Mango Delight - A Mango 'Thira' Preparation

This is a delicacy of my childhood made from dried ripe mango sheets that I wasn't too keen on. Yet age and distance had the power to make it such and I was happy when my Mom remembered to bring some this time around on her visit. Yes, my 83 year old Mom is visiting. Yay! Age has made her fragile yet have mercifully kept her healthy in every way that I thank God for this. At this moment in my life with my Mom here I feel like I am home. Looking into her sweet gentle face I see my childhood come full circle.

I didn't ask for anything from home as most of the things are available here yet my Mom instinctively brought the things I had craved the most and had given up on. The ''Thira' used to be made from Mailappoo' mangoes that fell plentiful in our lower farm land where the much beloved tree stood laden with fruits. Mangoes will fall all the time but some windless days in the afternoons they stayed put. I used to sit on the large stone steps leading down to the tree waiting for the telltale movement of the leaves and the all familiar sound of mangoes touching base. There was even a song for the wind to come so mangoes can fall. Mailappoo was just one variety in the land but it was special because of its ease of access for us kids and the sheer number of fruits making for an easy snack whenever. 'Moovandan', 'Komanga', 'Nadan', 'Neelam', and the list goes on. In the front yard there was a large mango tree that was treated special and was my Grandfather's favorite. The fruits from it could only be eaten if we picked it at the right time and made to ripe in the house. The taste once it ripened was out of this world and if there was only one ripe mango on a day it went Grandpa of course. I use to check them out surreptitiously and knew ahead of time if we will get a mouthful of the delicious slices or not. Mom informs that the tree had to be cut down last year or so as it had grown too old and dead branches were falling onto the roof. It must have been a bud grafted tree because Mom had planted many of its seeds, but none of the fruits came close to the original in taste.

There is something about seeing a mango tree break into flowers in anticipation of the rich harvest ahead. There is a smell in the air and the mango season almost always coincided with long 'mid summer vacations'. My older sister the botanist loved eating ripe mangoes sliced and mixed with dried red chili powder, onion and salt. 'Mailappoo' fruits were especially suited for this. She would prepare and I would eat. Later in undergrad years my best friend and I would beg/pilfer raw mangoes from our hostel kitchen and bring to the room to mix with previously stashed salt and chili powder. We have spent many such afternoons getting 'high' on the mangoes. Mangoes are so intertwined with one's life in India that they have a special place in the heart and tummy for many people. Look here for some good mango memories.

Coming to the point, I mean recipe, there is not much to add. You have to have some 'Thira' made from mangoes to begin with. This is made usually in an abundant mango season when there are too many mangoes even after the whole neighborhood had their fill and it just does not feel right to throw them away. A new sheet or 'paya' is spread out and the ripe mangoes are squeezed and rubbed onto it and set out in the sun to dry. The process is repeated everyday for as long as mangoes keep coming. Other matching fruits can be added to enhance the flavor. Once done the resulting sheet or 'Thira' is cut and stored in a cool dry place. This will keep for a long time and longer still with refrigeration. Mom said this set she brought was made from a daughter tree of the original Mailapoo since that one had long gone. Following measurements are approximate so proceed at your own risk:-)

In The Mix

Mango 'Thira' - a 8"x8" piece cut into small pieces
Fresh grated coconut - from 1/2 a shell
jaggery or brown sugar - to taste

How To Do

Put all together in a pan on low heat. Mix for a few minutes till all blend well together. Remove from heat and enjoy!

A good friend got me some fresh grated coconut from a Vietnamese store near her place but I think dried coconut can be used instead after hydrating beforehand. Dried mango might be available in Asian stores though not the same as the home made variety mentioned here. The snack was a delicious treat to nostalgic taste buds. Look below for a snap of the 'Thira' in its original form.

Stir Fry Noodles

What do you do when life gets too busy and days seem to roll into one? Drop everything and go on a trip which becomes all the more fun if there is a family wedding also to attend. So that is exactly what we did. Visited the nation's glorious capital, attended an awesome wedding and visited some dear relatives and all was well when we got back:-) Washington DC is not to be done in a short trip though and we will be back. One could spend a full day in just the National Gallery of Art which houses a Da Vinci original not to mention the array of Manet, Monet, Rembrandt, Raphael and the likes!! I have visited many Art Museums but what sets the one in DC apart is the amazing collection of originals that can be viewed with no admission fees and the excellent but barely noticeable security that lets you enjoy the paintings in all abandon.

