Nasuha Blog

Come summers and the vegetable and fruit shops are decked with my favorite fruit...Mango. As you all might know by now, I am an ardent fan of baking and cooking with seasonal bounties and so you will be seeing a lot of summer fruits recipes in the coming times. Coming to mango, this king of fruits is my all time favorite and I literally survive on sweet juicy mangoes when they are in season. Although ripe mangoes are available in market now, that sweetness is still missing. So instead of the ripe fruit, I got some raw ones and made an Aam Panna first thing :).

Unlike many people, who like to eat raw mangoes as such or with a sprinkle of salt and red chili powder, I get goosebumps at just the thought. But I relish the various preparations made using the raw mangoes which kind of subtle the sourness a bit yet retaining the typical flavor. Kacche aam ki dal is one of those recipes. Very gently flavored with the magoishness, this dal is one of my favorite summer time recipes.

Arhar or tuvar ki dal is cooked with slices of raw mangoes and then a tadka of cumin seeds, heeng and red chili is given. This dal can be enjoyed with rice or phulke or if you are like me, you will make a meal of it, sipping spoon after spoon of piping hot dal. Here is the recipe to make this delicious dal.


All you need is

Arhar dal \ Split yellow peas - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1\2 tsp
Raw mango - 1\2 ( medium sized, peeled and cut into slices )
Ghee \ Clarified butter - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1\2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Heeng \ Asafoetida - 1\4 tsp
Dry red chilies - 2-3
Red chili powder - 1\2 tsp
Fresh coriander for garnishing



Method of preparation

Wash the dal and put it in a pressure cooker along with raw mango slices, salt to taste, turmeric powder and 4 cups of water.
Pressure cook it till done. ( Approximately 1 whistle on high and 2 whistles on low )
Mash the dal slightly with the back of a ladle.
Heat ghee in a small pan.
When the ghee is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and heeng.
When the seeds starts to splatter, switch off the heat.
Add dry red chilies and red chili powder.
Pour the tadka in the dal.
Garnish with fresh coriander.
Serve hot with rice or phulke.

Summers have hit Bangalore and the heat is unbearable. My apartment gets the morning sun which during the winters is a blessing, but for now it starts to get hot as early as 8 in the morning. Although I am complaining of the heat in Bangalore, to be fair it is nothing compared to what Northern part of India experiences. Temperature in May and June reaches a scorching 49-50 degree C and with the heat waves accompanying the high temperature, it is even worse.

Aam panna is a very refreshing drink which my mom used to make on a everyday basis in the months of summers and it was the first thing which was served when anyone entered the house, battling the sun and heat. Although the temperature in Bangalore never goes that high but it is still good to sip on this delicious drink once in a while.

As most of Indian recipes, the recipe to make Aam panna differs from person to person. Some add mint and some do not. Some peel the raw mango before boiling and some do not. I personally like to boil the mangoes with the skin on as gives a typical flavor to the drink and the addition of fresh mint paste takes it to a different level.
So here is my recipe to make this refreshing drink. Do give it a try.


All you need is

Raw mango - 1\2 kg
Sugar - 1 and 1\2 cup
Roasted cumin powder - 2 tsp
Black salt - 2 tsp
Fresh mint - 1 cup
Ice cubes



Method of preparation

Wash the raw mangoes and put them in a pressure cooker.
Add enough water to cover them and cook till soft. ( One whistle on high and 2 on low )
Cool.
Remove the skin of the mangoes.
Mash to take out all the pulp.
Do not discard the water.
Add 5-6 cups of water.
Grind the mint leaves with little water to make a paste.
Add ground mint, sugar, roasted cumin powder and black salt to the mango pulp.
Mix well to dissolve the sugar.
Adjust sugar and salt according to your taste.
Add more water if required.
Chill it for a few hours before serving.
Pour the panna in glasses.
Add some ice cubes.
Garnish with mint leaves.
Serve chilled.