Mampazha Moar Kuzhambu

Yes it is, the mango mania continues! It seems that I am trying out as many possible recipes before the fruits are off their season. There has been ice cream and aam shrikhand at home, not to mention eating fruits raw and making juice and yoghurt.
It was when I made and shared the maanga pulisseri that Jayashree had suggested that I try the same with ripe mangoes. I intended to, but wondered if I might have a recipe to follow, as these were not regular fare in my home. Almost three years down the line, I found one to make and write a post about too. This time I had a recipe that had received much acclaim from friends of whom had made this recipe - a second cousin, whom I met at a wedding last year, and since contacted.
I had this update on facebook, a picture of few friends who had met for lunch, and my cousin had made the mampazha moarkuzhambhu, for them. There were rave reviews that it piqued my interest. I was hesitant at first to write to her, but my curiosity won. She was very kind to mail me the recipe within minutes and also had no issues that it goes on my blog. So here it is : cooked at home and enjoyed with steaming hot rice.

Mampazha Moar Kuzhambhu

Recipe shared by Mrs. Jayanti Hariharan
Serves 4 people

Ingredients:
2 medium sized mangoes
2 cups curds
1/4 cup ash gourd/ winter melon cut pieces
1/8th teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
3 green chillis (adjust according to heat of chillis and taste)
3 dry red chillis (adjust according to heat level of the chillis and taste)
Salt to taste

For tempering:
2 teaspoons cooking oil
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves
1-2 dry red chillis

Method:
Wash and cut the mangoes in three - stone and both sides in full.
Place the mangoes and the cut ash gourd pieces in separators and pressure cook them until two whistles.
When the pressure inside the pressure cooker has subsided, remove the gourd pieces, add some salt and the turmeric and keep aside.
Allow the mango to cool. Remove the outer skin and stone. Grind the pulp until smooth.
Take about two tablespoons of the curd and set aside.
Churn the rest of the curds adding little water as necessary.
Mix the mango pulp to the churned curds well to combine and the resultant is a very smooth liquid.
Grind the coconut, dry red chillis and green chillis to a smooth paste adding the curd that you set aside, and not adding water.
Add the coconut paste to the mango-yoghurt mix. If you find this too thick, add some water.
Place a heavy bottom pan/ kadai on the stove. Heat the oil in the pan and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and the red chilli. Put the cooked ash gourd pieces in.
Add the kuzhambhu to the above, required salt to it and lower the flame. Allow the kuzhambhu to simmer on low heat, stirring at regular intervals until desired consistency is reached. Do not allow the kuzhambhu to boil. The kuzhambhu has to retain a smooth consistency and not having clots of broken curd.
Remove from the heat and transfer to the serving dish.
Serve with hot steamed rice.

The kuzhambhu is to be slightly sweet. So you may add a teaspoon of sugar if your mango is not sweet enough.
The mango I had was fibrous and upon pressure cooking the fibre had separated, which I used a strainer and removed before adding the pulp to the churned curds.
Also I cooked the kuzhambhu after tossing the fenugreek seeds in little oil and made the tempering later.
My cousin had added that she had not given exact measures and went with eyeballing measures. I followed the same and I am glad that our measures matched largely. The dry chillis I have in my pantry are quite heavy on heat. So I have had to reduce the number of chillis in the grinding.
I hope you will also try the same and enjoy.