5 Delicious Raw Mango Recipes From South India

The Ugadi pachadi is an integral part of my childhood memories of Ugadi - New Year's Day in Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka. This simple almost rustic dish brings together an array of flavours that swing from sweet to tangy to bitter. It almost sets the tone for the year ahead where we're likely to experience a whole range of emotions, highs and lows. While neem flower is one of the key ingredients in this dish, it's the raw mango that defines the flavour. From chutneys to mixed rice to a flavour enhancer in seafood dishes, raw mango is a key ingredient across South India, especially during the summer or mango season. 

Here Are 5 Delicious Raw Mango Recipes From South India:

1. Manga Sadam Recipe (Raw Mango Rice)

Perfect for a lunchbox or a road trip, this quick fix mixed rice tastes delicious even when it's not served hot. This was a regular summer favourite at home and tastes best with a pachadi (raitha) or rice crispies. 

Also Read: Health Benefits Of Raw Mango: 6 Reasons To Add Kairi To Your Summer Diet

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups cooked rice 
• 1 cup grated raw mango (with skin)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp grated coconut
• 1-inch ginger peeled 
• 1 tsp jeera (cumin) 
• Salt to taste

Tempering:

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp channa dal
• A sprig of curry leaves
• A pinch hing
• 2 tbsp peanuts

Method: 

1. Blend the jeera, ginger, green chilli and grated coconut into a coarse mixture 
2. Temper the mustard seeds, peanuts, channa dal until the peanuts turn golden brown.
3. Add a pinch of asafoetida, curry leaves and the blended mixture. Saute for a couple of minutes. 
4. Add the grated raw mango & saute until the mango softens for about 5 minutes.
5. Once the mango softens, add the turmeric powder, cooked rice and salt. Stir all the ingredients adding salt.

2. Raw Mango Gojju Recipe

This tangy, flavourful curry from Karnataka makes a great accompaniment for steaming hot rice. I remember first trying as a kid in my aunt's house in Bengaluru along with dose (dosa). This is her time-tested recipe. 

Also Read: 13 Best Raw Mango Recipes | Kaccha Aam Recipes | Easy Raw Mango Recipes

Ingredients: 

• Finely chopped raw mango-2cups
• Raw mustard powder 2 tsp
• Jeera powder - 1 tsp
• Dhania - 1 tsp 
• Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
• Chilli powder (to taste)
• Rasam powder - 2 tbsp (optional) 
• Salt (to taste)
• Asafoetida: 1/4 teaspoon 
• light tamarind juice: 1cup.

Method: 

1. Cook the mango in the tamarind juice.
2. Add the powders and & boil for a few more minutes. You can add rasam powder (optional) for taste.

3. Raw Mango Pachadi Recipe

There are different versions of this typical Andhra-style raw mango Ugadi pachadi. I tried this version (that's very simple to put together) at my friend Sunita Suresh's house. This is her simple and quick recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp powdered jaggery 
• 1 tbsp white tamarind pulp 
• White neem flower petals 
• 1 tbsp puffed chana
• Salt (to taste)
• Fleshy bits of raw mango - 1/2 cup

Method:

Mix all ingredients in water (add the neem flower at the end) and stir well. 

4. Raw Mango Rasam Recipe

The tangy raw mango flavour is a great alternative to tamarind in this recipe from Karnataka that tastes best with steamed rice.

Ingredients: 

• Raw mango: 1 (chopped into large bits)
• Green chillies: 2
• Jeera: 1-1/2 tsp
• Jaggery: 1 tsp
• Salt (to taste)
• Turmeric: 1/2 tsp 
• Mustard: 1/2 tsp
• Tur Dal: 1 tbsp 
• Asafoetida: 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves: a few sprigs

Method:

1. Pressure cook the dal.
2. Cook the raw mango in a pan in boiling water for about 10 minutes.
3. Blend the mango with green chilli and 1 tsp of jeera in a mixer and add this mixture to water making sure no lumps are formed. 
4. Mash the dal and add it to this. Add the salt, jaggery and asafoetida and let it boil on a low flame. Add more water if required. 
5. Temper the mustard and remaining jeera with curry leaves and add it to the rasam once it's cooked and before you switch off the flame. 

5. Raw Mango Chutney

This spicy, tangy chutney from Andhra tastes equally good with rice or along with idli or dosa. You can tweak the spice levels by playing around with the green and red chillies that are both used in this dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 large raw mango (grated. I like it better with the skin)
• Oil 1 tbsp (refined or gingelly oil works best)
• Fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp
• Mustard: 3 tsp
• Urad dal: 1 tbsp
• Jaggery: 1 tsp
• Green chillies 1-2 (or to taste)
• Red chillies 3 (or to taste)
• Asafoetida: 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Temper half the quantity of fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, urad dal and 2 tsp of mustard seeds and then add red chillies. 
2. Grind this in a blender and then add salt, jaggery and the grated mangoes
3. Temper this chutney with the remaining fenugreek, a few curry leaves and 1 tsp of mustard seeds.