Mango Lassi, cardamom-flavored ( Mango Smoothie)

Lassi is a traditional North-Indian thirst-quencher and energy booster. It is basically yogurt/buttermilk that has been churned and sweetened with sugar. Sometimes it is flavored with cardamom. It is an age old drink made in all homes to beat the heat. Everything is natural with this drink: it is freshly made and there are only 2-4 ingredients: yogurt/buttermilk, sugar, water and may be cardamom. 

You will find this in most Indian restaurants. One popular version of Lassi is mango lassi when it is whipped with fresh mango pulp. I love this version more than the plain. During mango season, I love to make this and relish it instead of the store-bought ones. If the mango is sweet and the yogurt is not sour, you don't need to add any sugar. If you wish you can add a dash of honey. I like to use yogurt and mango pulp in the ratio of 1:1 . You can vary it based on your individual preference. You can substitute other fruits instead of mango. There you have the recipe! It is that simple and easy! You can use it for breakfast, mid-day meal or to wake you up from the afternoon slump. 

Do give this a try. You will love it. I just blend it in my magic bullet in the morning and take it with me to work.

Servings: 2

Prep time: 5-8 minsCook time: 0 minsTotal time: 5-8 mins

Ingredients:

Ripe Mango pulp :2 cups ( from 1- medium sized mango)

Plain yogurt/curd: 2 cups

Honey : 1 tbsp ( you can use sugar too)

Cardamom: seeds from 1 pod

Ice: 1 cup

Method: 

Add all the above ingredients to a blender. Pulse and blend until well mixed , around 1 minute. 

Serve chilled. Can add more ice if needed.

Enjoy!

I am bringing this delicious Lassi to Fiesta Friday #182 so that all our friends can cool down in this heat! Angie's cohosts this week are Liz @ spades, spatulas & spoonsand Jenny @ Jenny Is Baking.

Cooking made easy:

If the yogurt/curd is sour, substitute 50%of it with milk. 

Depending on the desired thickness you can add water or milk. 

If you are vegan use almond, coconut or soy milk instead of yogurt.

Tip for healthy living:

During summer, to combat the heat we tend to drink more than eat. The sad part however is that we end up drinking more calories than when we would have eaten. The reason being all the juices, smoothies and beverages that we buy and consume. Either drink water to quench thirst or make the juices freshly at home so that you know exactly how much sugar you are adding. 

Food for thought: 

Self-preservation is the first law of nature. Samuel Butler

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Let us stay connected on Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | Instagram | Google+

Mango Salsa; Meatless Monday

I believe I am a true mango lover! I love mangoes in all shapes and forms: raw, ripe, cut, curried, juiced... Pretty much anything.Check out  some of my mango recipes on my blog: During summer it is nice not to slave at the stove, to sit down on the terrace in the evening and enjoy the view. I made this mango salsa the other day to go with some leftover tortilla chips. This is very simple and easy to make and will vanish right in front of you. It is a perfect dish for your table during BBQ parties or to bring it to one. 

Do try it before mango season is done!

Servings: 3-4

Prep time: 5-10 mins Cook time: 0Total time: 5-10 mins

Ingredients: 

Ripe Mango, chopped : 2 cups

Onion, finely chopped: 1/4 cup

Chopped Bell pepper/capsicum: 1/4 cup. 

Tomato, chopped fine: 1/2 cup

Green chilli: 1 small, finely chopped( you may deseed the chilli if you don't want it to be spicy).

Cilantro, finely chopped: 2 tbsp

Lemon juice: 1 tbsp, can be adjusted based on taste.

Sea salt: 1/8 tsp

Honey: 1/2 tsp

Method: 

Add all the above ingredients to a bowl. Mix thoroughly. 

Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Serve chilled. 
Enjoy!

I am bringing this to Angie's Fiesta Friday #179! Her cohosts this week are Petra @ Food Eat Love and Laura @ Feast Wisely. 

Cooking made easy: 

If you have a party, you can make salsa like this the day before so that you are not stressed on the day of. 

You can vary the amount of lemon juice and honey based on how sweet the mango is and how you like your salsa: more sweet or more tangy. 

Tip for healthy living:

Freshly made salsas are much better than store bought ones. Use produce that is in season for the salsa. These are much fresher than produce that is not in season. 

Food for thought:

If you do wrong and try to prove you are right, TIME will smile at your foolishness. 

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Let us stay connected on Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | Instagram | Google+

Ambe Upkari ( Ripe mangoes in a hot & sweet sauce)

While mango season is over in India, here in the United States, we still get fresh mangoes. I love mangoes! When I was little, we used to pluck mangoes from the trees in our yard and eat them. We had atleast 7 varieties. We still have mango trees. I miss them..

