Instant Raw Mango Pickle

Kokan is the home to alphonso mangoes, everyone knows that. Plus, we have many different varieties that are not found anywhere else in the world. Kokan mangoes are rich in flavours and have distinctly different colours and they smell really good. So, undoubtedly we have the best quality of mangoes in the whole world. *feeling proud and blessed, alhamdulillah* 😇
Anyway, as it's the mango season and we have them in abundance, alhamdulillah, so not a single day goes without some instant mango preparation. Whether it's a pickle or chutney or some mango coolant like mango Panna or sometimes mango coconut curry etc. So here I am sharing one such recipe that is loved by all at home. I supposed to take photos after the sugar has melted completely but then I knew that I won't get a chance for photo session once the pickle is ready as nobody would wait till I get a perfect shot lol. But I hope this pic is tempting enough to make you drool ;)
This pickle is made with raw alphonso but if you don't have alphonso you can make with any of the varieties you have. And it's called "kaach" in local kokni lingo. If you are avoiding sugar you can replace it with jaggery but sugar is best for this recipe. We have some other recipes with jaggery and for spicy pickles without any sweetener.

Instant Mango Pickle Recipe

Ingredients:

1 big raw mango
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red chili powder
2 teaspoon refined oil

Method:

1. Wash and peel the mango and chop it finely.
2. In a bowl, crush garlic cloves and adde chopped mango. Add salt, sugar and red chili powder. Finally add oil and mix everything well.
3. Wait till sugar melts completely and the lip-smacking, juicy mango pickle is ready in no time! Enjoy!

Chocolate Fridge Cake

Fridge cakes are a hit nowadays because not everybody can bake (though I can, alhamdulillah!) and as the Mercury levels are getting up we all are getting hooked on foods that can keep us cool and can be prepared quickly as nobody would like to spend hours in the kitchen. And baking is just a big no! So, today when I was asked to make a chocolate cake I opted for this Chocolate Fridge Cake and didn't expect any appreciation because I knew I have taken a shortcut and it is going to disappoint all but to my surprise everyone loved this simple fridge cake and I had to prepare another batch because the first one was not enough! Lol
It's a simple recipe with layers of sweet and salty biscuits and chocolate ganache and it's frozen till firm and then sliced. You can serve this cake with fresh fruits and some whipped cream, if you want. I have used Parle's Crackjack Biscuits you can use any of the sweet and salty biscuits of your choice.

How to make Chocolate Fridge Cake

Ingredients:

24 sweet and salty biscuits
100 gms dark chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Method:

1. Pour cream in a sauce pan and microwave for 2 minutes (you heat on gas stove for about 3-4 minutes on medium to low flame.
2. Now finely chop the chocolate and mix in hot cream also add condensed milk and mix well with the help of rubber spatula. It should be thick mixture but of pouring consistency.
3. Take a 8 inch square box and arrange four biscuits side by side pour some prepared chocolate mixture wait for a minute so that the sauce thickens. Repeat till you get 6 layers of biscuits. Pour the remaining sauce on top and keep it in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
4. Check if it's hard, if not, leave it in the freezer till it is hard enough to cut with a knife.
5. Remove from the fridge and cut into one inch thick slices. Serve immediately.

Tilkoot - Sesame Seeds Dry Chutney

Sesame seeds are known as 'Til' in kokani langauge and and the word Tilkoot translates to "ground sesame seeds". We koknis have many such "secret ingredients" that make our dishes distinctly different from others and Tilkoot is definitely one of those ingredients. La! Wait.. tilkoot is not just an ingredient, it's actually a kind of dry chutney made from black sesame seeds by adding garlic and dried red chilies. You can have tilkoot on its own as a chutney or you can use it as a condiment to make many other dishes that includes vegetables and sprouts. Traditionally tilkoot was made using mortar and pestle and the remains would be wiped of by grinding chawal ki roti in the same vessel which would make a great nutritious snack with a  dollop of pure ghee, as told by my grandma but I have always seen tilkoot being made in electric grinder so it's not a difficult task at all and you can easily make it whenever you are craving for it and have all the ingredients in your pantry.

Ideally you should use a mixture of long and short black sesame seeds in the proportion of 1:4 that is, if you have 1 tablespoon of long sesame seeds you should use 4 tablespoons of short black sesame seeds but if you don't have the long ones (that aren't easily available in most of the places) you can go for only short ones and it will taste even better as the short ones are rich in  oils and flavours.

So here is How to Make Tilkoot

Ingredients:

1 cup short black sesame seeds
1/4th cup long black sesame seeds
4-5 cloves of garlic
2-3 dried red chilies
1 teaspoon salt
A small piece of dried coconut (khopra) (totally optional)

Method:

1. Dry roast sesame seeds on a cast iron tawa till you get nice aroma. Then remove in a plate and let them cool completely.
2. Also roast khopra, if using, till it becomes dark brown and slightly charred at ends.
3. Peel and add garlic cloves to the seeds. Break and add dried red chilies.
4. Ground everything to get coarse mixture. Your tilkoot is ready!
5. Store tilkoot in glass jar and keep it in fridge so that it can last longer.

Tilkoot can be enjoyed as a chutney or you can sprinkle it on boiled drumsticks, green beans etc. It's also used to make a stuffing for veggies like okra and eggplant.