mango kothumeri vadi 

Ingredients:
one cup aapus mango grated 
Fresh Coriander leaves without the hard stalk – About 3 cups
Chickpea meal / Besan – About 1 cup heaped
Ginger – 1inch
Chillies – 2 small or 1 medlium
Garlic – 1 pod
Water – About 2 cups or more if needed
Turmeric powder – A pinch
Oil – To shallow fry
Salt – to taste

Seasoning:
Sesame seeds – 1 tsp.
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp.
Curry leaves

Method:

Mince the ginger, chilli and garlic with little water and set aside. Bunch the cleaned and trimmed coriander leaves (with stem, but not the root) together and chop roughly.

Whisk chickpea flour (besan) with a cup of water, salt, turmeric , grated magoes and the coriander leaves to a thick buttermilk (kadhi) consistency and set aside.

Heat a deep wok and pour a tsp. of oil.

When hot add the minced ginger, chilli and garlic with liquid. Add the prepared mixture, stirring all the while till the liquid evaporates, and the mixture comes together into a thickish ball. It should not jiggle. Stirring should be constant or you will have lumps.

Grease a flat plate and pat the lump into a rectangle using the flat back of a steel bowl. Cool completely, and cut into cuboids thick or thin, but at least a centimetre thick. Or any other shape you like.

Heat a wide pan. Pour a little oil and add the seasoning when the oil turns hot. Immediately place the pieces and shallow fry on each side till brown and shiny. Alternately, you may deep fry or bake. I bake. My husband fries.

• Serve hot with mint chutney or tomato ketchup. We had the left over with dinner with rasam rice, as these taste equally good when they are room temperature. They taste best while hot, of course.