Chutney for Summers: Coriander, Mint and Raw Mango

Weekends these days are becoming so difficult. And I never thought I would say that (I start waiting for weekends from Monday morning)! 
Difficult not because I have suddenly fallen in love with my work, but because of the sweltering heat. The respite of office air conditioners is missed on these days. And while I would love to be confined to my room and switch on the a/c for the entire day on these two days, its not possible - my electricity bill ensures that. 


So we resort to the natural coolers - iced tea whether lemon or apple, mango shake, and Rooh Afza!
Another favorite recipe for summers is Pudina (mint) chutney with raw mango. The recipe is simple, though it may take time to perfect that taste which makes you go mmmm! 

Ingredients:
Pudina (mint) leaves: 1 small bunch
Coriander leaves: 1 small bunch
Raw mango: 1 medium
Green Chillies: 2 or more (or less)
Cumin powder: 1/2 - 1 tsp
Kala namak (black salt): 1/4 - 1/2 tsp
Salt: To taste


Method:
- Clean the pudina and coriander leaves. Wash well with lot of water
- Peel the mango and chop in small pieces. Discard the "stone"
- Grind the herbs, green chillies and raw mango with a little water, till a smooth consistency is achieved
- Mix in the spices. Adjust salt. 
- The chutney is ready to be served as an accompaniment with snacks or main meals


Note:
- If you prefer a more tangy taste, you can add half a mango more
- The chutney can be refrigerated and kept for 7 - 10 days
- The mango "stone" can be added to dals (especially arhar / toor) while cooking, for added flavor


Which are your favorite foods / recipes for summers to beat the heat?

Layered Dessert – Mango Special

For me, the biggest inspirations come when I am alone. Like yesterday, when my hubby was to attend the marriage of a colleague, and I was not accompanying him, and had the Sunday evening all to myself. We had bought mangoes in the afternoon, and as always, my husband insisted that we have Mango Shake once he returns from the function. I had other plans though. Since I started this food blog, and before that as well, I had always been impressed with the trifles that a Google Image Search always yielded. Yummy!
So, I decided to try out a Mango Trifle myself. But did I have all the ingredients? Actually, no. I did not have a sponge cake to begin with, nor any whipped cream. I finally created something with whatever ingredients I could lay my hands on and ended up with what I can safely label as Mango Layered Dessert.
The verdict? Hubby was pleasantly surprised, and at the end said “This is really tasty. You can make it again” Yay!
Okay, the image is not as professional as I would have wanted it to be, but like my friend D said: "Go ahead and post it. You can always replace the picture later"

Ingredients: (Serves 2)
Thick custard (made with 250 ml milk, 1 ½ tbs custard powder and 2 tbs sugar)
Ripe Mango: 1
Vanilla Ice cream: 2 scoops
Plum: 1

Method:
- Peel the mango and cut it in small cubes
- Take a tall glass (or a bowl) and put a few cubes of mango. Pour a ladle of custard on it
- Alternate again with mangoes and custard, till the glass is nearly full
- Chill in the refrigerator - Before serving, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, and garnish with pieces of plum, or strawberries
This is also my entry to the Mango Mela hosted by Srivalli.