Ripe Mango in coconut and yogurt Mixture / Mampazha pulissery- a sweet and sour curry

This is one of the signature dishes of Kerala. I am sure each and every house in Kerala would have cooked this recipe atleast once. Each of us will have different variations in making this curry. This contains the sweetness of mango, tanginess of yogurt and the spice of chillies. This tastes best when used the next day. This is called as sweet and sour curry because the sourness of yogurt is balanced by the sweetness of mangoes.

You wont believe, I never knew this kind of a dish exist. When my brother returned from Kerala, he mentioned about this dish which he liked a lot, which was made by my grand mom, and my first expression was WHAT !!! How is it possible to make a main course curry with a fruit and that too with sweet mangoes. I only kept wondering how it would have tasted.

In Andhra we dont get these type of mangoes and so this was never cooked at my home. But the next time when I went to kerala for vacation, I insisted on eating this curry which is specially made by my grandmom. It tasted heavenly. A perfect gravy with hot and steaming rice.  This can also be made with big ripe mangoes and also with pineapple. Traditionally, this is made with small ripe mangoes.

Ingredients:

1. Mangoes- 4nos
2. Green chillies- 2nos
3. Coconut (grated)- 1cup
4. Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
5. Red chilli powder- ½ tsp
6. Cumin seeds- ½ tsp
7. Beaten Curd- 1cup
8. Mustard seeds- 1tsp
9. Fenugreek seeds- ½ tsp
10. Curry leaves- few
11. Red chillies- 2nos
12. Shallots (sliced)- 3nos
13. Oil- 1tbsp
14. Salt- as per taste

Method:

1. Wash the whole mangoes and cook them in little water till it becomes soft. When it is done,  peel the skin of mangoes.
2. Grind the coconut along with cumin seeds and green chillies.
3. Add this ground coconut paste along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and water to the cooked mangoes and keep it on low flame for some time.
4. At last add the curd to the above mixture and stir continuously for a minute and switch off the flame.
5. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, sliced shallots, red chillies and curry leaves. Pour this tempering over the curry and serve hot with rice.

I am sending this dish to Kerala Kitchen- July 2011 an event hosted by Rose.