1. Go fenugreek
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In the hilly regions, the arrival of summer is also seen as the time when digestive problems bother many. Fenugreek helps but its bitterness comes in the way. Neelu Joshi of Dehradun says the methi- kairi (sweet mango) chutney is the perfect answer to this.
3-4 medium kairis (raw mango) with the seeds still soft; 1/2 a tbsp of methi (Fenugreek) washed and soaked overnight in little water) 2-3 green chillies ; 1/4 inch ginger skinned and chopped; rock salt to taste; 2-3 drops of extra virgin mustard oil (optional)
Chop the kairis discarding seeds. Keep the skin on. Blend all ingredients into a chutney. Add some of the water used to soak the methi to give it a soft consistency. In the end, add the mustard oil and give it another turn in the mixer. Yummy with rotis or rice and dal, this chutney is packed with nutrients.
2. Tangy sour rice
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Down South in Kerala, where rice is the staple diet, a special kairi -rice adds to the seasonal flavour , says Matunga resident Kala Ramnathan
Ingredients:
1 cup long grained rice; 1/2 tsp ghee/butter; 1/2 kairi (skinned and grated); 5-6 curry leaves; 2 tbsp peanuts; salt to taste
For masala:
1 tsp mustard seeds; 1/4 tsp hing ; 3 red chillies ; 1/4 tsp turmeric powder; 3 tbsp grated coconut; 1/2 the raw mango (skinned and grated)
For tadka :
2 tbsp oil; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 1tbsp urad dal (black gram); 1 dry red chilli broken into two
Method
Cook rice in water adding salt and ghee. Grind masala coarsely. Heat oil. Add tadka items with peanuts. When golden roasted stir in masala and leftover grated mango. Gently fold in the cooked rice and keep covered till you get the aroma.
3. Sweet & Sour kairi
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As you move from the hills to the Indo-Gangetic plains the flavours change and tastes veer towards a mix of the sweet and sour says Santacruz resident Anita Singh who hails from Sitamadhi in Bihar.
Ingredients:
1 kg kairi (skinned, cut into thick long pieces discarding seeds); 250 gm jaggery (mashed/pound into crumbs); 5 bay leaves; 5 spicy dry red chillies ; 1 tsp panch phoran (whole spice); 1 tsp cooking oil, turmeric powder; chilly powder and salt to taste
Method:
Heat oil. Add bay leaves, red chillies and panch phoran and stir. Then add jaggery and continue stirring till it melts. Add the turmeric and chilly powder and kairi . Stir well and cook on slow flame till the kairi turns tender. Add salt to taste.
4. Tickle pickle
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In Gujarat in Western India, like the rest of the country there are a bouquet of pickles made to be eaten year-long. But Kandivili resident interior designer and Kathak-guru Piyush Raj says his favourites are the instant pickles made to last 3-4 days.
2 medium kairi (remove seeds and chopped into small cubes); 1 tbsp mustard oil; 2 tsp crushed mustard seeds; 1 tsp crushed methi; 1/4 tsp turmeric powder; 3/4 tsp hing (asafoetida); 1.5 tsp red chilli (or more if you like spice); and salt to taste
Heat mustard oil and put off the flame. Add hing . Pour this into the crushed mustard, methi and salt. Mix well and let it cool completely. Add chilli powder and mix. Finally, add chopped mangoes coat them well with masala . This pickle tastes good with rotis, rice and dal. Refrigerate.
