MANGO CURRY

Mango Curry image

Provided by Joe Thottungal

Yield Serves 4-6

Number Of Ingredients 14

2 green, unripe mangoes, peeled and sliced (2 cups)
4 shallots, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
4 Indian or Thai green chiles, halved lengthwise
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
3 cloves garlic, cut into thin matchsticks
3 Tbsp coconut vinegar or white vinegar
1½ tsp salt
3 cups coconut milk
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1½ tsp black mustard seeds
4 dried red chiles, snapped in half
20 curry leaves
Fried Onions for garnish (optional)
Basmati Rice to serve

Steps:

In a bowl, combine mangoes, shallots, green chiles, ginger, garlic, vinegar, and salt and mix well. Set aside for 2 hours.
In a large saucepan, combine mango mixture and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until mangoes are softened.
Have a splash guard and measured spices nearby. Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat until nearly smoking. Immediately reduce heat to medium. (You can test the heat of the oil by dropping in a couple of seeds. The oil is at the correct temperature when the seeds crackle, but do not burn.) Add mustard seeds and temper for a few seconds, until they stop popping. (Cover with the splash guard, if needed.) Add red chiles and curry leaves and cook for 15-20 seconds. Add the tempered spice mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine.
Garnish with fried onions (if using). Serve with rice.
Cooks' Note
Tempering is a traditional method of extracting optimal flavor from Indian spices, and it is a skill learned with practice! Reducing the heat a little before adding the spices prevents the spices from burning and adding a bitterness to your dish. If they do burn, simply start again with fresh spices.