Taking Advantage of A Spring Special. Cauliflower With Spring Onions and Black Mustard Seeds

   Some smart business person once told me that if one adds the number 99 to anything, it somehow makes it more desirable.  $5.99 rather than $6.00, $199.00 rather than $200.00, and of course everyone knows about 999. For me however, and for a lot of other people, the magic number is 99 cents. Personally, I have a hard time staying out of places called The Dollar Tree, Dollar City, etc. I just have to go look. If they re-named them the 99 Cent Tree, I'd probably move in. Nothing makes me happier than a good bargain, which is why I'm always scouting the Farmer's Markets and local shops for fresh seasonal bargains.

   It always amazes me how many people seem to miss the really good stuff. I'm talking about you, cauliflower. Right now, in many markets, cauliflowers' time has come. Cauliflower can be had plentifully and best of all cheap, cheap, cheap. When I was shopping at Sonoma Market the other day, I found cauliflower fresh and organic for 99 cents apiece. I'm not talking some small vegetable here. I'm talking about caullfower as big as my head, and whenever someone wants to sell me something edible as big as my head for under a dollar, I've got to take advantage.
  
   A lot of people's first experience of cauliflower (mine included) is not a happy one. It's of a pale, bland watery vegetable, smelling vaguely of cabbage and it always comes with a threat, such as "No TV tonight" if it's not all eaten, or some such thing. When I started cooking Indian food one of the first things I had to change my mind about was cauliflower, as the Indian kitchen is filled with recipes for cauliflower. I learned quickly that cauliflower cooked and seasoned properly is a whole other vegetable than I'd ever experienced.
 
   When I was looking for a cauliflower dish to round out an Indian company dinner the other night, I decided on a traditional recipe of cauliflower with scallions and black mustard seeds, but  after seeing another 99 cent special of beautiful spring onions, I couldn't resist giving it a bit of a twist.

Cauliflower With Spring Onions And Black Mustard Seed

  
Here's What You Need:

1 large cauliflower
2 bunches of spring onions (if you can't find them regular green onions are fine)
4 Tbs of vegetable oil
1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds
1 tsp of urad dal (if you don't have it that's fine, just leave it out)
1/2 tsp of turmeric
1 or 2 fresh green serrano chilies seeded and finely chopped or 1/4 tsp of Kashmiri chili or cayenne pepper
1 and 1/2 tsp of kosher salt
8 fresh or dried curry leaves torn in pieces (also optional)
 
Here's What To Do:

Separate the cauliflower into small florets, rinse and drain them and set them aside.

Take the spring onions, wash them and cut off the roots at the end. Slice the onions  into 1/2 inch slices using the white and green part both. Set them aside.

In a large skillet or kadhai, heat 3 Tbs of vegetable oil.
When the oil is hot, toss in 1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds.

When the seeds start to pop, add in the urad dal (if you're using it).

When the urad dal starts to turn brown, add in the turmeric, chilies and salt.

Next add in the onions.

Saute everything together for about half a minute, until the onions start to brown.

Then add the cauliflower.

Stir everything around so that the cauliflower and onions are well mixed and colored with the spices .

Add in 1/3 cup of hot water.

Turn the heat down to medium low, put a lid on the pan and cook everything for about 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender but still a bit crisp.

Take the lid off the pan and turn the heat up a bit to get any water that might still be in the pan to cook away.

The cauliflower should be lightly browned in places.

Stir in the last 1 Tbs of vegetable oil during this process.

Add in the torn curry leaves if you're using them.

Give everything another good turn, check the seasoning for salt and serve it up.

  It may have cost 99 cents, but this is a great dish that goes well with any American or Indian meal. The one thing I've learned about cooking cauliflower, and the secret to any cauliflower dish besides the spicing is always to remember to make sure it never turns wet and soggy.

I mentioned earlier that the good people at OXO have given me a 5 lb digital scale to share with someone. If you'd like a chance at winning the scale it's pretty easy.

Leave me a comment about what you'll do with this great digital scale from OXO
For extra chances:
Follow me on Twitter @kathygori
Follow OXO on Twitter @OXO
Like The Colors Of Indian Cooking on Facebook
Let me know in comments if you do any of these things.
The winner will be drawn by Random.org on Saturday May, 5th
Because of shipping issues unfortunately only residents of the USA are eligible for this contest.

