Sunday, January 11, 2009

Manga Chammanthi- A tongue tickler with raw mango & coconut…


A couple of raw mangoes the neighbor woman gifted while she folded the dried clothes hanging from the clothes line ……that slender Kaanthari-mulaku she plucked from that chilly plant growing happily at the corner of the compound wall and the young sprig of leaves from the curry-leaf plant swaying in the evening breeze, …….a small pile of coconut flakes, as white as Thumba poo, grated from a freshly cracked coconut…….she arranges everything on a round stainless steel plate which begins to look like an artist’s palette ……..she slowly walks to the corner of the work-area and starts to grind everything with a sprinkle of salt on a flat grinding stone, Ammikkallu with an elongated rolling pin made of stone, listening to the rustic yet rhythmic music from the rubbing of stones, as she moves the rolling pin back and forth ……then she gently scrapes with the edge of her palm to bring all the ground coarse paste to the middle of the grinding stone, to roll it into a round shape…………that coarse paste with a pale green hue is the most simple treat a Kerala woman could whip up with the simplest of ingredients available from her own backyard, to jazz up a boring meal or to kick- up a bowl of rice soup, Kanji…………..!!!!

The taste of this raw mango and coconut Chammanthi , ground on a flat grinding stone is incomparable. Yet, you can re-create a similar taste using a small wet grinder ……with a handful of frozen grated coconut and that raw mango with identity crisis, sold at your local Indian store. With the variety of raw mangoes I get here, I usually take equal amounts of grated coconut and sliced mangoes (with skin removed) and a couple of Indian green chillies. Firstly, grind the mango slices and green chillies and then add grated coconut with a sprinkle of salt and grind till it becomes a coarse paste. Add 4-5 curry leaves towards the end and pulse 3-4 times till the leaves are mixed thoroughly with the paste.

The proportion of mango and grated coconut depend on the sourness of mangoes. If you re lucky to get some good raw sour mangoes, then add more coconut and less mango to get your required level of sourness. Hold yourself back from that strong temptation to sneak in a shallot or a small piece of ginger. Keep it simple and it tastes awesome!

Though I usually try to anglicize the name of a dish to help my fellow Indians and non-Indian readers comprehend the dish properly, let me not try to do the same this time as I can’t think of an equivalent name or comparison for this one. This is not to be misinterpreted with the ever popular Chutney. For Keralites, both are two different things; Chammanthi is a dry coarse paste where as Chutney is a liquid-y dip/sauce. Try making it at home; it sure can invigorate your senses :)

Luv
Shn

No part of the content ( articles, photographs, recipes) of this blog may be reproduced without my written permission.Copyright © 2007-2010 Kitchenmishmash.blogspot.com. All rights reserved.

39 comments:

  1. I heart chammanthi and this is one of my absolute faves. Close second would be the chuttaracha chammanthi and maa-inji chammanthi :)

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  2. Vaakukal kondu chithram varachu... Beautiful. I prepared this maanga chammanthi as side for dosa the same way. As u mentioned it goes best with kanji.

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  3. I am drooling.That chammanthi will taste divine I know, esp if done on a kallu.I am longing for home now.Thanks.

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  4. beautiful presentation...

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  5. Shn,
    this raw mango chutney is my fav, we would often get raw or green mango from our neighbour's garden and then it would be like feast of sorts, eating it with slight salt and red pepper while chit-chatting about school,it was a great way to spend the afternoons..reminds how life can be as simple as it can be ..
    hugs and smiles

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  6. Happy new Year Shn...what a post..am drooling over the pic.as usual the pic is lovely and who else would have thought to take the pic of chammanthi in a soup spoon...kudos to you.Am fortunate enough to lay my hands on really sour raw mangoes and this is the first thing am gonna buy on my next veggie shopping trip;-)

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  7. oh yeah..this is something kerala's very own i guess...and I think with Kanji you dont need anything more than this..manga chammanthi is a regular at home being a common favourite of all..

    As little kids we used to use the rolling pin as our version of dumbbells!!:-D

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  8. very nice picture, ur gallery is making me hungry...

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  9. I love this chammanthi, had made it last year! Tks for reminder. Shall make it yet again sometime...bookmarked! :D

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  10. Hullo shn, so glad to see your post. Wish I could get Indian green mangoes here. Once we bought a few in Charlotte and ate all of them with salt and chilli pd! :D

    Chammanthi(love the name!) looks yum, my cheeks are hurting! :))

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  11. I've been a ghost reader of Mishmash for sometime, after savouring your manga chammanthi, I have to leave comment.. In cooking I'm a late starter and Mrs K M Matthew has been my inspirational Guru and without a doubt you're equally good( well almost..sorry)
    warmest regards
    thara

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  12. a chammanthi so beautifully described.

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  13. My keyboard is full wat with the drool.
    I feel like the dad in sipmson when he see doughnut, i am drooling so much seeing this manga chammanthie.

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  14. raw mango with coconut..wow what a combination

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  15. Gosh! That picture makes me wish for summer to get here soon. The only thing that makes the heat bearable are the mangoes.

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  16. Thats tempting.. Manga chamanthi is my fav...

    Anna
    http://cooktoyourtaste.blogspot.com/

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  17. My recipe is slightly diff ...ur recipe is lovely will try it yours

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  18. New format for New year. Looks good. I love to eat manga chammanthi, rice and curd on the days that are depreesing. It is an instant mood picker for me. Happy new year dear. Villikam , kore sambhavangal paran unde. Might move to Houston.