We also enjoyed eating out with the kids. One place that caught my fancy was Silver Diner which I came to know is a chain found in and around Maryland. The experience was new, service friendly and food choices many for adults and kids. This was the first choice from the concierge at the Hotel that we stayed at when queried about a local place to dine with kids. The building looked like a giant silver bus especially once you are inside. I think it is a relic or a mimic of truck stops. Marylanders might know more.

Nothing much has been cooking except my attempt to make the previous beef recipe with chicken. It is pretty good I tell you. But this time I am going to introduce what has become a family favorite that my husband perfected over the years. Quite often he silently gathers his ingredients and whips up this amazing treat that the kids and I enjoy to no end. It gives you a good feeling with all the veggies and a good taste with the touch of non vegs. Thus goes the recipe as given by the Chef himself:

In The Mix
Egg Noodles : 1 pack ( we get this from the local chinese store. these are not dry but rather soggy to the touch)
Vegetables : 1 cup each of diced cabbage, mushroom, bell pepper, thinly sliced carrots and anything else that you want to add to the medley.
Scallion : two stalks sliced to small pieces.
Stir Fry Sauce : 3 tbsp or as needed. we use Kikkoman's
Red Onion : 1/4 sliced large
Beef : 1/4 lbs thinly sliced ( can add cooked shrimp too)
sesame oil : 1 tbsp or as needed
olive oil : 1 tbsp or as needed
green chilies : 2 or 3 sliced in circles (optional)
or chili garlic paste : 1 tsp (optional)
salt : to taste


How To Do
Saute the onion first and then beef together for a while. Once beef is cooked, add carrots and bell pepper. No need to cover. Cook on high heat. Add mushrooms and scallions. Saute well till cooked. Now pour the Stir Fry Sauce and mix together. Add cabbage at the end to preserve crunchiness. Don't forget to add salt as needed at any stage.

Meanwhile cook the noodles by adding to boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Keep under cold water and drain. Add sesame oil to keep the noodles from sticking together. Add drained noodles to the prepared mix and cook on high heat for 3-4 minutes. Toss the pan as needed for a professional touch:-) Remember, high heat is a key factor. Add green chilies or garlic chili paste depending on your heat tolerance at this time. voila! Delicious dinner is ready. Garnish with fried egg strips if you have the time. Enjoy with homemade vinegar-soysauce mix.


For Vinegar-Soysauce Dressing
This is something that both my husband and his Mom needs if they are to eat noodles at home. I have come to sort of like it but he just relishes it.

Green chilies - 2 or 3 cut in circles
soy sauce - 4 tbsp
vinegar - 1 tbsp
water - 3 tbsp
salt - to taste

First add water to a small pan. Once it boils then add vinegar, salt, soy sauce and finally the chillies. Let boil for a minute or so and the dressing is ready to go.

For Fried Egg Strips
Beat one or two eggs together with salt. Make a thin omlette and cut into long strips. I saw this first when my HMom had this with a biriyani she had made for my birthday sometime back. It looks quite good on anything I'd say.

Beef Coconut Fry

Time to immortalize this recipe that seems to have captured many a heart er.. tummy here. The basic recipe is from a friend, the method from my Mom and the addition of coconut is my husband's suggestion. He is the one who painstakingly broke the coconut, shelled it out and cut into nice thin pieces all for the sake of having it included. I used to make this sans the coconut but since it has added exponentially to the taste, will forever remain a part of the recipe. The major trick for this to come out fabulous is the slow frying at the end. The longer you can do this, the better. All measurements for this one are mostly approximate as I forgot to keep up with it...

In The Mix

beef - 2 lbs (diced, washed & drained)
coconut - fresh diced from a half shell
onion - 2 medium sized, sliced
tomato - 2 medium sized, diced
chili powder - 1 to 2 heaped tsp
coriander powder - 5 to 6 tbsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp (2X)
vinegar - 1 tbsp
garam masala - 1 to 1 1/2 tsp (made of equal measures of cloves, cardamom & cinnamon powders)
oil - 1 to 3 tbsp
mustard - 1/2 tsp
shallot - 1 sliced thin
curry leaves - as many sprigs as you want:-)
salt to taste

How To Do
Marinate the beef overnight with the vinegar, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1 tbsp coriander powder and 1/2 tsp chili powder.

Heat some of the oil and saute onion till brown. Add all the remaining curry powders and roast well. Add tomato, mix well and saute. Add diced beef and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add coconut pieces to this mix and saute for some more time. Add 1 cup of water if the beef does not have a lot of it. Cover and cook in medium heat. 15 to 20 minutes should do.

