Although mangoes usually flood the market in April, I was pleasantly surprised to see some raw mangoes on the supermarket shelves. Very leathery from the outside and a softer pale yellow on the inside – when I chopped it all up into tiny cubes, the fruit smelled like summer. I kept trying to pair it with something unusual. I didn’t want it full of Indian spices – just something light and fragrant. Just then my eyes went on my pot of fresh mint – bright green, crisp and packed with flavour these leaves would be the perfect flavouring for my latest experiment.
In a bowl combine the ingredients together. For the recipe I intentionally haven’t given exacting measurements. This is because you must add the flavouring, just the way you like it – like how you’d treat salt and pepper. For me, just a tad bit of jaggery would be perfect – I absolutely like sourness to the point of squeezing my eyes shut. This is not how the rest of the guys at home prefer it, so I always have to reserve some of it before more of the jaggery is added. After all the ingredients are in the bowl, toss it well and let it sit in the refrigerator for about 40 minutes. You’ll notice that the relish has a nice glossy look about it and has absorbed the flavourings very well. Now you’re ready to go – just serve it with a sprig of mint!
Raw Mango Relish
Raw mangoes, finely diced.
A handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped finely.
Red chilli powder/paprika
Palm sugar/jaggery
Salt
In a bowl combine the ingredients together. For the recipe I intentionally haven’t given exacting measurements. This is because you must add the flavouring, just the way you like it – like how you’d treat salt and pepper. For me, just a tad bit of jaggery would be perfect – I absolutely like sourness to the point of squeezing my eyes shut. This is not how the rest of the guys at home prefer it, so I always have to reserve some of it before more of the jaggery is added. After all the ingredients are in the bowl, toss it well and let it sit in the refrigerator for about 40 minutes. You’ll notice that the relish has a nice glossy look about it and has absorbed the flavourings very well. Now you’re ready to go – just serve it with a sprig of mint!
After making this, I was amazed at how beautifully a handful of mint leaves transformed the mango. Inhaling the fragrance of both the flavours together is such a wonderfully heady feeling. I couldn’t stop sniffing it every once in a while. ;)