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Time of India
7 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Cooking with mangoes: Aam's the khaas ingredient in desi kitchens
From tenderisers in meat curries to desserts, comforting dals, pickles and chutneys that pack summer in a jar From intensely sweet and floral alphonso and kesars to tangy varieties like totapuri and langda, Indian mangoes span a wide flavour profile. They stir senses, spark nostalgia and find a special place in the Indian regional kitchens. Just as their taste and texture vary, so do their culinary uses, with every region giving the fruit its distinctive twist – from tenderisers in meat curries to desserts, comforting dals, pickles and chutneys that pack summer in a jar. Adding a tang with kachcha aam Raw mangoes, prized for their tartness, are a common thread in regional Indian cuisines, used to add freshness, tang and complexity to savoury dishes. Mamadikaya pulihora A summer favourite in Andhra Pradesh, mamidikaya pulihora is a tangy rice dish made with grated raw mango, tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilies. Mamadikaya pulihora (Pic: @chefreetuudaykugaji) C hef Sadaf Hussain, who curated a mango-inspired menu for a recent Bazm-e-Aam event, says, 'There's no other fruit that offers such versatility, from raw to ripe.' His regional spread featured dishes like Gujarat's ras no fajeto, Manipur's heinou metpa, Andhra's mamidikaya pulihora (mango rice), Bihar's aam ka koocha, and Rajasthan's kachche aam ki kheer - all celebrating mangoes across India's culinary map. ' Mango preserves Mango preserves are a part of many culinary cultures. Be it aam ki launji, galka or gudamba, raw mangoes are used to make sweet-spicy jams across the country. About the culinary use of mangoes in Bihar, chef Nishant Choubey, says, 'Gudamba is a chutney-like preparation made from raw mangoes, jaggery and red chillies. It is a mix of sweet and sour with a hint of heat.' The jam-like galka, made with raw mangoes and sugar or jaggery, is a Lakhnawi household favourite, says chef Taiyaba Ali. Green mangoes are indispensable in Bengali kitchens (Pic: @samitacuriouscook_) Aam bata In Bengali cuisine, aam bata is a traditional raw mango mash or paste, typically made in the summer. It is prepared by boiling or roasting green mangoes, then mashing them with mustard oil, salt and green chillies. Aam bata (Pic: @samitacuriouscook) Achraj Achraj is a traditional minced-mutton dish of the Awadhi cuisine. It blends finely minced goat meat cooked in aromatic spices and enriched with raw mango, added towards the end for a sharp, tangy finish. In the Awadhi cuisine, chef and writer Taiyaba Ali notes that raw mango is used not just for its flavour but as a tenderiser. 'One will see raw mango being cooked with meat, like in Achraj, a qeema and aam dish.' In her recently curated seven-course mango-forward dining experience, Aam Baat, the chef featured a mix of traditional dishes inspired by home-cooked Awadhi food with a twist, like acharaj pulao. Achraj, prepared by chef Sadaf Hussain as a part of a five-course mango-forward dinner Indulgence with the sweet ripe side If raw mango adds tartness, ripe mango is all about indulgence. Chef Ashish Bhasin reflects on how mango is deeply rooted in the Indian food psyche 'Unlike fruits introduced through invasions, mango is truly ours. Ripe mangoes lend a natural sweetness. Balanced with spices, they create flavours that are deeply Punjabi. Fajeto Fajeto is a Gujarati kadhi where the puree of ripe mangoes meets whisked curd and besan. It is slow-cooked with ginger, green chillies, and spices and topped with a generous ghee tempering of mustard, cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon and dry red chilli. Fajeto (Pic: @chefreetuudaykugaji) Aamras Aamras is a silky mango puree made from ripe mangoes, typically flavoured with cardamom or saffron. 'Popular in Maharashtra and Gujarat, it's often served chilled with puris as a summer delicacy. Aamras (Pic: @chefreetuudaykugaji) The mango seed acts as a preservative for aamras and prevents enzymatic browning or oxidation when aamras comes in contact with the oxygen in the air,' shares culinary consultant Reetu Kugaji, adding, 'The natural balance of sugar and acidity in mangoes, along with its ability to absorb spices, makes them ideal for traditional sweets like aamras, aamrakhand or mambazha payasam' Mambazha pulissery In Kerala, the sweet side of mangoes is showcased in dishes like pulissery, a yoghurt-based curry, where the fruit imparts richness while the yoghurt provides tang. 