“Kaju-Ambe Sasam (Cashew Apple Fruit- Ripe Mango Curry)” … Sasam is a delicious side dish prepared by GSB Konkani Saraswat’s when ripe mangoes are in season … though you can prepare this dish with other combination of fruits/ veggies, the most famous and loved one is avanas- ambe sasam (pineapple- ripe mango curry) … this dish is served almost at every function when in season ... I have tweaked a bit by adding cashew apple fruit (kaju) along with ripe Kesari ambo (mango) and it tastes excellent served at room temperature or slightly cold with poori/ roti … I must confess I enjoyed some as it is too …. Yummilicious .....
** I have shared "Sasam" in different combos often and each time I must say it was relished with pleasure by my family and friends. Sasam is a dish prepared sweet and spicy with different varieties of fruits or with veggies. It’s also prepared with the addition of curds when some veggies are used, however this particular one with fruits stands out the most wanted one of all when it comes to that sweet- sour tasty dish.
** As I mentioned it is prepared with ripe mangoes, grapes and pineapple and is a famous seasonal delicacy served at functions/ festive occasions and also prepared at homes during weekends when the family sits and dines together. Traditionally the masala is not cooked and needs to be served within an hour of preparation, to avoid being spoilt. However for this recipe I have cooked the same giving it a little bit twist.
** I have always loved experimenting with traditional dishes by tweaking them a little bit and adding on more options of veggies or fruits as is available and luckily I have almost each time succeeded to my satisfaction. This time I have prepared it with cashew apple fruit (kaju) along with ripe kesari ambo (mangoes) and it turned out awesome. Do try out this dish and enjoy with your family and friends.
** I will be sharing a common link to all “sasam” recipes shared by me in this blog at the bottom of this link, you can browse through the same for more options and try them out as and when you find the right ingredients or that which appeals to your family. Cashew Apple fruit is available during summer, so try before the season ends and trust me unlike while eating them fresh, here it does not taste sticky.
** Just one word on Mango to be used in preparation of "sasam". While you can add any variety of mangoes available there are some mangoes that go well in preparation of this curry. However, the mango used should be just ripe and firm textured as overripe one's will lose out on holding shape and if including with skin (when cooking) then the skin should be thinner too. Kesari Mango suits the best for this recipe.
** Here is my recipe for “Kaju- Ambe Sasam (Cashew Apple Fruit- Ripe Mango Curry)” … my style, try it; tastes awesome …
** I used only two fruits here that is one large sized Ripe Kesari Ambo (Mango) and 3-4 large sized yellow tinged fresh Cashew Apple Fruits (Kaju Fruit). If desired you may add a little bit more of ripe mango pieces too.
** Note : Do not use OVERRIPE mango or too softened cashew apple fruit. Both the fruits should be just ripe and firm to cut to pieces and also to hold on to its shape when cooked lest it turns mushy and mixes with masala.
** Wash the Cashew Apple Fruits (Kaju Fruit) well, wipe dry and remove the seed/ nut if attached to it and discard the same. Slice off both the top and bottom stem portion of the fruit and then cut thm to 1 inch sized pieces (check picture). Apply a little bit of salt to all the pieces evenly and keep them aside ready.
** Wash the ripe Kesari ambo (mango), wipe dry and then cut the edible portion carefully into 1 inch sized pieces and keep this aside ready separately. Discard the inner seed after removing as much fleshy portion as possible.
** Note : I have retained the outer skin of the mango, as we are going to cook the mangoes here for a few minutes (Optional). If not desired, you may slice off the outer skin with a sharp knife and cut the edible portion to pieces too, in which case avoid cooking the mango pieces as they will otherwise blend in with masala.
** Masala to be ground : Grind 1 cup of freshly grated coconut (soyi/ nariyal) with 4-5 dry red chillies (sukki mirsanga/ sukhi mirchi), ½ tsp haldi (turmeric) powder and a small marble sized piece of tamarind (chinchama/ Imly) to a very fine paste adding little bit of water. When the paste has been ground fine, add ½ tsp of mustard seeds (rai/ sasam) and further grind for 1-2 minutes only. Do not over grind at this stage or else the mustard will turn the masala bitter and the dish will loose on taste.
** Once again wash the kaju pieces to remove the salt applied and add into a kadai/ pan/ vessel with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil on high heat. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the pieces are 70% cooked and done. Do not overcook the pieces or else the fruit will turn mushy and mix with the gravy and lose taste.
** Add ground masala, cut mango pieces (with skin), 3-4 tblsps of grated/ powdered jaggery (goda/ bella/ gud), salt (namak/ meeta) to taste, water as required to bring to a thick gravy consistency and mix well. Cook on medium heat for few minutes stirring in between a few times until you see bubbles on surface. Immediately remove from heat and keep it aside covered to settle and come down to room temperature.
** “Kaju-Ambe Sasam (Cashew Apple Fruit- Ripe Mango Curry)” is done and ready to be served. Tastes best served at room temperature/ cold as a side dish during meals along with other items, though in my home we loved it with roti, I am sure it would have been fantastic if served with poori, children will definitely love that combo. I must confess I kept it in fridge to cool well and enjoyed eating it as it as this is one of my favourite dish. Do try it if cashew apple fruit/ fresh kaju fruit is available in your vicinity, something different but definitely tasty, a dish sure to be loved by young and old alike.
** Sharing below a common link to “Sasam” recipes in the Blog, where in you will find both sasams prepared with veggies and fruits. Do check out on them for more information about different types of sasam prepared in Saraswat Cuisine ....
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