ಮಾವಿನಹಣ್ಣಿನ ಮೆಣಸ್ಕಾಯಿ - Mango Menaskai

Menaskayi is a popular dish in South Canara (current day Udupi/Mangalore), it is spicy, tangy and sweet in taste. Usually served in weddings and other functions. Eating it on a banana leaf is an experience in itself. This is one of my favorite curries. It's a quick and easy recipe passed to me from my mother in law.

Ingredients:

Small Mangoes:6
Dry Red Chillies:10-12
Sesame seeds: 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds:2 tsp
Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds:few grains
Turmeric:1/4 spoon
Hing: 1 pinch
coconut:1/2 cup (fresh or frozen)
Jaggery: 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil: 2 tsp

Method:

1. Clean mangoes properly.

2. Peel the skin and put it in a cooking pot, add 2 cups of water, hing, Jaggery, salt and turmeric and let it cook covered on low flame for 10 mins.

3. In the meantime heat oil in a pan and roast red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds and Fenugreek seeds one by one. Dry roast coconut until it's slightly brown.

4. Make a coarse paste of coconut and all spices in the blender and add it to the boiling mangoes and bring to boil and turn off the flame.

Seasoning:
Oil: 1 tsp
Hing: 1 pinch
Mustard: 1 tsp
broken dry red chilli: 1
Curry Leaves: 1 spring

Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when the mustard splutters add dry red chilli, curry leaves and hing. Pour the tempering on the Mango gravy and serve with plain rice. 

Notes:

• You can add split black gram and Bengal gram if you like nutty flavor.
• Adjust the amount of Jaggery depending on the sweetness of mango.
• You can also add tamarind juice if it's too sweet.
• You can replace mango with pineapple.