'It's a balance of sweet and sour that defines summer meals in the south,' adds chef Rakesh Raghunathan. Mambazha pulissery (Pic: @_usha_mathew_) Amrakhand Amrakhand, a delicious blend of ripe mango pulp and creamy hung curd, enhanced with sugar, cardamom and saffron. Enriched with blanched charoli seeds, pistachios, almonds; amrakhand is a chilled, fragrant indulgence that captures the soul of Maharashtrian and Gujarati summers Amrakhand (Pic: @chefreetuudaykugaji) Mango leather The chewy, sun-dried slices of mango takes on different names across India. It's known as aam papad in the North, mamidi tandra in Andhra Pradesh, amba poli in Maharashtra and aam sotto in Bengal. Usually made with ripe mango pulp sweetened with sugar or jaggery, some regional recipes add a bit of raw mango for a tangy twist. In Bengali cuisine, too, ripe mangoes shine in festive fare. 'We make payesh (rice pudding), doi (mango-infused curd), sandesh, sotto (aam papad) and even enjoy ripe mango with boiled rice,' says Samita Haldar. Mango leather (@msaggarwal)
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bengal's mangoes find a home in Awadhi flavours
Chef and writer Taiyaba Ali known for documenting and celebrating home cooked aspects of Lucknawi cuisine brought to Kolkata her pop-up titled Aam Baat co-curated by Shuli Ghosh of Sienna and bespoke experiences designer, Rini Chatterjee on June 14. The pop-up delved deeper into everyone's love for mangoes through a seven-course dinner of mango inspired dishes. While the pop-up represented Awadh and its flavours, the highlight of the seven-course dinner was the Jugalbandi between the flavours of Awadh and the mangoes of Bengal. Alongside the pop-up, we caught up with the chef who told us about the versatility of mangoes, its use in Awadhi cuisine and more. Riwayat aur raunaq: Breathing new life into old Awadhi recipes Chef Taiyaba Ali approaches her craft with a profound respect for culinary heritage, yet she believes in its dynamic evolution. 'Cultural continuity demands a balance between nostalgia and relevance. That's the lens I bring to every menu: to honour tradition while pushing its edges." For Chef Taiyaba, Awadhi cuisine is far from a static historical artifact. "Awadhi cuisine, rich with stories, techniques, and community wisdom, deserves to be seen not as historic but as something very much alive and moving forward, as a cuisine of the local communities as much as of the Nawabs,' she added. Mango- the muse, the medicine, the philosophy Mango is far more than just a sweet seasonal treat. Chef Taiyaba Ali, in her recent Kolkata pop-up, demonstrated its incredible versatility, calling it a "seasonal muse" that respectfully bridged two distinct culinary worlds. "With mango as our seasonal muse, this pop-up pays tribute to Lucknow's kitchens and flavours, while gently conversing Kolkata's lovely mangoes," Historically, the mango's role extended beyond mere flavour. 'Mango was integral to nutrition, medicine, and even philosophy. In the royal kitchens of Lucknow, raw mango proved its multifaceted genius by acting as a natural tenderizer in meat dishes, lending not only a distinctive sourness but also unique textures and sophisticated techniques, as seen in forgotten gems like Achraj (minced meat with raw mango) or Kalyan Amba (mutton simmered with mango). Furthermore, its adaptability shines through its ability to be savoured fresh in season or ingeniously preserved—pickled, dried, and stored—to enrich meals long after summer fades,' added the chef. 'Both Awadhi and Bengali cuisines thrive on seasonality. While the flavours of our menu were rooted in Lucknow, we made it a point to use mangoes local to Kolkata—like Gulab Khas and Himsagar, fazli. That's where the magic really began' 'We wanted diners to experience the emotional landscape of mango—its joy, nostalgia, surprise, and simplicity. Each course is anchored in a different variety of mango, reflecting how it's loved in different pockets of Lucknow at different times' 'I want people to feel the plurality of mangoes, of communities, of recipes passed down quietly over generations. The real flavour of Indian mangoes is not singular' -Chef Taiyaba Ali On the menu >Aam papdi >Dal moradabai >Murgi karari kairi wali >Akhti >Aam panna popsicle >Qalya amba >Achraj Pulao >Mango balai
