Raw Mango Dal & Aam Panha

Chaitra month, the first month of the Marathi calender. The first day of Chaitra is celebrated as Gudi Padva, the New Year. This falls in the month of March-April as per Gregorian Calender. The onset of Spring.
In this month married ladies and young girls organize "Haldi Kunku", a social gathering of relatives and friends females only. Ladies dress up in traditional sarees, the girls in traditional clothes with appropriate jewellery and flowers decorated in their hair styles. Its the season of mangoes. The Raw Mango is enjoyed as much as the ripe one. It is cooked in various different ways. On this Chaitra Haldi Kunku, raw mango dal or locally(in Maharashtra) called "amba dal" and "aam panha" is served,  as the season is hot and a cool raw mango drink works wonders.
Today I share two recipes Raw mango Dal & Aam Panha.

Raw Mango Dal:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chana dal soked overnight
• 3/4th cup grated raw mango without skin
• 3 red dry chillies whole
• 2 green chillies
• 4 tbs oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp hing
• 1/2 tsp haldi powder

Method: 

• Grind the dal coarsely
• Remove to this add salt and grated raw mango and 1tsp sugar.
• Heat oil, when hot fry the whole red chillies till they change colour and become crisp
• Remove and keep aside.
• In the same oil add hing mustard seeds and haldi and make a tadka 
• Crush the red chillies in your palm and add to dal
• Pour the tadka over the dal and mix 
• Check seasoning if you need more tang you can add 1/2 a lime juice

This is served to the ladies on small banana leaves.

Aam Panha 

   

Ingredients:

• 2 large raw mangoes peel the skin and boil in pressure cooker 6 whistles.
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4ccup jaggery
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1tsp black salt
• 1/2 tsp cardomom powder
• few strands of keasr
• 1glass water

Method:

• Make a pulp of the cooked raw mangoes 
• In a mixer add the pulp, sugar ,salt, jaggery and blitz.
• Add cardaomn powder, kesar and blitz
• Add a glass of water and blitz

Chill and Serve.

Haldi Kunku is just a get together . A time to meet friends old and new and share these special dishes made to welcome the new fruit and enjoy it.

----------------------------------------------------------------