A Guest Post for Shulie of Food Wanderings

Like me, if you are from the state of Tamil Nadu in India, you know the famous thenga manga pattani sundal you get on the beach in Madras. I see the city growing every time I visit – the buildings get taller, and the cars get fancier. But one thing remains the same – the thenga (coconut) manga (mango) pattani (peas) sundal on the beach. Young boys sell these from huge stainless steel buckets. I hope the tradition of beach goers buying a newspaper bundle of thenga manga pattani sundal on Marina beach never goes away.

For a recipe for this easy sundal, head over to my friend Shulie’s blog, read my guest post there and follow her on twitter.

I love Thailand for its sensuous food, elegant people and spectacular sights. Out of the 30 or so countries I’ve visited, Thailand is easily on the very top of my favorites list. Here, I share with you some pictures of Bangkok – a city that is a beautiful mélange of ancient culture and modern lifestyle. You will find serene Buddhist temples along the Chao Phraya river. And a hop away, you will find racy go go bars in Nana plaza. It is incredible that these cultural extremes co-exist. With its night life, beautiful Wats (temples) and amazing food, Bangkok is a truly exciting place. If only Bangkok was cooler, Id move there in a heartbeat!

Above: Wat Pho in Bangkok;  the gigantic reclining Buddha with mother of pearl in His feet

The most memorable part of my trip to Thailand is of course, the food. Thai cooking is seductive; and I cant think of a better recipe to showcase the beauty of Thai food like this one. Salty soy sauce, rich, sweet brown sugar, fresh zesty lime, crunchy, nutty peanuts, hot chillies, and crisp, sour mangoes. Every flavor in the world is packed into this mango salad.

Traditional Thai mango salad doesn’t have tofu in it. I added tofu to make this salad more filling.

Some tips:

Make this salad a day ahead and store it in the fridge. The flavors get so much better the next day
Only use raw, green mangoes (not the ripe yellow ones)
Leave out the chili if you prefer a milder salad
Add strips of pan-fried tofu to make this salad heartier
If you dont have a mortar and pestle, use a food processor to crush the peanuts

Thai Raw (Green) Mango Salad with Tofu Recipe

serves about 4

2 large green, raw mangoes
3/4 cup roasted peanuts
2 shallots, peeled
1 thai red chili (use more or omit according to taste)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
a few sprigs cilantro
6 oz firm tofu, drained (optional)
Salt

Peel the mangoes and cut around the pit. Discard the pit. Grate the peeled mango using a box grater. Alternatively, slice the peeled mango into very thin strips.

Place the roasted peanuts, peeled shallots and red chili in a mortar and pound to a rough paste. Add this crushed peanut mixture to the shredded mango.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar and lime juice. Add this to the shredded mango and peanuts. Toss well. Taste and add salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro. Serve chilled.

To add tofu to this salad: Drain tofu and pat dry. Cut it into thin strips. Pan fry the tofu strips in a little oil till golden. Toss the tofu with the mango salad.

Somebody pry me away from this pickle! It’s becoming a dangerous addiction! All I’ve been eating is curd rice and mango pickle! Its that yummy. But then, what’s not to like about my grandmother’s recipes? Like all her recipes, this one is full of tasty, south Indian goodness. The secret ingredient in this pickle is roasted, ground fenugreek. I always have some on hand to add a rich, nutty, slightly bitter punch to recipes. Unlike pickled cucumber which is sweet and vinegary, this Indian pickle is spicy, salty and pickled in oil. It packs a lot of flavor, so a little goes a long way!

Make sure you buy raw (not ripe), green, rock hard mangoes for this recipe. The pickle will keep up to 3 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge. It tastes the best after the second day, when all the flavors have soaked into the mango pieces.

Green Mango Pickle
makes about 2 cups

1 large firm, green mango
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
2 pinches asafoetida
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chili/cayenne powder. Use paprika for less heat.
¼ tsp fenugreek powder, see below for method
¾ tbsp salt

How to make fenugreek powder: toast fenugreek seeds in a skillet on a low flame. Once they are fragrant, about 2 minutes, turn off heat and let the fenugreek cool. Then grind in a food processor to a fine powder. Store in an air tight container.

Using a sharp knife, cut the mango and discard the core. Chop the mango into very tiny pieces. Or you could zip it through a food chopper.

Place the chopped mango in a bowl. Place the turmeric, chili powder and fenugreek powder in a little mound on top of the chopped mango.

Heat the oil in a small skillet and add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the asafoetida and turn off the heat. Pour the hot oil with the mustard seeds and asafoetida over the mound of turmeric, chili powder and fenugreek. Add the salt. Stir till everything is well combined.

When the pickle is cool, put it in an airtight container and refrigerate.

This pickle is great as a condiment with Indian food. I also enjoy it with pita bread and hummus or stirred into pasta or couscous.