Food Blog: How my mother made me try Mangodi Ki Sabzi

The first time she made it, she must have thought that if she said its mangodi, we would stop at the name itself. So she told us it is orange coloured kadhi. Actually she did this with many dishes – arbi was called aaloo; moong ki daal was called chota urad. Ah! the lies of our childhood.

This dish is the testimony of the struggles and shrewdness of my mother when it came to making us eat new things. Without fail every child is fussy about food. I sometimes feel like saluting mothers for being so innovative with dishes and names!

Fresh mangodi ki sabzi

Preparation time: 10 mins (+2 hour for soaking) | Cooking Time: 20 mins | Serves 2

For the mangodis

1/2 cup yellow moong daal, washed and soaked for at least 2 hours
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp fennel seeds
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

For the gravy
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
4-5 fresh curry leaves
1 bay leaf
2 dried red chillies
1 inch ginger, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 cup curd/ yoghurt
1 tbsp gram flour (besan)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Salt to taste
2 cups water

Method
* Drain the soaked moong daal and grind to a coarse paste in a blender. Add water as required but not too much.
* Add in all the spices and baking soda to the paste. Mix well. I prefer mixing with hands but a fork would be as fine.
* Heat oil in a small kadhai. Once the oil is hot, drop just about a teaspoon full of batter in the oil and deep fry until golden yellow.
* Keep aside on a kitchen towel. The fresh mangodis are ready.
* In a separate bowl, mix together curd, gram flour, salt and turmeric to form a homogenous paste.
* For the gravy, heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan.
* Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, bay leaf and dried red chilli powder.
* Sauté for a minute. Add chopped ginger and tomato puree. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes.
*  Add the fresh mangodis, curd mixture, sugar and water. Mix well and keep stirring the gravy until it boils.
* Now reduce the flame to low and simmer for another 5 mins until the gravy thickens.
* Serve hot with plain rice

Food is never just food. I believe it’s story telling, it’s conversation. It brings people together and it speaks a universal language! I love to play around in my kitchen. The thrill of being able to create something new and sharing it with others is what fuels my passion for cooking. The fact that dear husband is a foodie and an honest critique helps! I blog about my adventures in the kitchen at http://www.myweekendkitchen.in/