Coming up next, Bunny Brulee comes to town and S'mores are never the same! Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

Easy Home Made Truffles, That's How I Roll. Plus A Giveway From OXO.

   Sometimes, the things that seem to be the most expensive and rare, turn out to be the simplest and easiest to make at home. Good quality ricotta, pickled and spiced cherries, artisan breads and truffles. Now, when I'm talking about truffles here, I'm not talking about those things that highly trained dogs and pigs unearth in the Perigord region of France, the hills of Tuscany, and the forests of Oregon. No, I'm talking about those chocolaty delights that can easily rock your wallet at 25 bucks for a half dozen.

   Good quality truffles no longer have to be a pricey extravagance as I recently discovered. In fact, making delicious truffles is probably one of the easiest things I've ever tried. If you've ever made a simple ganache frosting you're halfway there. All one needs for high class truffles is some good quality bittersweet chocolate, cream, and imagination. Also,  a recently discovered secret weapon a  digital scale.

    I'm known among my friends for going as old school as possible most of the time. I cook in clay, I hand grind spices when I can, and if something can possibly be done the hard way, that's usually the way I choose. For years I've heard people sing the praises of having a kitchen scale. My friends who do molecular gastronomy swear by them. However, I am of the "handful and pinch" tradition. This, I discovered doesn't always work well.

   For instance, when Paula Wolfert included on of my recipes in her  book Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking  just saying a  fistful of something didn't fly. I had to be precise. I bought a scale. But not a very good scale as it turned out. I was scale challenged. Then one day I received a 5 lb digital scale from the people at OXO. They also sent me an extra scale to share with someone. Game on. I had to find something to make that needed some precise measurements. It was just the excuse I needed to try my hand at making truffles.

Chocolate Truffles

Here's What You Need:

1 cup of organic cream
4 oz of good quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate. I use either Valrhona or Callebaut
8  green cardamom pods
1 pinch of cardamom
1 cup of good quality  unsweetened cocoa powder

Here's What To Do:

Pour 1 cup of cream into a pot.

Crush the cardamom pods.

Remove the seeds and put them into the cream.

Turn up the heat to medium and bring the cream to a boil. When it starts to boil put a lid on the pot, take it off the heat and let the cream steep for 30 minutes so that the cardamom becomes infused in it.
Weigh the chocolate. You need 4 ozs. Then chop the chocolate into pieces. Set it aside.

After the cream has steeped for a half hour, strain the cardamom seeds out of it and put it back into the pot. Reheat it slowly.
Do NOT let it boil.
Meanwhile in a double boiler, melt the chocolate.
When the cream is hot but not boiling, pour the melted chocolate into it.

Take it off the heat, and mix everything together well.
Set it aside.

After it cools a bit, place the mixture in the refrigerator to firm up for a while. Chill it for at least 2 hours, or until you can easily roll teaspoons of it into a ball.
Place a piece of waxed paper on a cookie sheet.
Scoop teaspoons of firmed-up chocolate ganache out of the pot and roll it into balls.
Dip the balls into 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder.

Roll the cocoa coated bits into balls

Set the balls down on the waxed paper.
Place the cookie sheet with the fresh truffles into the fridge to chill further.

When they're well chilled, put them into an airtight container until you wish to serve them.

They're damn delicious and this recipe makes about 3 dozen truffles. Of course if you make them larger, you'll have fewer truffles.

   When I mentioned that one can use one's imagination in truffle-making, besides making cardamom truffles I made a second batch of Kaffir lime truffles. This involved adding 3 Kaffir lime leaves and the zest of 1 lime to the cream instead of adding cardamom, then straining it out after steeping.

   If you'd like to try your hand at truffles, or anything else requiring accurate measuring, the folks at OXO have given me one of these great digital scales to share. They're easy to operate, measure in ozs or kgs  and have a pull-out display feature for easy reading. They've totally changed my mind about the whole scale thing.

    If you'd like a shot  getting this great OXO scale  here's what to do.

Leave me a comment about what you'll do with this great digital scale from OXO
For extra chances:
Follow me on Twitter @kathygori
Follow OXO on Twitter @OXO
Like The Colors Of Indian Cooking on Facebook
Let me know in comments if you do any of these things.
The winner will be drawn by Random.org on Saturday May, 5th
Because of shipping issues unfortunately only residents of the USA are eligible for this contest.

