Gorkeri Sweet & Spicy Mango Pickle

The Gorkeri Recipe is a traditional Gujarati Raw Mango Pickle that is made sweet and spicy with jaggery. It's a pickle you will love.  My friends who tasted this recipe loved it.

Ingredients  

350 Grams Green Raw mangoes - cubed - see notes

120 Grams Jaggery - grated
2 Tablespoons Heaped Yellow Mustard Seeds or Whole ( this variety is used for pickling , if you don't get it powder normal mustard seeds )
1 Tablespoons Level Red chili powder¼ Teaspoons Rock salt¾  Teaspoon Heaped Turmeric powder
Mustard oil or Sesame oil as required
2 + 2 Teaspoons Sea Salt

Method

Wash and clean the mangoes , pat dry, peel  and remove the seed. Chop into small cubes .
Mix turmeric powder with 2 teaspoons heaped salt and coat  the mango cubes with it .
Let it rest for an hour or more . After an hour or so drain the water it leaves and steam cook lightly for 8 - 10 minutes but not very mushy . Keep aside  to cool completely.

Meanwhile dry roast yellow or whole mustard seeds till it leaves an aroma ( taking care not burn them). Cool and then powder it. 

Take a pan , heat sesame oil ( I used this), add the powdered jaggery , add the powdered spice , red chili powder,  add the marinated steam cooked mango cubes after patting dry into the mixture . Keep the flame on low and let the jaggery melt, stirring it so that it does not burn. Stir the whole mixture lightly taking care not to mash the mangoes. Take off flame after jaggery is completely melted.

Let it cool completely ( I left it overnight covered) before you bottle it in a clean sterilized glass jar . This Gorkeri pickle stays good for months . I have added oil one inch above the pieces. If you want it with less oil then keep it in the refrigerator. Use a dry spoon to remove the pickle. 

Tastes excellent with khichdi, theplas , rotis , phulkas and bhakris.

My Notes :

I had purchased 530 grams mango , after cleaning, cutting and chopping the mangoes measured 350 grams.

Labels : Mango, Pickle, Jaggery, Gujarat, Homemade

Shengdana Chikki / Peanut Brittle#FantasticalFoodFight

Peanuts in Maharashtra is also know as Shengdana.  This  chikki  / candy / brittle is a quick and easy snack from Maharashtra a winter special sweet, crisp made with just two main ingredients - peanuts and jaggery. 

This an easy candy is very popular in India during winter months.  It is a perfect snack to gorge on in winters to keep your body warm.  It's made specially during the festival season of Lohri, Pongal and Makar Sankranti.

Ingredients 
200 Grams Peanuts
200 Grams Jaggery
1 Teaspoon Desi Ghee(optional) - this is used to give a shine

2 Teaspoons Water

Method

First keep all the essentials ready. 

Grease the tray or board the rolling pin with oil or ghee and keep aside.

Grate the jaggery and keep aside.

Roast and skin  the peanuts, separate them into two.

Keep a small bowl of water.

Heat jaggery  with  water   in a pan until it melts on medium low flame. 

Boil the jaggery  and keep stirring it continuously until

 it starts to bubble,  changes color and turns into hard crack consistency. (test its consistency by putting a drop in cold water- it should form a ball crack after you take it out).  Add the ghee and peanuts and mix thoroughly.  

Spread the mixture immediately and use the rolling pin, roll  to a centimeter thickness 

give cuts. Let it cool completely 

Take a knife and lift them up then break  into squares.  

Store them in an airtight container.

Labels: Chikki, Brittle, Candy, Peanuts, Jaggery, Desi Ghee, Fantastical Food Fight, Healthy, Homemade

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Narali Bhaat / Jaggery Coconut Rice

Narali Poornima marks the end of monsoon season in Maharashtra. It is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Shravan. People offer coconuts to the sea. This festival marks the beginning of the new fishing season. Fishermen and fishing community (koli) in Maharashtra, worship the sea-god before sailing out over the mighty sea, for a safe fishing by offering coconuts . Hence, this special Narali Bhaat/ Jaggery Coconut Rice which is a traditional, age old dish is made on this day and is prepared mostly in Maharashtrian homes on this day.

Serves: 4 
Ingredients
1 Cup Rice
1.3/4 Cups water
3/4 Cup Packed Jaggery - grated
3/4 Cups Fresh Coconut - grated
1/4 Cup Desi Ghee
3 Cloves
2 Green Cardamoms
1/2 Teaspoon Cardamom powder
12 Cashewnuts - halved
A Pinch Salt

Method

Wash the rice well and keep it to drain in a strainer.

Keep the the water to boil in a pan.

In the meantime heat a heavy bottom pan / kadai with ghee, fry the cashewnuts in the ghee when browned remove and keep aside.

In the same kadai , add the cloves and green cardamoms. Saute for a few seconds. Add the drained rice and 2 tablepsoon coconut fry till rice is light pink. Add boiling water and bring it to a rolling boil, cover with a lid pour water on lid and reduce the flame to low. Keep it to cook for 10 - 15 minutes. Open when you see the rice is cooked and still moist, add a pinch of salt and lightly fluffy it, add the jaggery in a single layer, on top, then the coconut and sprinkle little hot water from the lid. Cover again with the lid with water on it, on low flame let it cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes open the lid and lightly stir in the rice so that the jaggery and coconut get well incorporated, again cover and cook it jaggery melts and rice is done, sprinkle the cardamon powder. If you feel it rice is still not done sprinkle little hot water from the lid and again cook it till done on low flame. 

Let it remain covered for 10 minutes without opening the lid. After 10 minutes lightly fluffy the rice with a fork. Serve this rice when warm . Enjoy this delicious grainy sweet rice.

My Notes:

If you want the rice more sweet then increase the jaggery to a cup.  But the quantity used had the just right sweetness.

Labels : Rice, Festival Sweets, Jaggery, Coconut

Tilache Ladoo

A Makar Sankranti special and popular Maharashtrian recipe Tilache Ladoo also known as Tilgul.    For this you have to use the chikki jaggery.  For jaggery in Marathi we say Gul and sesame seeds Til.  These are crisp and delicious, you will not be able to stop eating at one, that's for sure.......  so here I say  "Til gul ghya ani god god bola ".

Ingredients
250 Grams Jaggery  - Chikki Jaggery
250 Grams  Sesame Seeds (Til)
1 Tablespoon Desi Ghee
4 Tablespoons  Groundnuts - roasted , skinned and crushed
8 - 10 Cashew nuts - chopped
15  Raisins
1/2 Cup  Dry Coconut -  grated and roasted 
1 Teaspoon  Cardamom powder

Method

Take a bowl, add til (sesame seeds), crushed groundnut, chopped cashews, raisins & grated coconut. Mix all the ingredients, keep aside.

Heat a kadai, add jaggery and ghee let it melt completely.   Keep stirring the mixture till the jaggery  melts completely.  Will start to  change colour, ( to check whether it's ready take a bowl of water, add  a drop of jaggery, if it forms a ball ) remove it from the flame.  Add elaichi powder and mix well.  Add the til mixture and mix well. Apply some ghee  to your hand and immediatley start making ladoos.  Serve these to your family and friends......  "Til gul ghya ani god god bola "

Labels : Festival Sweets, Ladoo, Sesame seeds, Jaggery, Maharashtra