Seasoned Curd Rice with Instant Andhra Avakai(Mango) Pickle

Seasoned Curd Rice with Instant Tender Mango Pickle

Curd rice recipe? What recipe is there for curd rice! This could be the thing running behind many of you, for whom it is a every day thing. For this summer, we all want to beat the heat, so thought of posting curd rice virtually for you all. As I have seen myself, many guys like to end their meals with curd rice, especially south Indians. My Dad says, even if there’s no fancy meals, curd rice, pickle or a simple vegetable side dish is enough for him. It tastes heavenly to him.
     Though we end our lunch with curd rice every day, we rather eat plain with rice and butter milk. My mom and FIL says butter milk is good for you than curd as such, so we always make the curd thin by beating it with water and use it for our everyday meals.  A perfectly made curd rice will beat all the other dishes we cook with lots of masalas/spices … My Huby is a big fan of seasoned curd rice, even if my MIL tempers with mustard and curry leaves alone, he loves it a lot. Me too!! Some times I temper my leftover rice(pazhaya sadam- left over rice immersed in water and kept over night) the next day and enjoy it heartily

Ingredients:

1. Rice  : 1 cup
2. Milk : 3/4 cup
3. Thick curd : 3/4 cup
4. Grated carrot : 1/4 cup
5. Grated cucumber: 1/4cup
6. Salt : To taste

For seasoning 

1. Mustard : 1 tsp
2. Dried red chilli : 1 No.
3. Asafoetida : A large pinch
4. Ginger : 1 tsp (Finely chopped)
5. Green chilli : 3-4 (Finely chopped)
6. Curry leaves : 1 sprig

Method :

1. Pressure cook the rice for 1 whistle. Drain off the excess water if any and mash it well.  
2. Add milk to it. Stir well and keep it aside till it cools down. I takes roughly half an hour.
3. Add curd and salt to the rice and mix well. If it is too thick you can adjust by adding either milk or curd as per your taste. (Please refer notes)
4. Add the grated carrot and stir well. 
5. In a kadai, splutter mustard, add red chilli, ginger, green chilli, curry leaves and saute well.
6. Turn off the stove and add a pinch of asafoetida and mix well.
7. Pour the seasoning to curd rice and mix well.
8. Serve with tender mango pickle!!!

NOTE:

• Curd should not be too sour. If the curd is sour you can adjust the taste by adding less curd and more milk.
• Rice once mashed absorbs the milk. Adjust the consistency by adding milk or curd to it. 
• Curd and ginger is a good combination. So if you want to add more ginger, you can always try that.

Avakaya | Andhra Mango Pickle Recipe

I love pickles and can totally survive on pickles if given a choice. Avakaya or Andhra mango pickle is one of my favorite pickle along with Rajasthani mango pickle I simply love both.  Avakai+ghee+steamed rice is just heaven for me and I can eat that every day.  My BIL used to mix rice, ghee and avakai together and distribute among all and we used to fight who will get more mango pieces.
Another way of eating this is mixing with curd and have it with rice or roti/paratha that's another favorite combo of mine, there was a time when  I used to eat only curd,  pickle with roti or with simple rice dal/sambar it taste fabulous too.  Andhra food is always on spicy side, that's their specialty and it's famous for so this pickle is also comes on little spicy side and most important part of this pickle is the chilli powder to get the nice red color, you need to use a good quality of chilli powder which doesn't make pickle very spicy and yet gives good color.
Ingredients:

Raw Green Mangoes - 6 Cups
Mustard Seeds Powder - 1 Cup
Salt - 1 Cup
Red Chilli Powder -1 Cup
Turmeric Powder- 1 tbsp
Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tbsp
Garlic Pods - 1/2 Cup
Sesame Oil - 2 Cups

Method:

1. Wash and wipe well mangoes, cut into 1" wedges (you need to use a sharp knife to do this job, normally we get it cut from vendor.
~ You have to make sure the mangoes are completely dry if not pickle will get spoil soon. Normally we lay the mango pieces in a clean dry cloth until it required.
~ We also keep the mangoes inner shell intact for a longer shelf life (this we do for most of the pickles) and it also helps mango from becoming soggy and soft
2. Dry roast fenugreek seeds until light brown and grind to fine powder, grind mustard seeds to fine powder. Clean garlic pods and remove skin.
3. Heat oil (don't boil) and allow it to cool completely.
3. Take a large bowl and mix together red chilli powder, turmeric powder, mustard seeds powder, fenugreek seeds powder, fenugreek seeds and salt.
4. Add mango pieces and mix well to coat mango pieces well with the masala.
5. Add garlic pods and 1 1/2 cup of oil and mix well again.
6. Transfer pickle along with all masala to sterilize bottle or jar and add remaining 1/2 cup oil on top.
7. Cover the jar or bottle with a muslin cloth (cheese cloth) or close with lid and keep under sun light for 2-3 days.
~ Normally we keep the pickle jar under sun light in morning and take out before sun set.
8. After third day mix pickle with the clean dry spoon, oil should float on top of mango pieces if not add more oil, cover and store pickle. 
Notes ~

• For daily use store pickle in a smaller jar.
• Once in a month or two check the big jar of pickle to see if oil floating on top, if not heat oil allow to cool and add to pickle.
• Once in a month or two keep pickle jar under sun light for a day.
• Never use wet spoon or hand to handle pickle.
• Use of good quality of chilli powder is important in this pickle for the nice bright color.