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Mangoes! King of Fruits!

Mangoes are one of the most popular tropical fruits in the world, known for their sweet, juicy, and flavorful flesh. They are native to South Asia but are now widely cultivated in many parts of the world, including India, Mexico, Brazil, and the Philippines.

Mangoes are highly nutritious, rich in vitamins A and C, fiber, and antioxidants. They are also low in calories, making them an excellent choice for a healthy snack. The fruit is typically eaten fresh, either on its own or as part of a fruit salad or smoothie. It can also be used in a variety of dishes, such as chutneys, jams, ice creams, and desserts.

Mangoes have a long and fascinating history that spans thousands of years. The fruit is believed to have originated in South Asia, specifically in India and Myanmar, where it has been cultivated for over 4,000 years. The mango tree, known as the “king of fruits” in India, was highly revered and considered a symbol of prosperity, happiness, and love.

Overall, mangoes are a fruit with a rich and diverse history that continues to be celebrated around the world. With their delicious taste, nutritional value, and cultural significance, it’s no wonder that mangoes have become one of the most popular fruits in the world.

There are many different types of mangoes, each with its own unique flavor, texture, and appearance. Here are some of the most popular types of mangoes:

1. Alphonso: This is a premium variety of mango from India, known for its sweet and creamy flesh, rich aroma, and bright orange color.
2. Ataulfo: Also known as the honey mango, this type of mango is small and oval-shaped, with a smooth, golden skin and sweet, juicy flesh.
3. Tommy Atkins: This is a popular type of mango that is grown in many parts of the world, including the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. It has a greenish-yellow skin and sweet, fibrous flesh.
4. Keitt: This type of mango is large and oval-shaped, with a greenish-yellow skin and sweet, juicy flesh. It is commonly grown in Florida and California.
5. Haden: This is another popular type of mango, with a bright red and yellow skin and sweet, juicy flesh. It is grown in many parts of the world, including Mexico and the United States.
6. Kent: This is a large, oval-shaped mango with a greenish-yellow skin and sweet, juicy flesh. It is commonly grown in Florida and is a popular export mango.
7. Manila: This is a small, oval-shaped mango with a yellow skin and sweet, juicy flesh. It is commonly grown in the Philippines and is popular for its rich, creamy texture.
8. Kesar: This is a popular mango variety from India, known for its bright orange flesh, rich flavor, and strong aroma.
9. Francis: This is a large, oval-shaped mango with a green and yellow skin and sweet, juicy flesh. It is commonly grown in Haiti and is known for its smooth texture.

These are just a few of the many different types of mangoes available around the world. Each type has its own unique characteristics and is used in a variety of dishes, from desserts to savory dishes.

“The mango is not just a fruit, it’s a taste of paradise that brings joy to the senses and nourishment to the body.”

Payasam/ Kheer for Ugadi.

Ugadi or Yugadi, also known as Samvatsarādi (lit. ’Beginning of the Year’), is New Year’s Day according to the Hindu calendar and is celebrated in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa in India. It is festively observed in these regions on the first day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Chaitra.

The most important festive dish during Ugadi is the pachadi, a chutney that combines various ingredients to give all six primary flavours of food — sweet, sour, salty, spicy, bitter and astringent.While tamarind lends sourness, the neem flowers impart bitterness, bella or jaggery imbues sweetness, uppu or salt adds saltiness and the spiciness comes from green chillies with raw mango contributing the astringent component.The mix of all flavours is also a reminder that one must expect all kinds of experiences in the coming New Year and take it in one’s stride.Another widely consumed item during Ugadi across the southern states is a sweet flatbread with a chana dal (Bengal gram) jaggery filling, known as holige or obattu in Karnataka, bobbatlu (Bhakshalu/polelu/oligale) in Andhra and puran poli in Maharashtra.The season’s fresh raw mangoes are made into pickles, mavinkayi chitranna (mango rice) or mango pachadi, besides puliogare (pulihora in Andhra) which is sour tamarind rice. People also make sweet pongal, kothmir vada and hesaru bele payasa (green gram kheer).

The typical dishes that are served on the Banana leaf are the Pickle, Dal Vada, Kosambari, Palya (poriyal), Obbattu (Puran Poli), Obbattu Saaru, Mavinakayi Chitranna (Raw Mango Rice), Semiya Payasam (Semiya Kheer), Steamed Rice, Udupi Rasam and Tempered Curd.

May this year bring you lots of joy and happiness in your life.
Happy Ugadi to everyone!

Shakshouka.

Shakshouka is a Maghrebi dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion and garlic, commonly spiced with cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper. According to Joan Nathan, shakshouka originated in Ottoman North Africa in the mid-16th century after tomatoes were introduced to the region by Hernán Cortés as part of the Columbian exchange. Shakshouka is a Tunisian and Israeli dish very famous in the middle east, consisting of poached eggs in spicy tomato sauce with onions, peppers and spices. Its very similar to the Latin American breakfast dish ‘Huevos Rancheros’ As the recipe consists of eggs it’s meant to be a breakfast food, but it’s popular even as a dinner dish. I think it can be eaten anytime because it’s just so good, and it’s easy to make.

This dish is served with a side of bread so as to soak the sauce. You can even have it with roti, chapati or pita bread.

Chicken Sukka/ Kori Rotti

Mangalorean Chicken Sukka or Kori Sukka/Kori Ajadina is an Indian chicken dish native to Mangalore and Udupi region. The word “Sukka” comes from Hindi “Sukha” which means “Dry”, sometimes also called as “Kori Ajadina”. However, it can be prepared in two variations: dry and semi gravy.
Chicken sukka is an intensely flavorful dish, made with host of spices, freshly grated coconut and just two tablespoons of oil. A quintessential chicken sukka calls for a special masala called kundapur masala powder. However, there are different variations of this recipe that can avoid the usage of this powder.
Although this dish has a major influence of South Indian and coastal cuisine, chicken sukka has a charm of its own. It is said that traditionally this dish is cooked with ‘desi murgh’ (free-range chicken) and served during special occasions like weddings.
This dish can be served with Parotta or Neer Dosa.

Chaaai!

Every afternoon, at most Indian homes, the family gets together to enjoy a cup of piping hot chai (tea), sometimes accompanied by a biscuit or two. Wondering how Chai was Originated?

According to ‘The Story of Tea’, tea drinking likely began in Yunnan province during the Shang Dynasty (1500 BC–1046 BC), as a medicinal drink. In one popular Chinese legend, Emperor Shennong was drinking a bowl of just boiled water because of a decree that his subjects must boil water before drinking it.[13] Sometime around 2737 BC, a few leaves were blown from a nearby tree into his water, changing the color and taste. The emperor took a sip of the brew and was pleasantly surprised by its flavor and restorative properties. A variant of the legend tells that the emperor tested the medical properties of various herbs on himself, some of them poisonous, and found tea to work as an antidote. A similar Chinese legend states that Shennong would chew the leaves, stems, and roots of various plants to discover medicinal herbs. If he consumed a poisonous plant, he would chew tea leaves to counteract the poison.
Tea was introduced to India by the British in the nineteenth century, to overcome the monopoly of Chinese production. The first area to be planted was the mountain region surrounding the city of Darjeeling, perched on the Himalayan foothills, in the 1850s.

Today, India is second largest tea producers in the world, although over 70 per cent of its tea is consumed within India itself. A number of renowned teas, such as Assam and Darjeeling, also grow exclusively in India.
A Cup of tea is a cup of peace. Numerous studies have found that Tea helps in weight loss, boosting immunity and mental alertness, preventing heart diseases and arthritis, managing diabetes and delaying the aging process.