BAFAENU—RIPE MANGO PICKLE (Quick and Easy Recipe)

Here is a Quick and easy recipe for Bafaenu, in the event some friends find the earlier recipe too cumbersome and elaborate. However, this Bafaenu may not stay well for as long as the Bafaenu from the first recipe. It would last at the very least for four to six months; though I have known it to stay well for much longer. You may also refrigerate the pickle after the first four, if you so desire.

INGREDIENTS:

25 ripe but firm mangoes about the size of your palm,

2 kg approx (2 Ser) jaggery;

900 gms (1/2 seer) mustard powder, preferably ground at home;

260 gms kilo (1/4 seer) garlic coarse paste;

750ml (1 seer) vinegar, preferably Sugar cane vinegar;

250 ml (1 pav) a *cooking oil of your choice;

60 Gms (5 Tola) salt;

Coarsely ground:

60 Gms (1 chatak) Red Chili powder;

60 Gms (1 chatak) turmeric powder;

METHOD:

Wash the mangoes, towel dry, and boil;

When fully cooked and soft, remove the mangoes from the vessel;

Spread them out to dry;

Mix the mustard in half the quantity of vinegar and whip;

Let the mustard mature in the vinegar;

Once the mustard is mature add the rest of the vinegar and the turmeric powder, and chili powder;

The mangoes should by now be dry, check for any remaining moisture (the slightest moisture will cause fungus to form and ruin the pickle);

Place the mangoes in a jar Of China clay or in a glass jar;

Sprinkle all the jaggery in small bits over the mangoes as you place them in the jar

Pour the vinegar mixture over the mangoes, sprinkle the salt and pour the oil over it;

DO NOT MIX OR STIR IN ANY FORM WHATSOEVER. It is likely to break the mangoes and destroy the pickle;

Close the bottle with an air-tight lid;

Tie a piece of cheese clothes or Muslin cloth on the lid;

For a few days, open the jar Every 2 days and bring the bottom-most mangoes to the top;

Thus evenly marinating and pickling the mangoes;

Then let it rest for a further 15 days to complete the pickling process.

The pickle is now ready to eat.

Please DO NOT ATTEMPT TO HASTEN THE PROCESS by using a stove to cook the mangoes in the vinegar marinade.

This will destroy the vinegar marinade and may even turn bitter.

* Then they used home drawn unrefined peanut oil.

Bafaenu , a Ripe Mango Pickle that will keep for over a year. Ripe Mangoes a great favourite in India are preserved by the Parsi Zoroastrian Community and eaten for  large part of the year , beyond the mango season in India.  This ripe mango preserve, ‘Bafaenu’ as in the recipe below, I have found has a shelf life that extends to the next mango season. If carefully made, handled and stored in a cool dry place, it can last for beyond a year, provided you can control your taste buds. The Bafaenu makes a nice addition to the menus in Boman Mahino, a thirty day period dedicated to Boman Yazad, the energies that produce a good mind and so, protect the environment  and thus, the animal kingdom. the Parsi Zoroastrians of India abstain from all non-vegetarian foods during this period; it coincides with the mango season at present, falling around the month of June each year.

INGREDIENTS:

25 ripe but firm mangoes about the size of your palm,

Preferably Bulsar Alfonsos mangoes;

2 kg approx (2 Ser) jaggery;

900 gms (1/2 seer) mustard powder, preferably ground at home;

260 gms kilo (1/4 seer) garlic coarse paste;

750ml (1 seer) vinegar, preferably Sugar cane vinegar;

250 ml (1 pav) a *cooking oil of your choice;

60 Gms (5 Tola) salt;

Coarsely ground:

60 Gms (1 chatak) Red Chili powder;

60 Gms (1 chatak) turmeric powder;

60 Gms (1 chatak) black pepper;

60 Gms (1 chatak) cumin;

METHOD:

Wash the mangoes;

Towel dry

**Steam the mangoes the mangoes still soft

When fully cooked and soft, remove the mangoes from the steamer;