Heat remaining oil in a thick bottomed pan and break mustards. Add shallots, curry leaves and saute well. Add the prepared beef to this and mix very well. Boil at high heat to remove water if in excess. From now keep it low heat and slow fry till dry. Stir occasionally so it won't stick to the pan. May take as long as 30 -45 minutes for this last step depending on the amount of water you started out the step with. So long as you remember to check back you can actually do other pending stuff like finishing off that book or playing with the kids. The resulting beef fry is one to die for! Enjoy it with Kerala porotta, rice & buttermilk curry, tapioca or just by itself. Any way you consume, it is a winner:-)

Besan Ladoo. Or is it Laddu?

I used to be known as the 'girl who loved ladoos'. I am talking about the sweet yellow boondhi ladoos that one can get from the restaurants in Kerala. I don't have a sweet tooth. Really! But this was a weakness along with 'pazham pori' . Our college cafeteria used to make the best of both and of course 'those were the days':-) So how did I grow a little out of it? Why when the lovingly bought 100 or so ladoos from BTH in Kochi turned bland and fungified on arrival from the stressful journey. I just lost it looking at all those lackluster ladoos and learned again the importance of having it fresh.

But...an end is always a beginning. When we bought our home and I visited the local Indian store, who was waiting for me there with a sunny face? Besan Ladoos!!!! The texture is what attracted me at first and the famous last name. I mean, who wouldn't want to be acquainted with the 'Ladoo' family? It was love at first bite. To make things smooth, the kids and the husband unhesitatingly jumped on the bandwagon. From then on it was Besan Ladoo fest whenever for us. As luck would have it, our neighborhood store makes the best version of it I think. I love the matte finish over glossy and the non oily texture.

So what better recipe to go chastily to as the Lent season is here and the urge to make a meat dish hits me, than a protein filled snack? I found recipes galore for this sweet on the net but none that gave me satisfaction. Finally I opted to try a combo of what I found and hit it on the second try. How do I know I got it? The taste of course, but also my sonny boy and other big and little besan aficionados declaring it to be oh so yummmm. My son's exact words on first bite were , "Ok Mom, better than last time". Then on second bite..."Wooow, Mom..... Totally...." the rest is history. So here it is, our family approved recipe for besan ladoo. Do add more sugar if you are inclined that way. And this one is for you Geeta.

In The Mix

1 3/4 cup besan flour
2 tbsp fine sooji
3/4 cup sugar (regular sugar in the US is fine enough for this. no need to powder)
1/2 cup melted ghee (not a drop more or less)
1/2 tsp powdered cardamom (can add 1/4 tsp more if u r a cardamom fan)

How To Do

Take a large non-stick pan and mix the besan flour, sooji and ghee together.
Keep out of reach of prying little hands.


Turn on medium heat and keep stirring for 8-10 minutes.
Once the mix rolls like it is loaded with ghee, or when your busily occupied husband jumps up and walks toward the kitchen exclaiming ' hmm.. that smells so good", it is time to remove from heat. See picture.


Wait a minute or two and add the sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well. Wait another 5 minutes or so or till the mix is cool enough to handle. Don't let it cool to room temp. Start rolling into tennis ball sized rounds. I think I am getting the hang of this rolling thing. Don't they look a decent shape now? Anyway, the trick is to keep faith in your rolling abilities. First do a few thick squeezes, and then give very gentle shaping squeezes and believe me they will come out looking decent. This will make about 15-16 ladoos. Enjoy! Next to try is geeta's rawa ladoos. I have got the sooji already...

Another Kind of Thoran - A Beans Coconut Combo

Thought I had got it with this 'thoran' thing since the results were satisfactory. Looked like I had done pretty much what I could do here. Not sure why it never occurred me to ask my Mom. Maybe because I couldn't take it if I made it 'exaaactly' like Mom and didn't get the effect from memories. So anyway, it did come up in a conversation and Mom chuckled to herself when her previously veggie hating - make that kitchen phobic - daughter dutifully asked for this simplest of recipes. I couldn't help chuckling with her, remembering my own younger self in those carefree days. Memories... Memories....., what will I do with them? What will I do without them? I followed her instructions to the letter and I have to say that I absolutely loved the results. This could be because it looked, smelled and tasted 'exaaactly' like the 'payar thoran' of old. Well except of course for the central characters - the beans themselves - who just couldn't be fresh picked from the ginger fields. But I had taken that into account and had already adjusted the memory comparator input accordingly:-) So here follows my Mom's own original, special 'thoran' recipe.The secret is in the sequence. So pay attention to every word. K?