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  19. yummy yum...
    happy new year shn!!

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  20. My mouth is watering :D lovely chamathi. I love it with godambu kanji :)like u said the simple taste makes it yummy! when we try add more things in it (like i would tell my mom to) it just gets complicated and loses its original simple taste.

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  21. Beautiful and elegant presentation of this simple but delicious recipe. I feel huuungry!!!

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  22. How the simplest of dishes rekindle our memories!

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  23. Glad to see you are back. Yummy chammanthi. am definitely gonna try making it as soon as I get my hands on that frozen coconut at the Indian store. Hey I was sticking on to my decision of reading ur blog from the beginning like I told you before but ur pic of that chammanthi tricked me into sneaking at the recipe. You click awesome pics which makes the recipe mouthwatering at first sight itself. Happy new year to you and all fellow bloggers and wishing all of us bloggers to get out of that lazy zone we are cuddled up in.

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  24. looks delicious!!! Had never heard of this before.... Is it to be eaten w/ rice? Happy Sankranti!! :)

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  25. I hope you don't mind me linking your blog on my blog???

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  26. Enthado vishesham.. madiyokke mariyo?
    here, now it is mango season.. niraye mangaya.. :)
    Varunno? :))

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  27. Shn
    The chammanthi sure looks tempting, can it be had with idli instead of the coconut chutney ?

    Have a fantastic 2009 !!! And are you getting your dosage of fish I remember the place you moved to didn't have a decent fish place.

    sandeepa(Bong Mom's Cookbook)

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  28. Super....my fav one.Great presentation too.

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  29. This sounds and looks really nice Shn :-)

    Enjoy your weekend :-)

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  30. My grandmom makes the same but it is red in color due to use of red chilles....we have with kanjji..just just love it....Happy new year ,Mishmash.....

    Rashmi

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  31. kodipichu......manga chmmandi done on the ammikkallu is the best.... i don't think you can ever recreate that taste on a mixie....

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  32. I just love, love, love this chammanthi. I like it best when it is made with mangoes that are just beginning to turn a light shade of yellow and with a tsp of coconut oil stirred in.

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  33. Just wanted to quickly wish you a very happy 2009, Shn! Just arrived back from India and missing it and all my family there!
    The chutney looks and sounds great!

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  34. aw that looks awesome....my sister is absolutely crazy about it...can't forget the taste of making it in an arakalu...thanks for the lovely pic

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  35. ithu adipoli. i too posted one soemtime back with mango,dry red chilly,shallot as ingredients..ithu try cheythu nokunnu undu ketto..
    thnks
    prajusha
    www.icookipost.com

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  36. Nags, manga-inji chammanthi..? whts that.?

    Jayashree, esthapettu ennu kettappo santhosham :)

    Poornima, tess, Thank you :)

    Jaya, raw mango with salt and chilly p/w...hmm I have waterfalls in my mouth :D

    Divya, thanks a lot, nice to know that you liked the presentation of chammanthi :) you re lucky ones...heard mango season has begun there...

    Mathew, rolling pin as dumbbells? eeswaraaa!!!! as a kid, thats enough to feel like a biggie right :)

    Neha, Purnima thanks a lot :)

    Asha, mine hurts just thinking about it :P

    Thara, Thanks for dropping few lines here...glad u liked the recipes....:)

    Rachel, thank you :)

    Happy Cook, I was laughing like anything after reading ur comment :)

    Trupti, Aparna, Anna, Vanamala, Thanks guys :)

    Pooja, busy woman, pls call me whenever u re free....i tried to catch u online, but couldnt....

    Divz, Thank you dear...hope all of us have a great year ahead :)

    Vidya, i got to taste gathambu kanji once...so u give orders to ur mom , eh? :))

    Akal, jyothsna, Thanks :)

    Sakshi, thanks a bunch :) yes , you sure can blogroll me.

    Ramya, Thanks :)

    Seena, madi okke eppazhenkilum maarumo..??enthoru chodyam :D i read ur latest post...avide adichu polikkuvaa ennu manassilayee :)

    Sandeepa, yes dear you can have it dosa/idli, though coconut chutney is the norm.,,..many relish it with dosa...and the dosage of fish, hahah...you remember so well....hmm...very bad scenario here...:(

    Nithya, sunita,Thanks :)

    Rashmi, hmm...my mother also used red chillies at times....somehow i prefer the one with green chillies.

    nanditha,Jayashree, thank you :)

    Vani, hey u re back! long vacation right?

    Malli, prajusha thanks you very much :)

    Shn

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  37. Hi..lovely blog.. am a keralite too :)

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  38. hi!! i missed so many of your lovely posts!! ok starting now with manga chammanthi - a must have in most kerala homes! and my abosilute favorite. my mumtold me that already the chandrakaran maavu at home is dropping mangos and these are being dutifully collected and made into chammanti! at my place chammanti is an everyday affair and i do think they are healthier than pickles. my ammai grinds together pachha manga, along with kunjulli and curry leaves and a generous drizzle of coconut oil. aah heavennn!!!!

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  39. Why? no shallots?in the chammanthi


    Do you mind posting the quantities you would use when you cook for say 25-50 people? like meat rice etc. for curry or biryani, curd for moru curry etc,
    payasam for a party and so on.

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