Ambe dal to ghonta sansav: Make the most of summer with these side dishes

Heaps of raw mangoes and memories of your grandma mother or aunts making pickles murrabas chutneys or aam panna is enough to warm your heart for a lifetime While mango is undoubtedly the highlight of every summer vacay smaller dishes that nonchalantly sit on the side of a main dish do turn into heroes for just one day Chefs from across the country share their regional favourites of sideys that beat the heatMaharashtraFor Powaibased home baker Malavika Gadiyar making ambe dal marks the onset of spring Chaitra maasmdashitrsquos when the first batch of raw mangoes hit the market and an offering of the dal is made for Chaitra maas puja However itrsquos a treat she repeatedly makes till the end of summer serving it to guests along with aam panna as a midmeal snackMalavika GadiyarChana dal is soaked for four to five hours and ground coarsely with grated raw mango coriander leaves coconut and salt in a mortar and pestle Then comes the tempering of red chilli mustard seeds and asafoetida ldquoAs kids when we went visiting our friends and relatives we were offered a spoonful of ambe dal on the palm Wersquod put it in our mouth and wash it down with tangy aam pannardquo she remembers In some homes this dry dal is made throughout the year where raw mango is replaced with lemon as a souring agentHer other favourite summer side dish is kairas ldquoThis sweet sour and hot preparation is more like a quick picklerdquo she explains ldquoRaw mango pieces tempered in oil with a pinch of fenugreek mustard seeds and cooked in water with salt jaggery and red chilly powder to make a slurry Unlike regular mango pickle that takes days to make this is made and consumed immediatelyrdquo she says Another popular dish in the Konkan belt is ambya sasam Made with any firm fruit mango is often a preferred choice especially in the seasonIt comprises of chopped ripe mango coconut tamarind dried red chillis coriander seeds and other spices ground into a coarse paste with a tempering of mustard seeds and asafoetida Gadiyar suggests that in other season the sassam is made with other firm fruits like pineapple grapes or apples or a mix of allGoaJust like the Maharashtrian ambya sansav Goan Hindu cuisine has a dish called ghonta sansav Crescy Baptista who runs The Goan Kitchen along with Oliver Fernandes explains ldquoIn ghonta sansav only a particular variety of local Goan mango called Ghonta is used We also add local sugarcane jaggeryrdquo Ghonta mangoes a sucking variety are sweet and tangy so many donrsquot prefer this variety Baptisa recommends a thick currylike sabji with riceor Goan poee A staple in summer it is a special dish made for Goan Hindu weddings because it is sattvic without onion and garlicrdquo explains BaptistaGhonta sansav is a sattvic dish from the Goan Hindu cuisineOther dishes are ponsacho chakko and ponsacho shaak says Baptista Ponsa is jackfruit which also basks in its moment this season Its tender flesh is cut into cubes and tempered with mustard seeds asafoetida onion coconut chilli powder or green chillies ldquoSince raw jackfruit is bland it absorbs all flavours You can also add chickpeas to this dry dishrdquo says Baptisa who compares this to the dry Maharashtrian usal and recommends eating it with rice and curryCashew sorpotel is the vegetarian version of the original dish which uses pork offal Goans would much rather use cashew apples to make urrack than sorpotelThe breadfruit caldin is another favourite and is used in a mild and delicious yellow curry is made using a few spices and coconut milk Jackfruit is also used to make fritters cutlets pathalyo steamed in turmeric leaves and sanna steamed rice cake where it is used as a fillingPonsacho shaak and chakko are both dry preparations made from jackfruitGoan cuisine is divided into two main strainsmdashHindu dishes that use mustard seeds and asafoetida and Catholic dishes which mostly donrsquot She spotlights an exclusive Goan Catholic dish the cashew sorpotel a vegetarian version of the famous sorpotel made from pig offal ldquoThe cashew apple is a cooling agent and doesnrsquot have any flavour so if you cook and let it sit for 48 hours it absorbs the flavours of the sorpotel