In The Mix

beans - 1/2 lbs (about 1 kg)
coconut flakes - 1/2 cup (hydrate with water prior to use to resemble the fresh grated feel. i hear that there is a vietnamese store around which sells fresh grated coconut. haven't had time to check that out yet)
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
shallots - 2 or 3
green indian chilies - 4 to 5
salt to taste
curry leaves - a sprig or two

How To Do

Slightly grind coconut, turmeric, shallots and green chilies together. The results should be a largely coarse mix.

Take the beans in a cooking pot. Add salt and curry leaves. Cook covered on high heat for 5-6 minutes at the most.

Now add the ground mix to the top. Do not stir.


Cover and cook some more till all the water is gone.

Remove from heat and stir. Voila!

Peanut Butter Blossoms - Cookies

Just because you have never made a cookie in your life does not mean that you should never try it. Welcome yourself into the cookie making business with this easiest, best looking and kid approved cookie recipe. I chanced upon it in a magazine - I believe it is Martha Stewart Living - while waiting in the doctor's office. I think it was part of a Hershey's chocolate ad and quickly scribbled it down on a little piece of paper. This is a good one to get kids involved. Later I found that it is indeed a popular recipe and you will come across it all over the net while searching with 'peanut butter blossoms'. Now, to the recipe:

In The Mix

You will need about 48 Hershey's kisses. I find that M&Ms are also an easy substitute or any other cute looking chocolate piece. But Hershey's kisses look the best on top!

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/4 or 1/2 cup sugar to roll cookies at the end

How To Do

Heat oven to 375 C.

Remove foil from Hershey's. Get the kids to do this. Mine enjoyed all of the activity so much and were very good about not eating the kisses. I was impressed. Ask them first to count how many there are, how many we might need, and then get them to unwrap from one bowl to keep in another etc..

Beat shortening and peanut butter together for less than a minute.
Add 1/2 cup sugar & the brown sugar to the mix. Beat until fluffy.
Break the egg into the mix, add milk and vanilla extract and beat together for under a minute.
Kids can share doing this activity. I use a large plastic bowl so things stay clean.

Stir together the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl. You can sieve them together to blend well.

Now gradually beat the flour mix into the peanut butter mix. You can do this in 5-6 steps. Once all the flour is added in, beat for 3-4 minutes. I use an electric hand mixer to beat.

Shape into 1" size balls. My Achilles Heel:-) Can never get them ball shapes... Roll gently in the sugar for a nice coat. Do not flatten. The cookie balls will expand into a nice circle once in the oven. Place the balls on a cookie sheet 2" apart. This is very important as otherwise the cookies will stick to each other for lack of space while being baked. You should have about 48 balls. Bake 8-10 minutes until light brown. I have added a picture here of cookies ready to go into the oven for Nancy.


Get the little helpers and chocolates ready to go as soon as the cookies are out. Place a kiss each on the top of the hot cookies. The cookies might break a little but don't worry. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes or so. The chocolate and the hot melted butter inside would have set together by now. Don't press down on the chocolate after the first placement. Store in a cool place and enjoy.

These cookies are very photogenic. Didn't get time to do justice to them in the aftermath. A good single cookie pic will look fantastic.



Added Later:
My daughter took this single cookie picture.

Dessert Time - Gulab Jamun

I shouldn't really be calling this a recipe. I am trying to talk here about the instant version. Who needs a recipe for that? Anyone can follow the instructions. But hey, once you made these golden balls, they are so picturesque that you just have to click and well, once you click, you post!

The Details

Buy any Gulab Jamun Mix with 3-4 step instructions from any Indian store. Follow instructions to the letter and voila! you have a good looking dessert.

I use milk instead of water to knead the dough and oil instead of ghee to deep fry. The only expertise needed here I think is the art of making even sized balls prior to frying. My lack of it shows:-) The other thing is to know how hot the oil is when you start frying. If the pan and the oil are too hot the jamuns can get burned and turn an ugly dark color. Learned this the hard way. So once the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium. I like doing this in a non-stick pan as opposed to a stainless steel pan. The steel pan can heat up fast in my impatience to get the oil hot enough and my carefully shaped jamuns go to naught in an instant.

I should mention that these jamuns while totally yummy, are not exactly good for the body if not taken in moderation. We make this very rarely and that too in cases where a homemade dessert is appropriate but time is in short supply. Since it is so rarely made, I do gobble them up without guilt if I see them in the fridge after the fact. They keep well in the fridge for a few days. They can be eaten cold or microwave warmed for 20 sec or so.