Pazha Manga / mambazha kuttan / ripe mango curry

Come March - April,  Kerala markets are filled with a variety of mangoes.

A variety which is seen only in Kerala (mainly because it is easily perishable ) is - chandrakaran. It is very close to every malayalis heart.

These are very small mangoes. A kilo would easily hold 20- 30 pieces. They grown in bunches on the top branches of a very tall mango tree. Thus plucking it is a problem. Nature's help - wind, rain - is required. So every morning, we take a basket and roam around the vicinity of the tree to get some of the juicy sweet mangoes which fell during the night before the birds get the first pick!!

When there is a deluge these mangoes become a curry. Mambazha kuttan.
The paste ground gives the curry either a red colour or the faint green colour. I am posting both the recipes here and you can choose which you want to make.

(OR)

The basic ingredients are :

Curry cucumber (vellari) / ash gourd (elavan) - 1/4 kg , peeled and cubed

Ripe mango - 1/2 kg

Drum stick - 1, cut into 2 inch batons

Green chilly - 2, slit 

Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Salt

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp (preferably coconut oil)

Mustard - 1 tsp

Dry Red Chilly - 2, broken 

Curry leaf - 2 sprigs

For the Red curry:

Red chilly - 6 to 8 

Fenugreek seeds  / uluva / methi - 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp for spluttering

Coconut - 1 1/2 cup

For the Green curry:

Green chilly - 6

Jeera - 1 tbsp

Coconut - 1 1/2 cups

Method:

First soak the mangoes in water as we need to remove all the grime. 

Wash very well. See that there is no sand or dirt sticking on. 

Next we peel the skin. Do not throw away the skin. Keep aside in a clean vessel.

Into the peel , add 1 cup warm water.

Start squishing the skin to remove all the pulp.

Transfer the juice to your cooking vessel. Take a big thick bottomed vessel for cooking. 

Use more water to remove all the pulp. What will be left will be just the skin.

Into the mango pulp , add the diced cucumber / gourd, drumstick, slit green chillies, salt and turmeric powder.

Boil and cook until the gourd is half done.

Now add the peeled mangoes.

Mix well. And cook covered on a low flame for 10 minutes. Add some water, if necessary.

This is where you are to decide which curry you have to make : red or green.

If you are making the red colour curry: Dry roast the red chillies and fenugreek seeds until the seeds start to pop.

Grind the red chillies and fenugreek into a smooth paste with the fresh grated coconut and add to the curry.

If you want to make the green colour curry, grind the raw coconut with the green chilly and jeera into a smooth paste and add to the curry.

This the only difference between the 2 curries. 

The rest of the recipe is the same.

Mix well.

Add the jaggery.

After a minute of boiling, reduce flame and add the beaten curd.

Mix well. Do not allow to boil. Once it starts frothing, turn off flame.

Splutter the mustard, broken red chillies, fenugreek seeds and curry leaf in the oil and add to the curry.

(red mambazha curry)

(green Mambazha curry)

Serve hot with rice or enjoy with dosa. 

P.S - This curry tastes great the next day too. But because it contains curd, the sourness might increase.