut, add a tsp of raw rice while grinding the paste.
5. Make sure the methi seeds are fried will but not burnt, else the kootan will turn bitter.

Linking this to Kerala Kitchen hosted by Vidhya and to CWS - Fenugreek seeds hosted by Priya started by Kiran Also sending this to Flavors of South India hosted by Nayana