   I want to thank the people at OXO for giving me the opportunity to try out this great product. Over the years I've purchased a lot of their products , but it's always a trip to discover that something you never thought you needed, could turn out to be a kitchen necessity!


Coming up next meet Jessica Rabbits even sexier cousin, Bunny Brulee!  Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

A Simple Indian Summer Salad of Black Eyed Peas

   A few weeks ago, after we had our #Indianfoodpalooza I got an email from my friend Amanda of Dabblings and Whimsey. Amanda was embarking on her own Indian cooking binge and asked me if I'd like to contribute a guest post to her blog. Someone new taking up Indian food? How could I resist?

  Amanda told me that I could give her any sort of recipe I wanted, and since we've had really warm temperatures around here, my mind has been drifting ahead to Summer weather. I've been thinking of cook outs, Tuesday night picnics at the Sonoma Farmer's Market and various Summer backyard pot luck parties. Of course with all this going on, one wants to spend the least amount of time one can in the kitchen during warm weather, so this black eyed pea salad recipe seemed perfect to share for many reasons.

   One, it's easy

   Two, it's got very simple ingredients

   Three, it's fast!

   Four, it can be made ahead and served at room temperature.

   This easy peasy (yeah bad joke I know) Indian version of potato salad will kick those baked beans to the curb every time.

 

Black Eyed Pea Salad

Here's What You Need:

1 package of frozen black eyed peas ( I love Stahlbush Island Farms  brand) or 3 cups of cooked black eyed peas.
3 Tbs of vegetable oil
3 peppercorns
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp seeded chopped fresh green chili
1 cup of finely chopped onion
1 cup of finely chopped tomato (you can also use unsalted canned)
1 tsp of salt
2 Tbs of sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 tsp of Kashmiri chili, or a half and half mix of cayenne and paprika
A handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Here's What To Do:

In a kadhai or skillet heat 3 Tbs of vegetable oil.
When the oil is hot toss in the cloves, bay leaf, peppercorns, and green chili.
Stir everything around for a minute or so and then add in the onions.
Cook the onions until they're slightly brown, about 10 minutes or so.
Add in the tomatoes  and cook them down for about 5 minutes, or until they're softened.
Add in the black eyed peas, sour cream, salt, Kashmiri chili or cayenne paprika mix.
Cook everything for another 8 minutes or until the black eyed peas are warmed through.
Make sure you keep the heat on the low side so that the sour cream doesn't curdle.
Sprinkle the dish with chopped fresh cilantro.
Bring it to room temperature before serving.

    I served this salad up with some grilled chicken, and couldn't resist using a gorgeous plate currently on loan to me for photographic purposes. The plate was made by Paula Wolfert's husband  novelist William Bayer who also as you can see, happens to be a very gifted potter.

   So thanks so much to Amanda, for giving me this opportunity to share a favorite dish with a whole new group of people. Coming up next, I get a real scale  and you can get one too courtesy of OXO. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori  

Meatless Ragu For You, + Putting All Your Avocados In One Basket

   Every time I cook a holiday meal for my parents, I get a warning from my mother before hand. Basically the warning  is "Don't cook too much food!"  Translation:  "Don't cook any food!"
 
   "Mom," I say. "There are going to be other people. I have to cook something."

   "People don't really like to eat"

   No it's Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, whatever. People are expecting to be fed. "You don't like to eat, most people do."

   "Well, just open a jar of something."

   "Not gonna happen, ma."

   "Well, then just something plain. Turkey roll."

   "You mean that compressed log of pseudo protein with the yin/yang light dark meat pattern? No. I'm cooking a turkey."

   "Not a whole turkey. That's too much."

   "There are 12 people coming."

   "That's too many."

   "That's the family."

   "Oh. Right. Just don't cook too much"

   She doesn't understand that some people love to cook and eat. I happen to love cooking. Next to my work as a writer, it's my biggest passion. But family holidays since I've taken over hosting, have become a minefield of likes/dislikes. In cooking any meal involving my parents, I have to be careful. They're both picky eaters, but my mother is definitely Guinness Book of World Records worthy. Her list of food dislikes goes on forever. This is not from any dietary restriction, nothing official.  Just that once she's made up her mind that she doesn't like something, that's it. Finito. No amount of coaxing will get her to eat that particular food. The list of banned ingredients is long. Nuts, soup, raisins (except in Pannetone) pepper, chilies (except in Mexican food which she loves), dried fruit, most meat, most fish, most shellfish (except crab, salt (yes the woman doesn't cook with salt). I could go on and on.

