This simple dish is such a delectable side to any south Indian food or may be even northy chaat etc due to its tangy-sweet balance. It is prepared by cooking mature mangoes in jaggery and adding a little seasoning. That’s all!

Mangai(mango) pachadi is made typically for Tamil new year in Tamilnadu. This is a variation of Telugu Ugadi pachadi, probably copied from that culture in the recent years because in my childhood in Tamilnadu I never heard of this being made on Tamil new year. Concept is the same: Like this pachadi is a blend of six tastes, life also hands one all six emotions – happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, surprise, and anger, which should be handled with equanimity. We begin the new year with this concoction.

Ugadi pachadi is prepared by simply combining raw ingredients for each taste and some ripe banana for blending into a slightly thick liquid form and optionally seasoning with mustard and red chilly.

• Sweet – new jaggery
• Salt – salt
• Sour – new tamarind
• Bitter – neem flowers
• Spice – red/green chilly
• Astringent – new baby mango

But Tamil Mangai pachadi is prepared by cooking mature mango, jaggery and salt and seasoning with neem flowers and red chilly (powder). When it is prepared for use in normal days neem flowers are omitted. Optionally a little mustard-methi powder(see note) can be used, which is also a preservative.

This is something new for me, having learnt it during my second Tamilnadu stint. My sister and her friends who were visiting me a year ago liked this a lot. I gave her that small batch when she went back. This time when I made it to use up my totapari (I love eating it with salt and chilly powder) which was lying in the fridge for quite sometime and whose skin had become tough, my friend visited and she loved it too 😊

Ingredients:

• Raw mango – 1 cup pieces, skinned (thin slices better)
• Jaggery – 1/3 cup
• Turmeric – a pinch
• Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
• Mustard-methi roasted powder (or neem flowers) – 1/2 tsp
• Salt

Season

• Mustard – 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves – a sprig
• Red chilly – 2 or 3
• Sesame oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add seasoning items.
2. Then add mango pieces, salt and turmeric and saute for 2, 3 minutes
3. Add a cup of water and let mango cook.
4. When it is half cooked add jaggery and cook stirring.
5. Jaggery thickens, now add mustard-methi powder, chilly powder and cook another minute.
6. If using neem flowers. like for new year, heat a tsp of oil in a tadka pan, saute them and add to pachadi.
7. Switch off the stove. Cool the pachadi and store.
8. This sweet and sour pachadi tastes good with rice, dosa, idly, chapathi anything.

Note:

• Any mango can be used, sour and slightly sweet ones are good – Totapari mangoes suit better. Mine was nearly ripe totapari and it came out perfect.
• This stays good for up to a week if stored and used properly(no wet hands/spoons). Can be refrigerated for longer period.
• For mustard-methi powder, just dry roast equal quantity of mustard and methi until mustard pops and methi changes color(not dark, just color change or it tastes very bitter), cool and grind to a fine powder.
• While preparing if the mixture becomes too thick add a little boiling water and stir for couple of minutes