red spice pasterdquo says Baptista adding ldquoThe dish isnrsquot common because cashew apples are used to make the alcohol urrack So the Goans would rather use it for that than to make sorpotel Besides cashew apples unlike cashew nuts are available only during summer and last only a day or twordquo she reasonsCrescy Baptista and Oliver FernandesChhattisgarhBore baasimdashthis traditional dish of fermented rice was recently in the news when Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel urged citizens to consume it on May Day as a gesture of respect ldquoAdd water to cooked rice and let it sit for a bit or even overnight before consuming it at room temperature with regional leafy greens dry aloo ki sabzi millet preparations badis and pickles This soupy dish is cooling and the fermentation process is said to increase levels of Vitamin B complex Vitamin K calcium iron magnesium potassium and seleniumrdquo says home chef Lubna Farheen Khan of Zazo Foods who is from ChhattisgarhBore baasi is a traditional Chattisgarhi dish that has gained popularity after the statersquos CM urged people to have it on May dayIndigenous variety of rice is used and while traditionally only water is added many prefer to flavour it with onion green chilli coriander or even a pickle This is consumed in parts of Odisha as well ldquoGrowing up my mother used to make this regularly but it wasnrsquot until recently that I realised how important it is in our culturerdquo she saysAnother common side dish is similar to the sirke wale pyaaz pickle widely consumed in north India ldquoIn Chhattisgarhrdquo says Khan ldquowe also add beetroot carrots and chilli in lime or vinegar and store it in the fridge and have it chilled as an accompanimentLubna Farheen KhanKarnatakaMangalore too has a mixed fruit sasam albeit this one is served chilled Food blogger Renuka NadkarniHattangadi often makes a full meal out of it or has it for dessert Another cold dish is tambli a coconut and milkbased gravy served with hot rice and fish There are variants such as palak or ginger and onion jackfruit seed and drumstick flower tamblis The best part says NadkarniHattangadi is that therersquos no cooking involvedTaushe Doddak Kalingan DoddakAnother of her favourites is ambya andurli a particular variety of mango available in Karnataka mixed with jaggery salt and chilli powder and given a tadka of curry leaves red chillis and mustard seeds ldquoIrsquove tried making it with other varieties of mangoes but it doesnrsquot taste the samerdquo she says Another unique dish is the cucumber and watermelon rind dosa called taushe doddak and kalingan doddak respectivelyRenuka Nadkarni HattangadiIt is an instant dish where you use rice or idli rava add curd ginger green chillies coriander onions and grated cucumber or watermelon rind ldquoAs kids our grandmother never allowed us to throw away the watermelon peel Unlike a dosa this one is difficult to spread as it is quite thick so she suggests ldquoplopping it on the tava like thalipeeth and serving it with white butter as breakfast or snackPalak TambliAmbe dalIngredients1 cup chana dal12 green chillies14 cup peeled and grated raw mango4 tbsp freshly grated coconut2 tbsp chopped coriander23 dry red chilliesSalt to tasteSugar to taste112 tbsp oilMethodWash and soak the chana dal for four to five hours Drain the water Grind the soaked dal and chillies coarsely without adding water Transfer to a container and mix in shredded raw mango grated coconut coriander sugar and salt Heat oil and fry the dry red chillies and add to the mixture Adjust the seasoning and serve one to two tablespoons as an accompaniment to a meal or as a quick snackBreadfruit caldinIngredients1 breadfruit1 coconut3 green chillies1inch cinnamon8 cloves14 tsp cumin14 tsp turmeric powder150 gms onion1 tbsp oil1 tbsp sugarMethodPeel the breadfruit cut into cubes apply salt and keep aside Extract coconut milk in two batches Grind chillies cinnamon cloves and cumin into a fine paste Sauteacute finely chopped onion till golden brown Add spice paste and sauteacute for a minute Now add cubed breadfruit and thin coconut milk and cook till the breadfruit is doneOnce done add thick milk sugar check salt and bring to a boil Ladle over hot rice or pulao