KAIRI UDID METHI (RAW MANGO SWEET AND SOUR CURRY)

Kairi Udid Methi is a sweet and sour curry made using raw mangoes, coconut and jaggery which makes it extremely nutritious. This is a curry from the NKGSB (North Kanara Gaud Saraswat Brahmin) cuisine of Karwar as well Goa and Konkan region in Maharashtra, where many seasonal fruits and coconuts are used in the daily cooking. The language spoken by this community is Konkani and udid methi is a konkani name of this dish.

This cuisine uses not only raw mangoes, but ripe mangoes too, to prepare delicious curries. Due to proximity to the sea, there is abundance of coconuts which hence forms the base of the curries and vegetables. Again jaggery is another main ingredient used in the vegetarian dishes.

Food in this cuisine, was cooked using fresh coconut oil, but nowadays as people residing in cities are not used to this oil, I have used regular cooking oil in this recipe. Though all the NKGSB Karwari cooking was done in coconut oil, and you can surely opt for the same for that authentic flavour.

For some more delicious dishes, do take a look at the following recipes too….

1. Vataane Ananasaa Shaak (Pineapple And White Peas Curry)
2. Ghotaa Aambat (Mango Curry)
3. Aambade Udid Methi (Hog Plum Curry)
4. Mugaa Aambat (Whole Green Moong Curry)

Here’s the recipe for Kairi Udid Methi….

Prep Time : 20 min

Cooking Time : 15 min

Serves : 4

Cup Used : 200 ml

Ingredients :

• 3-4 Raw Mango Wedges (3″ each approx)
• 3/4 cup Fresh Grated Coconut
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
• 3 tbs Jaggery …. To be adjusted
• 2 cups Water
• Salt To Taste

To Be Roasted :

• 4 Dry Red Bedgi Chillies…. Deseeded
• 1 tbs Corriander Seeds
• 1 tsp Udid Daal (Skinless split black gram)
• 1/4 tsp Fenugreek Seeds (Methi Seeds)
• 1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns
• 1 tsp Raw Rice Grains
• 1 tiny Crystal Strong Asafoetida (e.g. Irani Hing)
• Oil As Required

For The Tempering :

• 1 1/2 tbs Oil
• 3/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
• 1 sprig Curry Leaves

METHOD :

1. To make Kairi Udid Methi, heat a small kadhai and add oil to it for roasting the whole spices.
2. Add a few drops of oil and roast separately on low heat, the bedgi chillies, corriander seeds, udid daal, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns, raw rice grains and the asafoetida crystal till there is a slight change in colour. Set aside to cool.
3. Grind these spices along with the grated coconut and kashmiri red chilli powder to a smooth paste, using water as required.
4. Transfer this ground paste to a pan and add the turmeric powder, jaggery, 2 cups water and salt to taste.
5. Mix well and bring to a boil.
6. In the meantime, rinse the raw mango and peel it. Cut into 3″ long wedges.
7. At this stage, aadd the raw mango wedges to the curry and give it a good stir.
8. Reduce the heat and simmer the curry for about five minutes. Switch off the heat and set aside.
9. Heat a kadhai and add oil to it for tempering. When it heats up, add the mustard seeds.
10. As they splutter, add the asafoetida and the curry leaves.
11. Switch off the flame and pour this tempering over the prepared curry.
12. Cover and set aside for a while for the flavour of the raw mango to seep into the curry.
13. Serve this delicious Kairi Udid Methi with some steamed rice and some Patravade and Aappe Aamle Lonche by the side.

Note :

Different varieties of raw mangoes are available in the market. Some are very sour and some a little less sour. The quantity of jaggery used has to be adjusted as per the sourness of the raw mango used.