   I started exploring the various culinary corners of San Francisco by myself as a young teenager and then began experimenting with cooking for myself. If I hadn't, I might never have started eating three quarters of the things I do. Once I started cooking, of course I could never get my mother to eat any of it. It was all too strange for her. And it's not just my cooking. She's pushed the food around on her plate at some of the best restaurants in the US and Europe. She told me once, all she ate in Morocco was bread and tea...for a week. Whatever. In all this wilderness of forbidden food, there is one thing she absolutely adores. Mushrooms, and pasta. So this last Easter, I decided to give her a meal that I knew she couldn't refuse.

   In his new James Beard-nominated cookbook Masala Farm, Indian master chef Suvir Saran brings all his  big city cooking skills and knowledge together with his life in the country on Masala Farm, and offers up amazing recipes. Wonderful, fresh, healthy twists on America fare. It was his "I Can't Believe It's Not Meat Ragu", however that leapt out at me. This recipe had my mom's name written all over it. The mystery of Easter dinner was solved. The recipe is easy, simple and perfect for a family holiday dinner.

     

Meatless Mushroom Ragu

Here's what you need:

1 Large red onion
4 medium carrots
4 medium celery stalks
1 lb of cremini mushroom caps
1/4 cup olive oil
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/8 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp of dried oregano
1/8 tsp of dried rosemary
1/8 tsp of dried thyme
2 tsp of salt

4 cups of canned or boxed tomatoes (I always use Italian San Marzano tomatoes which I believe are the best canned tomatoes one can buy)
1/2 cup of dried red wine
1 tsp herbs de Provance
2 Tbs of unsalted butter
2 lbs of pasta fresh or homemade
Good quality Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for grating.

Here's What To Do:

Process the onion in a food processor until it's finely chopped. Set it aside.
Process the carrot and celery  separately the same way. Set them aside
Process the mushrooms the same way. You want them at hamburger texture.

I also took 6 oz of dried porcini mushrooms and soaked them in hot water for about 1/2 hour.
After the porcini are soft, chop them finely, and set them aside. Save the soaking liquid.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
When the olive oil is hot add in the cloves, cinnamon stick, pepper and the dried herbs.
Saute these things at a medium heat until the cinnamon stick starts to uncurl. This takes about 2 minutes.
Add in the onion and the salt. Cook it down until it starts to brown a bit, about 5 minutes or so.
Add in the carrots and celery

Cook these down until they also start to brown a bit, about 12 minutes.
Add in the chopped cremini and porcini mushrooms. Cook until they start to release their liquid.This takes about 4 minutes.

Add in the canned tomatoes.

If they're not crushed, crush them with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook them down for about 4 minutes or so.
Pour in 1 cup of water (I used the porcini soaking liquid)
Pour in 1/2 cup of wine

Bring the ragu to a boil then turn the heat down to medium low and let it all simmer together for at least 30 minutes. You can let it simmer for up to 2 hours (I did) for  more deeply flavored ragu.
If it starts to get too thick, you can add an extra 1/2 cup of liquid.

I also added a pinch of dried red peppers, and about 3 Tbs of my home made 6 year old wine vinegar at the end.This recipe serves 8.

   I didn't add the butter or the herbs de Provence as the ragu tasted absolutely amazing without it. It was like the gravy my Nonna used to make, only meatless!  I cooked this ragu on Saturday afternoon for Easter dinner on Sunday. Letting it mellow overnight allowed the flavors to deepen and I highly recommend doing this.

   I made fresh pasta as nothing is better than fresh. When my mom say the pasta drying on the rack she thought I was washing shoelaces. Right. On Easter Sunday, On the kitchen table.

   The meal was simple. I served it with a Roasted fennel and blood orange salad and fresh baked artisan bread with a good olive oil for dipping.

  I put the food on the table. Would it work? Would the pickiest of eaters finally eat?

   You bet she did! She smiled. She said that finally after all these years, I'd made something she liked. She loved it. Another great thing about this ragu, it freezes beautifully! Now that I like.
 
   Of course even the nicest Easter meal couldn't pass without a wise-crack, and that was my centerpiece of Avocados painted like Easter eggs.

I used non-toxic, water soluble paint. I let them dry and decorated them with more non toxic paint.

