MANGAI VATTAL
My Mami is an enthusiastic cook and she loves to prepare traditional recipes and also likes to try out new dishes even now. Come summer her farm house used to bustle with vadam and pickle making activities. She has taught me to make various traditional South Indian dishes in which she excelled. When one of my followers requested for Mangai Vattal recipe I naturally surrendered to Mami and requested her for help! With undiminished zest even in her eighties, she gladly taught me the procedure to make Mangai Vattals.
INGREDIENTS
Fresh raw mangoes - 2
Salt - 1/4 cup
(I used organic crystal salt)
METHOD
1.Wash,wipe and dry the mangoes thoroughly.
2.Cut them lengthwise into finger-size pieces.
3.Add salt and mix well, cover and leave it overnight.
4.The next day shake the mango and salt mixture well, or stir well using a dry spoon.
5.Leave it covered for one more night so that the mango pieces soak well in a marinade of their own juice and salt.
6.On the third day remove the soaked mango pieces into a tray using a slotted ladle. Reserve the juice and cover it with a lid.
7.Spread out the pieces in a tray and leave it in the sun till the evening.
8.In the evening bring back the mango pieces and immerse them in the reserved juice and leave it covered overnight.
9.Repeat the procedure for three days till the entire juice has been absorbed.
10. Leave the well soaked mango pieces in the sun to dry for three days.
When the Mango Vattals are dried thoroughly you can see crystallized salt clinging to the pieces.
Store the Mangai Vattals in a clean and dry jar.
Relishing Curd rice with Mangai Vattal in summer is a heavenly experience. Vattals prepared in bulk can be stored for one year until the arrival of the next mango season. When mangoes are not in season these vattals are washed in warm water and then used for preparing Vattal Kuzambu or Sambar. Mangai Vattals can also be used to make instant pickles when fresh mangoes are out of season.
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