Try out this spicy, tangy gravy to give that unique touch to your South Indian thali. The tangy sundried mango curry is one that fires up a dead tastebud to life. Here is the vegan, nut-free, nightshade-free, coconut free recipe for you to try.
Mums and daughters always have some special shares. Mine happens to be the kozhambu made with sundried mango vattal. This was our kind of meal when dad was travelling or did not want lunch for the weekends. Though the meal was simple, I loved it. The lip-smacking tangy curry with steamed rice and crispy vadams and vattals. That is all I needed to tell her she is the world’s greatest mum! She has always been.
Today’s share is her recipe for this unique maanga vattal kozhambu.
What is a vattal kozhambu?
The curry or kozhambu made with sundried vegetables or berries is called vattal kozhambu. Spiced with a spice mix similar to sambhar powder, this curry is a slow cook recipe. With tamarind as the curry base, the tempered spices and the dried veggies cook down imbibing the flavours.
How is this maanga vattal kozhambu different from the rest?
Ideally, this vattal kozhambu is what we call a parippu potta vattalkozhambu, where cooked lentils are added. This thickens the gravy, and reduces the heavy oil use compared to traditional vattal kozhambu formulas. Other than that, the mango vattal you make makes a huge difference. Since mango vattal is sour already, no tamarind pulp is added. The complexity of flavour comes from balancing the intense sourness from the spicy masala base.
The best combinations with this manga kozhambu.
Since the curry is spicy and tangy you want to pair the maanga vattal kozhambu with less spicy sides. Typical South Indian combinations are this maanga kozhambu with steamed rice or fluffy cooked millets. On the sides, a salad like kosambari, warm mezhukkuperattis or kootu curry pairs deliciously with this. The maanga vattal kozhambu is an excellent side to idlies and set dosa.
The details of this recipe are in the recipe card below.
Maanga vattal kozhambu
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sundried mango vattal sun dried spiced mango bits.
- 1/2 cup split pigeon pea cooked, arhar dal, tur dal
- 2 cups drinking water
- 2 tbsp sambhar powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
tempering
- 2 tbsp Sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- a pinch Asafoetida
- 1 sprig curry leaves
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed wok add sesame oil and add the mustard seeds.
- As they splutter, add curry leaves, asafoetida , saute till the curry leaves turn crispy.
- Add the turmeric powder, the mango pieces and water and bring to a boil.
- Run the cooked dal and sambhar powder in the processor to get an smooth consistency. Now add this to the boiling mango pieces.
- Simmer for 10-12minutes, stirring often.
- Enjoy hot with steamed rice
Collaborations
The recipe for this sundried mango kozhambu was published in Dec 2017. During those days I had no idea why I should write about how to pair it or include the details of the ingredients. Thanks to Foodies redoing old posts, here I am updating the content with better information. The image and the recipe remain the same.
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Beautiful dish… It is interesting how our older generations preserved and made food… the kuzhambu looks very comforting!
So true.. some age-old favorites are everlasting.
Can anything go wrong with a dish made with Raw Mangoes.. I am sure NOT!! Lipsmacking stuff with that pic of the raw mango tree, couldnt get better than that!
Mangoes are a full time love..thanks
This looks delicious.. perfect combo with some hot rice
yes it is … please do try the recipe
very simple but I am sure the most tastiest sambhar. How I wish I could get these sun dried mangoes at home. kozhambu looks tempting,
yes, its been my favorite.
Should try the sun dried version of mango sometime. This kozhambu looks delicious Seema, soul food.
Yes indeed, soul food. Its a beautiful recipe.
Wow..this curry is awesome and tempting. In India, I’ve seen my mum using dried mango in making daal.
Yeah.. my mom makes the dal too.. its yumm
What a lipsmacking dish …. Delicious
thankyou…
The curry looks so flavorful !
I use dried mango to make mango powder but never made curry out of it. Looks so delicious.
Its dried cured mango, slightly diffrent from the mango for aamchur. But still should work
Wow!! Never heard about this dish. I am sure it must be cery tasty. I am big fan of mangoes ????
Thank you,i am sure you will love it if you love mangoes too.
Loved the addition of parippu to the otherwise spicy kozhambu. We used pavakkai vattal, as we don’t have mangoes. Will you be able to post the recipe for making the mango vattal , I have mangoes.
An interesting recipe Seema, using dried mango. How awesome is that. This is one curry that can be enjoyed even when mangoes are not in season. Wish I could try it right away,
The curry certainly needs a bit of prep during summer. Yet, it is one of the most flavourful ones. You may find manga vattal in the Indian and Srilankan stores. I am glad it caught your interest.
I am loving this recipe, the only thing is I might not be able to source sun-dried mangoes. But will try if I can with so less sun. We make another version of mango curry but that is with raw mango and not sun-dried. Bookmarking this spicy curry to try.
Sun dried mango curry looks tasty and ideal for our lunch. Will look out for sundried mangoes to make this one. Loved this heirloom recipe.