I added them to a basket with some fake Easter grass. Boom! Instant conversation piece.

   This was the very first time I did not cook a ham or lamb for Easter, and it was the most successful Easter dinner yet! A family of picky Italians were dazzled by a ragu from Masla Farm. Go figure! I was so excited I gave Suvir a tweet from the table. My mother wondered what else was in this magical book of his. We sat down together and looked through it and she started pointing out things she liked the looks of.  I was shocked. Will this make her more adventurous? Will it make her actually start to cook and enjoy it? I have a feeling if anyone can, it might be Suvir Saran.

Coming up next, the weird and the funky, Peeps on Fire! Follow along on Twitter @kathygori   

Caramelized Fennel Salad, The Sensible Side Of The Green Fairy

   My family likes to cluster all their main events. Not for us the birthday in May or January, or the wedding in June. No, we like to slam all major life events such as birthdays and weddings together in one month, preferably in one week that also contains one major religious/seasonal or national holiday. So Alan and I celebrate our anniversary, Chanukka, Christmas, his birthday and New Years all within the space of about 12 days. My parents have done us one better. They have my dad's birthday, Easter and their anniversary all within the space of four days. Don't ask me why we do this, but we do. I think it has something to do with mnemonics, or a memory trick, or too many viewings of Memento. Either way, it works out to no one in our family ever forgetting anyone's special day.

Sort of like this:

or this...

Only more festive and with cake. Always with cake.

   So this last week has been a crazy time around here, what with the holiday, birthday, and anniversary celebrations all occurring. What I usually do is toss a big Easter lunch or dinner at which all the other events can also be acknowledged. Sort of killing three birds with one meal. So yesterday, which I'm still cleaning up from today, was a family Easter lunch.

   With the pressure of so many family events in a short space of days, I'm always looking for simple quick and easy, but at the same time special enough for a holiday gathering. So, when I was cruising around the internet looking for something interesting, I ran across a recipe in Bon Appetit for Arugula Salad With Oranges and Caramelized Fennel by Kate and Scott Fogarty. The reason  the recipe caught my eye was because it included one of my favorite springtime vegetables and something I think is very underrated on the American table. I'm talking about you fennel. I consider fennel a crossover vegetable which is important around here since I usually cook Indian food, and my parents will only eat Italian food. Fennel is a vegetable found in both cuisines. Small world indeed.

   I've been reading a lot about fennel pollen lately. Paula Wolfert gave me a small pouch of it to try about a year or so ago and I've been using it ever since. Fennel seed is a staple in my kitchen, and the fennel bulb with it's licorice, anise scent is one of my favorite vegetables. It's also amazingly good for you and has been used for medicinal purposes for millenia. Even my ancestors the ancient Romans, had a thing or two to say about fennel: "Semen foeniculi pellit spiracula culi" translates as "the fennel seeds make blow the arsehole". So there's that.

   On the sexier side, fennel was one of the key ingredients used to manufacture Absinthe, or as it was known to addicted painters and mad poets....The Green Fairy.

   But I'm not talking about exotics here. I'm talking about the lowly fennel bulb, found right now at most markets pretty damn cheaply. One large fennel bulb or two small ones will give you enough fennel to feed 8 hungry relatives this salad. Did I say it was easy too?

Arugula Salad With Oranges and Caramelized Fennel

Here's What You Need:

1 large or 2 medium size fennel bulbs trimmed and cut vertically into about 12 wedges. Keep some of the core attached.
6 fresh thyme sprigs
6 Tbs  of good olive oil divided in half
1/4 cup of sherry vinegar
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
4 oranges, all peel and white pith cut away.  (I used blood oranges for contrast) Slice them thinly crosswise.
10 oz of baby arugula

Here's What To Do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mix the fennel wedges together with the thyme and 4 Tbs of the olive oil in a large bowl.
Coat everything well.
Arrange the fennel on a large cookie sheet sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast the fennel in the oven turning each wedge over once, about 20 minutes on each side.
It will be nice and browned on the edges and caramelized when the fennel is done.
Set it aside. You can do this part at least 2 hours ahead of time, just let it stand at room temperature.
 I had some time to kill  so to relax I played my uke for a bit.

Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and 2 Tbs of olive oil.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add in the fennel and orange slices and arugula.
Mix everything together well.
Plate it and serve it up.

