Mambazha pachadi / Ripe mango in yogurt

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Mambazha pachadi / Ripe mango in yogurt is an easy soothing side dish to make with least cooking in summer months. The epic sweet and tangy flavor and mango aroma is to die for. Usually served on special occasion feast and festivals but it does make it to our everyday lunch tables when mangoes are in abundance.

This is a Palakkadan special mambazha pachadi. A quick fix curry that is white in color unlike the mambazha puliserry. The flavors of puliseery and pachadi are almost the same but appearance differs.

UNDERSTANDING KERALA FOOD :

This small 360 miles or 560 km long state of Kerala is so diverse when it comes to the traditional feast for festivals such as Onam or Vishnu. Towards the Southern side of Kerala neeti puliserry (meaning pourable consistency of pulissery) is served on top of rice in the third round of Sadya. But towards Palakkad, that is central to northern Kerala the puliserry gets a very thick form called pachadi or Kalan and it is served on the top side of the banana leaf along with other curries called todu curry (meaning side dish in very small portion)

Mambazha pachadi / Ripe mango in yogurt is an easy soothing side dish to make with least cooking in summer months.

WHY YOU SHOULD TRY THIS RECIPE?

Summer special, healthy vegetarian, paleo diet friendly, gut friendly flavorful seafood preparation everyone will love.

A main course side dish recipe that is insanely simple to make. When you have too ripe to eat mangoes this is the dish to make.

TASTE: The sweet aroma and taste of mango with coconut is to die for I promise! The fresh curry leaves and coconut oil perfectly complements this flavor.
TEXTURE: The soft cooked mango with the smooth yogurt and coconut sauce simply blends with the rice.
TIME: Takes less than 10 minutes all together.
EASE: Curry cannot get easier than this!

Ingredients :

Best kept secrets of pachadi :

For best results use sweet mango.
Make pachadi only in small quantity.
Use fresh ingredients as there are no spices used to mask the flavors.
Use good quality whole milk thick yogurt for best results. Runny yogurt will not give a thick texture to the curry.
If the yogurt / Indian curd is too sour to start with the curry will be very tangy instead use fresh not sour yogurt and as the curry sits for an hour it will mingle with the acidic flavors of mango and coconut and will be right when served.
Pachadi does not involve too much cooking so it will spoil fast especially in hot climate so make the curry an hour before serving for best taste.
Do not boil the yogurt and coconut mixture it will curdle.
Do not mix the oil seasoning as soon as you pour over the curry the hot oil will curdle the curry. Instead let the seasoning float on top and mix just before serving for smooth consistency.

Nostalgia pics from Aug 28. 2012 !

FAQs

How to tell if the mango is ripe?

Gently press the mango to know if it is ripe. A ripe mango will give in slightly, indicating soft flesh inside. Ripe mangoes have a strong fruity aroma at stem end. Most varieties of mangoes will turn full yellow or slightly reddish. Be aware colors are not clear indication of ripeness sometimes.

How to ripen the mango?

Keep unripe mangos at room temperature on the kitchen counter unwrapped.
Mango will continue to ripen at room temperature, turning the flesh inside sweeter and softer over several days.
To speed up ripening, place mango in a paper bag at room temperature, and store for approximately 2 days or until the mangos are fully ripe.

Which mango to choose for cooking?

Any variety of mango can be used for cooking. Make sure it is not too mushy for this recipe.

Where to serve mambazha pachadi on a banana leaf in the Kerala sadya?

On the banana leaf on the top left side soon after the pickle varieties are served the pachadi varieties are served in very small portion. One tablespoon is the maximum serving size of mambazha pachadi is a traditional Kerala sadhya.

Steps for making mambazha pachadi :

Do not stir the mango pieces too much it will look mushy when it is cooked.
Turmeric is not used in this recipe, it masks the yellow color of the mango.
This is a side dish and it is used to balance the other spicy hot curries in feasts.
Skip coconut but do all the rest.Then there is no grinding needed it still gives a rich smooth texture if good quality yogurt is used.
Use ripe sweet mangoes for better results.

SERVING AND STORAGE :

To serve : Ripe mango in yogurt tastes best when served with rice and other mild side dishes. Here I have served it with beans stir fry, spiced pan fried potato , instant mango pickle and rice.

To store: This curry is best eaten fresh.Leftovers do not taste as good as fresh but it could be refrigerated for 1 day in cold countries.

To make ahead : Cook the mango slices and keep it ready. Make the sauce part of it one hour before serving. Remember mango looses its aroma as it sits.

Other savory mango recipes to try :

Sweet mango curry ( Mambazha puliserry) , Mango cashew dip, Sweet mango chutney,