Mambazha Pulissery

Hurray… its mambazha season in Kerala and my mouth is already watering envisaging all those mango treats we shall be savoring from now on. About a month or so earlier, we had to satisfy our palette with those raw mangoes strewn with lots of chilly powder and salt. But now for the time being, it’s goodbye to sourness and an hearty welcome to the sweet and juicy ripe mangoes.

Actually, you can make an array of pulissery with all sorts of veggies but the aroma and the flavor emanated by this one particular Mambazha pulissery just subdues those and hence can be undoubtedly titled, the King of all Pulisseries... To think about its origin, maybe a few people actually got fed up with the consumption of the ripe mangoes as a whole, that they finally decided to make a recipe out of it to slot in the cookery world. And let me tell you, they have certainly not disappointed us as this is one recipe which I believe leaves you all not only enthralled but makes you completely nostalgic too.

So, here’s this absolutely stunning delicacy from the Kerala cuisine which when served with rice along with any thoran or mezhukkupuratti, pickle and pappadum as side dish would leave your tummies absolutely full. And, as like our cuisine feature, this is another terrific dish with the mangoes as the main ingredient and coconut and curd as the base. Not to forget the final tempering given with mustard, chillies and fenugreek which to be honest leaves all captivated for a while…

Here I have used Chandrakkaran mangoes - Nattu manga that smells simply fantastic…. (Sorry.. dunno the botanical or English version of it). And since the availability of those mangoes is restricted to certain areas, you can also substitute those with the usual big ripe ones too.

So, here is the authentic recipe for Mambazha pulissery….

You’d require
3 – 4 Ripe nattu mangoes (popularly known as Chandrakkaran)
Curd – As required (usually ¼ ltr wud be enough)
½ tsp Turmeric powder
½ tsp Chilly powder (optional)
2 – 3 Green chillies (slit)
1 cup of grated coconut
1 tsp of Cumin seeds
Salt – As required
For seasoning:-
1 tsp of Mustard seeds
2 – 3 broken Dry red chillies
1 tbsp Oil
A few Curry leaves
1 tsp of Fenugreek powder

Method:-
1)Peel off the skin of the mangoes and put those skins in water. Squeeze well to extract all the possible juice from those skins. If using big ripe mangoes, just peel off the skin and cut the fleshy parts into four. Discard the skins.
2)Place the retained juice from the skins in a vessel along with the fleshy mangoes.
3)Add a little turmeric powder, salt and chilly powder along with slit green chillies and mix well.

4)Allow it to cook for sometime till the water starts to evaporate and the mangoes are done.
5)Meanwhile, grind together coconut and cumin seeds into a very fine paste.
6)Add the above paste into the vessel and mix well.
7)Cook again for some time.

8)Blend the curd in a mixie.
9)Lower the flame and pour the smooth curd into the vessel.
10)Do not boil. Just heat it through and remove from fire.

11)Heat oil in a small frying pan and splutter mustard seeds and sauté dry red chillies and curry leaves.
12)Add the above seasoning into the curry and mix well.
13)Finally sprinkle the fenugreek powder over the pulissery and the close it with a lid so as to lock the flavour. I usually heat or roast the powder a bit before adding it so that it doesn’t taste raw.

And voila, your pulissery is ready within minutes. Simple and yummy, favorites among all…can be prepared within a trice….. I believe, by the time you have finished reading this recipe, your mouths must be watering. Maybe this just took you back to those days when your mom used to make the scrumptious pulissery… and you sitting behind the table awestruck at the yummy and colorful dish being poured into your plate were still craving for more…… Well, then, do try out this wonderful authentic recipe for pulissery and relive those moments to the max…..

So, on that nostalgic note, happy cooking!!!!