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Mangai sadam (raw mango rice)
Mangai sadam (மாங்காய் சாதம்): rice tossed with grated green mango, green chilli, peanuts and curry leaves
When hard green mangoes pile up at the markets of Tamil Nadu in April and May, school lunch boxes fill with mangai sadam, sour and fresh like lemon rice but with a fruitier bite. Grated raw mango is cooked only briefly in a mustard, chana dal and curry leaf tempering so it softens but keeps its tang. The mistake is overcooking the mango into mush, which makes the rice sticky; two or three minutes is enough. Chef's tip: taste the mango first. A very sour one needs a pinch of sugar, and a half-ripe one needs a squeeze of lemon at the end.
- Total time
- 22 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb cooked white ricecooled
- 1 green (raw) mangoabout 200 g, peeled and coarsely grated
- 2 tbsp sesame or sunflower oil
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp chana dal
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 3 tbsp raw peanuts
- 2 green chilliesfinely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh gingergrated
- 12 curry leaves
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp sesame or sunflower oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add ½ tsp black mustard seeds and let it crackle, then add 1 tsp chana dal, 1 tsp urad dal and 3 tbsp raw peanuts and fry for about 2 minutes until the dals are golden and the peanuts blister.
2 minStep 2: Add 2 green chillies, 1 tsp fresh ginger and 12 curry leaves and stir for 30 seconds.
1 minStep 3: Add 1 green (raw) mango, ¼ tsp ground turmeric and ¾ tsp salt and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until the mango just softens and turns translucent at the edges. Do not let it go mushy.
3 minStep 4: Add 1 ⅓ lb cooked white rice and fold gently over a low heat for 2 minutes until evenly yellow. Taste for sourness and salt, then scatter 2 tbsp fresh coriander.
2 minStep 5: Spread on a plate to cool before packing, and pack with an ice pack in warm weather.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 63 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mangai sadam (raw mango rice) take?
- About 22 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cooked white rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of black mustard seeds?
- Cumin seeds, same amount (different flavour, same crackle).
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