Ambe upkari is a traditional konkani dish. It is usually made using ripe mangoes that are sour and cannot be eaten as is! Hence, it is cooked in a hot and sweet sauce. The net result is an explosion of sweet, sour and hot flavors in your mouth, causing it to be an unique and satisfying experience.

This is a very easy dish to make and is usually made for a festive occasion.  The month of Shraavan, hails the beginning of festivals in India. Shraavan is considered the holy month in India and many people observe fasting of varying degrees throughout the month. Today is Varamahalkashmi Vrata, where in prayers are held in the honor of Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, seeking prosperity.

Let us now check out the recipe.

Servings: 6

Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 20 minsTotal time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Ripe, sour mangoes: 6, medium-sized
Water: 6 cups + 1 cup
Jaggery: 1 cup ( can use brown sugar/palm sugar/date sugar)
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Green chillies: 4, slit ( number of green chillies can be adjusted as per individual desired spice level)
Flour: 1 tbsp

For tempering:
Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Dried Red chillies: 2 nos, broken into 2 pieces

Method:

Wash the mangoes thoroughly. Peel each mango using your hands and not the peeler. Put the mango seed with pulp intact into a pot.

Put the peels in another pot. Add 6 cups water to the pot with the peel. Using your fingers, remove any remaining pulp from the peel. Now strain the peel and the water to the pot with the seed and pulp. Discard the peel now.

Add salt, jaggery, slit green chillies and boil it on medium high flame for 10-15 mins.

While the mixture is boiling, mix 1 tbsp flour in 1 cup water until homogeneous. Add this to the boiling mixture. Reduce the flame to low and cook it for another 5-7 minutes, stirring intermittently, until the sauce has thickened. Be careful not to let it burn.

If the sauce is too less, you can add a  little more water. It thickens upon cooling.

Turn off the flame.

In a small frying pan or tadka pan, heat coconut oil and mustard seeds on medium flame. Once all the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and broken red chillies. Immediately turn off the flame.

Add this tempering to the pot.

Serve hot!

Enjoy! I am  bringing this to Throwback Thursday #50, Fiesta Friday #132 and Saucy Saturday#57! Angie's co-hosts this week are Sandhya @ Indfused and Nancy @ Feasting With Friends

Cooking made easy:

If taking the pulp off the peels is too much of a chore for you, here is an easy way to do it: just add it to the blender with water and pulse it . Now strain the mixture, adding the water to the pot and discarding the peels!

Tip for healthy living:

It is essential to find ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into our children's and our own diet. Fruits and vegetables not only provide us with the essential minerals and vitamins, it also provides the necessary dietary fiber to cultivate healthy bathroom habits.

References:
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/fruit
http://www.thekitchn.com/10-photos-that-show-you-your-daily-recommended-servings-of-fruits-vegetables-207261
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/vegetables

Food for thought:

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. Henry Ward Beecher

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Sour Mango Chutney; no garlic recipe. Meatless Monday

At our home, we love mango chutneys. We make raw mango chutney, ripe mango chutney. You name it, we make it. This particular one came along by accident. When I went to the grocery store the other day, I saw some yellow mangoes at an inexpensive price. I decided to get  some to eat. When I sliced it and sat down to eat, I was very disappointed! They were horribly sour! Not even salt could help! I decided to salvage them by making chutney out of it. Usually raw mango chutney is made with garlic. However, this one was ripe but sour. Therefore I decided to make it a no garlic recipe. I used asofoetida ( hing) instead, which made it perfect for the Navratri fasting. Here is the quick and easy recipe for a delicious chutney that can be devoured with dosa, idli, chapati or as a side dish with rice!

Servings: makes 2 cups of chutney

Ingredients:

Sour mango: 1 medium sized
Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Green chillies: 2-3 medium-sized
Asofoetida: a pinch if using powder, 1/2 tsp if using solution.
Salt: to taste
Water: 1/4 cup

Method:

Peel and slice the mango. Add the sliced mango pieces with all the above ingredients to the blender/ food processor. Blend until it is a smooth, fine paste.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve with dosa, idli, chapati, rice and even in sandwiches.

You can store it in the refrigerator for upto 7 days and for longer in the freezer.

Cooking made easy:

If you think you will not be using all of the chutney in the next few days, freeze half of the chutney in a freezer-safe container as soon as it is made.  To use frozen chutney, just remove it from the freezer and leave it on the counter-top for a few hours to bring it to room-temperature. Alternatively, you can take it from the freezer and keep it in the refrigerator section of your fridge, overnight.

You can alter the mango-coconut ratio to your liking. If you don't wish to use too much coconut, use half the amount of the mango slices that you have.

You can use dried red chillies or red chilli powder if you don't have green chillies.

Tip for healthy living:

Raw mangoes are rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber.

Food for thought:

A charming woman doesn't follow the crowd. She is herself. Loretta Young.