With fresh fresh crusty artisan bread and a good olive oil for dipping, this should get even your toughest customers through the first course.

   As to the entree, this was where I pulled out the big guns...Suvir Saran and his amazing meatless ragu recipe from his Masala Farm cookbook. Did it work? Coming up next I tell the tale of the most difficult eater in the world, my mother. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori.

It's Easy Being Green. Green Mango Rice.

   It's officially Spring, the time of the year when things begin to bloom. "Begin" is the operative word here as a lot of things are not yet ripe and are still green. Of course some things will still be green no matter what time of year it is Thankyouverymuch!


 
   As everyone knows from childhood, there are a million warnings about eating green apples (stomach ache) green bananas (no flavor) or stuff that started out as a whole other color but has turned green. I don't think we really need to go there though. One of the fruits that most people never, ever think of eating green are mangoes. Delicious, sweet, ripe mangoes. A very popular fruit. In Tamil Nadu, the mango is known as one of the three royal fruits along with bananas and jackfruit. The mango is the national fruit of India and the national tree of Bangladesh. Mango has been seen in the company of Lord Ganesha, as a symbol of perfection.

Yes, mango gets around. After all, who doesn't like sweet? Quite a few people as it turns out.
   
   Which brings me to the subject of green mangoes. When most people go shopping for mangoes, they look for golden yellow, with a touch of red, not too hard yet not too squishy. The desired mangoes are just pliable with enough give to be fun, and have a sweetly fragrant scent. Mangoes that are green and hard as softballs are strictly Pass-a-dena as they say in Hollywood. But not so fast. There is a whole other world of mangoes out there, the mysterious and secret world of green mangoes.

   Now, in the real world, green mangoes are no secret. They're used in a a lot of Indian recipes, mainly chutneys, pickles, and other relishes. And their crisp, tart, astringent taste kicks up the flavor of a lot of mild dishes, particularly Basmati rice dishes. Which brings me to the subject of  a tasty rice dish studded with spices and nuts, green mango rice.

Green Mango Rice

Here's What You Need:

2 Cups of Basmati rice
1 and 1/4 tsps of salt
1 Tbs of unsalted butter or non dairy margarine (soy)
2 and 1/4 cups of water
2 and 1/2 tsp of brown mustard seeds
7 dried red chilies
1/2 tsp of ground turmeric
4 Tbs of grated fresh coconut or 5 and 1/2 Tbs of dried grated coconut
1 and 1/2 cups of grated fresh mango
3 Tbs of vegetable oil (I use coconut oil)
1 Tbs of yellow split peas (channa dal)
5 or 6 curry leaves

Here's What To Do: 

Soak the rice in 5 cups of water for 30 minutes.
Drain the rice.
In a large pot melt 1 Tbs of butter.
When the butter is melted, add in the drained rice.
Stir it around.
Add in 2 and 1/4 cups of water and 3/4 tsp of salt.
Bring the rice to a boil and when it boils, put a lid on things and turn the heat waaaay down to low.  Let it cook for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, lift the lid, fluff the rice, cover it again and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
Set it aside.

Peel the mangoes.

Slice them.

Put the mango slices in a food processor set to grate.

Grate them and set the grated mango aside.

Clean the food processor.
In a food processor or blender, grind together 1 and 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds, 6 red chilies, the grated coconut, and 1/2 the grated fresh green mango.

Grind it all together into a paste and set it aside.
In a heavy skillet, heat 3 Tbs of vegetable oil.
When the oil is hot, add in the 1 tsp of brown mustard seeds, yellow split peas, 1 dried red chili broken in half, and the curry leaves.
When the mustard seeds start to pop, add in the grated mango paste...

...and the peanuts.

Let things cook for a few minutes then add this mixture to the cooked rice.

Stir in the rest of the grated fresh mango.
Mix everything together and serve it up.

    This rice dish goes well with any Indian or western meat dish or as the centerpiece of a vegetarian meal. If you want to make the recipe completely vegan, replace the butter with a non dairy margarine made of soy. So now, when you see all the piles of unripe mangoes at the market, just remember, green mango. There's a recipe for that!

   Green Mango, it's not just the most popular karaoke club in Berlin!



   Coming up next, an amazing vegetarian ragu from Indian Master Chef Suvir Saran and his James Beard nominated cookbook Masala Farm, plus a digital scale giveaway from OXO. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori