MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja - Gulaamba

Gulaamba (Raw Mango Jaggery Jam)

Indian summers can be equated as the Mango (Aam/ Aamba) season. A large varieties of dishes are made with raw/ripe mangoes like juices (Panna/Panhe), squashes, chutneys, pickles, jams, jellies, desserts and many more. Gulaamba is a jam made of raw mango (Kairi/Aamba) and jaggery (Gul/Gur).

My Grandmother made Gulaamba  every summer season as my Grandfather relished only jaggery and never used much of sugar in his lifetime. It was like a ritual with my grandmother, she used to be busy all summer with preparations of papads, mango jams etc. As we visited my grandparents’ place every summer vacation, all of my grandmother’s lovingly prepared treats awaited us in the form of huge glass jars lined up with Murambas ( Murabbas), jams and jellies of all kinds- mainly those of raw mangoes. These goodies beckoned us, full of grandparents’ love and affection, unforgettable times and tastes that linger even today.

My grandfather took great pride in his garden which he tended to in the most loving way and had some mango trees in there, so home grown mangoes were brought to good use.

Gulaamba is a good accompaniment with any meal and is liked by one and all. It is sweet so it is favourite of children. In earlier times, as families were big, it used to be made in large quantities and was prepared to be stored and used for a year till the next summer. I make in small quantities to be consumed fresh.

Generally, Rajapuri variety is used for Gulaamba, but, you can use any good variety of raw mango. The general proportion is one part of mango and two parts of jaggery, here jaggery acts as the preservative.

 

Ingredients

Raw Mango – Half cup (Peeled and cut into thin slices)

Jaggery – 1 cup

Water – 1/4 cup

Cardamom – 2 nos

Salt – A pinch

Method

Pressure cook the peeled raw mango slices lightly for about 5-6 minutes. Mix together jaggery, water, salt and pressure cooked raw mango slices on medium heat for about 8-10 minutes till the mixture boils and bubbles well. Cool and add crushed cardamom. Store in a clean sterilized glass jar/bottle. This can be refrigerated for about a month.

MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja - Saakharamba (Raw Mango Sugar Jam)

Saakharamba

Summers all over India are synonymous with Mango (Aam/ Aamba) season. A large varieties of dishes are made with raw/ripe mangoes like juices (Panna/Panhe), squashes, chutneys, pickles, jams, jellies, desserts and many more. Sakharamba is a jam made of raw mango (Kairi) and sugar.

My grandmother religiously made Sakharamba nearly every summer and it was like a ritual with her, all the summer preparations of papads, mango jams etc. As we visited my grandparents’ place for summer vacation, all of my grandmother’s treats awaited us in the form of huge glass jars lined up with Murambas ( Murabbas), jams and jellies of all kinds- mainly those of raw mangoes. All of these used to be so tempting and inviting, full of love and affection, unforgettable times and tastes that linger to this date.

My grandfather took great pride in his garden which he tended to in the most loving way and had some mango trees in there, so home grown mangoes were brought to good use.

Sakharamaba is a good accompaniment with any meal and is liked by children, as well as adults. It is sweet so it is a sure favourite of the children. In earlier times, as families were big, it used to be made in large quantities and was prepared to be stored and used for a year till the next summer. I make in small quantities to be consumed fresh.

Generally, Rajapuri variety is used for Sakharamba, but, you can use any good variety of raw mango. The general proportion is one part of mango and two parts of sugar, sugar itself acts as the preservative. Some households make a sun dried recipe. I am giving a recipe involving cooking.

Ingredients

Raw Mango – Half cup (Peeled and grated)

Sugar – 1 cup

Water – 1/4 cup

Cardamom – 2 nos

Saffron – 6-8 strands (optional)

Method

Pressure cook the grated raw mango lightly for about 5-6 minutes. Mix together sugar, water and pressure cooked raw mango on medium heat for about 8-10 minutes till the mixture boils and bubbles well. Cool the mixture and add crushed cardamom and saffron strands. Store in a clean sterilized glass jar/bottle. This can be refrigerated for about a month. Saakharamba tastes good with roti or just as a sweet accompaniment with any meal.

MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja - Methamba

Methamba

Methamba is a sweet sour and tangy accompaniment, something like a pickle, made of raw mango with the distinctive flavouring of fenugreek seeds, hence, the name MethaAmba (Fenugreek seeds+Raw Mango/Kairi/Aamba). This dish was always made by my mother quite often during the mango season and I just loved it. It is a quick to make simple recipe and serves as a delicious accompaniment to any meal.

Ingredients

Raw Mango – 1 medium sized

Jaggery – 2 tablespoons

Salt – As per atste

Red Chillies – 2-3 nos

Fenugreek Seeds – ¼ teaspoon

Coriander seeds – ¼ teaspoon

Mustard Seeds – ¼ teaspoon

Oil – 2 tablespoons

Asafoetida – A small pinch

Water – ¾ cup

Method

Peel the raw mango and cut in small pieces. Break jaggery in small pieces and dissolve in water. Heat oil, add asafoetida and fenugreek seeds, then add pieces of red chillies, mustard seeds and coriander seeds. Add mango pieces, salt and jaggery water. Cook for about 10 minutes, add more water if required.  Remove from fire, cool and serve as accompaniment with meals. This will stay for 2 days without refrigeration, and for about a week if refrigerated.

Note – I am giving recipes in smaller quantities as families are more or less nuclear nowadays. You may increase the quantity as per your requirements.

MyMusingsSangSpeak-Pet Puja - Kairi Pudina Chutney (Raw Mango Mint Chutney)

Kairi Pudina Chutney (Raw Mango Mint Chutney)

Kairi Pudina Chutney is a sour sweet accompaniment for summer meals and quite easy to make. It goes well with many fried snacks too. It is made of all fresh raw ingredients and acts as a coolant for harsh summers.

Ingredients

Raw Mango – 1 medium sized

Mint – 8- 10 sprigs

Jaggery- 2 tablespoons

Green Chilly – 1 medium

Garlic – 6-8 cloves

Salt – As per taste

Cumin Powder – ¼ teaspoon

Water – ¼ cup

Method

Peel and deseed the raw mango. Cut mango into small pieces. Break jaggery into small pieces. Mix all the ingredients together and grind to a fine paste. Add more water if required. Refrigerate the chutney. It stays refrigerated for about a week.