Chutneys/ Pickles/ Sauces

1. Mango marmalade (Indian- West Bengal Style)/ Aam-er Murraba

I love food that is tangy and has a sweet and sour taste and hence I am very fond of the wonderful Aam-er Murabba that my mother makes during summers and stores in glass containers for use throughout the year. Due credit for this recipe should be given to our neighbor Leela kakima (aunty) who taught my mother.

Utensil required: Deep fry pan or karai and spatula with a flat end or Khunti

Ingredients:

• 1 kg raw mango
• 750 gm sugar
• 5 gm panch phoram
• 5 gm Fennel (Mouri)
• 2 table spoons of cumin seeds
• 3 dry red chilli broken into 4 pieces
• 150 gm oil (preferably mustard oil)
• 2 table spoon salt

Method

Half the mangoes and take or the seeds.Peel off and cut the mangoes into 1 inch by 1inch cubes (approximately). Mix the mangoes with the salt and keep aside for an hour. Pat dry the mango pieces. Heat oil in a wok and add the dry red chilies and wait till it changes color. . Keep turning the chilies till it is evenly fried.  Add half of the panch phoron and half of the fennel seeds. The whole kitchen will be filled with aroma of the spices. Now turn in the mangoes. At low flame sauté the mangoes till the upper layer is slightly hardened. Put in the sugar and keep stirring till the sugar mango mixture leave the sides of the wok easily. Alongside in a dry heated wok roast one dry red chilli, the jeera and the remaining cumin seeds with the fennel seeds. Crush using a grinder or a motar and a pestle and sprinkle the powder into the sugar mango mixture.

Cool before pouring into glass air tight bottles. Mango murraba can be kept without refrigeration for almost a year. Wet spoon should never be used to take out the murraba. This can be enjoyed with chapattis, parathas or with plain daal.

2. Tomato, date and aamsotto (mango candy) chutney- Bengali style

Utensils required: Wok or deep fry pan or karai and flat end spatula or khunti

Ingredients

4 medium size tomato cut into small pieces

1 table spoon grated fresh ginger
12 heaped tablespoon of sugar/ 150 gm of sugarcane jaggery
1table spoon of salt of salt

1 tea spoon panch phoron

10 table spoon of oil
10, 1 inch cube chunks of aamsotto or soft mango candies
2 bay leaves

6 seedless dates cut into 4 longitudinal pieces

½ table spoon corn flour

2 table spoon of ground roasted cumin seeds

Method:

Heat oil in a wok and add the panch poroan and bay leaves and let it simmer for ½ minute. Now turn in the ginger, stir it and add the chopped tomatoes. Cover and cook at low flame till the sauté tomatoes leave the sides of the pan. Now add the sugar or the jaggery. When the sugar melts add the dates and the aamsotto. Stir the mixture and add half a cup of water. Add corn flour to half a cup of water and pour into the mixure. Let the chutney boil. Before taking it out add the roasted jeera powder.

Cool before serving. Bengalis love to eat chutney towards the end of a meal along with papads.