Maanga Pachadi

Maanga pachadi is a small dish with a big meaning. On Tamil New Year, raw mango is cooked with jaggery, a little chilli and salt, and finished with neem flowers, so that one spoonful holds sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter tastes together. It is a gentle reminder that the year ahead will bring a mix of experiences, and that we can welcome all of them. It is quick to make and is served as a side dish with the festive meal.

Ingredients

• 1 medium raw green mango (about 250 g), firm and sour
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup grated or powdered jaggery (about 100 g), or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder (optional)

For the tempering

• 2 teaspoons ghee or gingelly (sesame) oil
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 dried red chilli, broken in two
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 teaspoon dried neem flowers (veppam poo)

Method

1. Prepare the mango. Wash the mango and peel it. (Some families leave the skin on for a little extra tartness; that works too.) Cut the flesh away from the stone and chop it into small cubes, about 1 cm. You should have roughly 1 to 1¼ cups.
2. Cook the mango. Put the mango pieces in a saucepan with the water, turmeric and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes until the pieces are soft but still hold their shape.
3. Add the jaggery. Stir in the jaggery and let it melt. If your jaggery tends to be gritty, melt it separately in 2 tablespoons of water and strain it into the pan. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the liquid turns glossy and slightly syrupy. Add the cardamom, if using, and take the pan off the heat.
4. Fry the neem flowers. Heat the ghee or oil in a small pan over low heat. Add the neem flowers and stir for 20 to 30 seconds until they darken slightly and smell toasty. Lift them out with a spoon and set aside. They burn very quickly, so watch closely.
5. Temper. In the same pan, raise the heat to medium. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the red chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida and stir for a few seconds.
6. Finish. Pour the tempering over the pachadi, scatter in the fried neem flowers and stir. Taste: it should be sweet and tangy with a gentle bitter edge. Add a little more jaggery if it is too sour.
7. Serve. Serve warm or at room temperature, a spoonful or two per person, alongside rice and the rest of the festive meal.

Tips

• Choose a sour mango. Firm, unripe mangoes with pale flesh give the best tang. If your mango is on the sweeter side, reduce the jaggery.
• Finding neem flowers. Dried neem flowers are sold at Indian grocers. In India, many families use fresh flowers picked from a neem tree in April. If you cannot find any, the pachadi is still delicious, just without the bitter note.
• Go easy on the neem. One teaspoon is plenty. The idea is a hint of bitterness, not a bitter dish.
• Spice. For a little more heat, add a pinch of red chilli powder with the turmeric.
• Thickness. The pachadi thickens as it cools. Stir in a spoonful of warm water to loosen it.
• Storage. It keeps in the fridge for 2 to 3 days in a clean, covered container.

When it's made

Maanga pachadi is prepared on Tamil New Year, the first day of Chithirai (around 14 April), when raw mangoes and neem flowers are both in season. In many homes it is one of the first dishes offered at the family shrine and tasted by everyone before the festive meal. Read more about the day on our Tamil New Year page.