Spread them out to dry;

In the meantime, mix the mustard in half the quantity of vinegar;

Let the mustard mature in the vinegar;

Once the mustard is mature add the rest of the vinegar and the coarsely ground garlic, black pepper and cumin, turmeric powder, chili powder, and salt;

The mangoes should by now be dry, check for any remaining moisture (the slightest moisture will cause fungus to form and ruin the pickle);

Place the mangoes in a jar Of China clay or in a glass jar;

Break up the Jaggery into small bits and sprinkle all of it as you lay each layer of mangoes in the jar;

Pour the vinegar mixture over the mangoes;

DO NOT MIX OR STIR IN ANY FORM WHATSOEVER that is likely to break the mangoes and destroy the pickle;

Close the bottle with an air- tight lid;

Tie a piece of cheese clothes or Muslin cloth on the lid;

Every 5 days open the jar and bring the bottom-most mangoes to the top;

Thus evenly marinating and pickling the mangoes;

Do this thrice: i.e. 3 times in the next 15 days;

Then let it rest for a further 15 days to complete the pickling process.

At the end of 30ndays, the pickle is now ready to eat.

Please DO NOT ATTEMPT TO HASTEN THE PROCESS by using a stove to cook the mangoes in the vinegar marinade.

This will destroy the vinegar marinade and may even turn bitter.

* Then they used home drawn unrefined peanut oil.

**In the days this recipe was noted down, long before kitchen gadgets were easily available, my granny had once spoken of how my  great-great-Grandma used a laborious process of boiling water in a huge vessel, fitting a sieve of exact size on the boiling vessel, ensuring that the rim of the sieve hooked completely onto the rim of the vessel, then as the  water started to steam and enough steam built up, placed the mangoes in the sieve, while ensuring that one’s hands do not suffer steam-burns while not damaging  the mangoes, also , ensure the boiling water does not rise high enough to wet the sieve (no water must touch the mangoes) then sealing the entire apparatus with a large enough lid.

Eggs (hard boiled) 6

Cloves of garlic 8
Red Chillies       4
Cumin seeds      2 tsp

Oil                     1 tbsp

Onions               3 small
Gram(chick pea) or wheat flour 1/2 tbsp
Water               4 cups
Vinegar            1/2 cup
Sugar               1/2 tbsp
Uncooked eggs 2

Green chilies    4
Curry leaves 6 to 8
Cherry tomatoes 6
(if using regular tomatoes take one cut in 8 pieces)

PREPARATION:

Boil six eggs, peel and put aside.

Grind fine, garlic, red chilies and cumin seeds.
Mix the vinegar sugar uncooked eggs together and put aside.
Grate the onions.

COOKING:

1. Heat the oil in a Sauce pan and fry the onions lightly.
2. Add the ground masala and fry well till golden.
3. Add gram/wheat flour and fry for a further 40 seconds till the flour gives off its aroma.

4. Slowly pour one cup of water stirring all the time to form a homogeneous mixture. Ensure there are no lumps.

5. Once mixed well, add the other 3 cups of water and boil still sauce thickens.
6. Quickly stir in the vinegar sugar and egg mixture ensure that the egg does not curdle.
   Or you may let the sauce cool to room temperature and then stir in the egg mixture and once again bring sauce to boil, stirring all the time.
7. When it once again reaches boiling point add boiled eggs, green chilies, curry leaves and tomatoes
8. Immediately put the stove off, cover, and let the chilies and tomatoes soften in the hot sauce.

9. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning.

10. Adjust the consistency before reheating. It should be neither too thick nor too thin. (See pics). If too thin add flour; if too thick, add water.

This sauce may be made in advance and can be reheated.

May be eaten with rice or rotis as preferred.

Beetroot salad (Rodbettor Salad) is quick and easy Swedish Salad, an absolutely delicious diet recipe for the first time cooks. Every time I have served it, it has been a resounding success and it so easy to make. There are many variations of this salad (given at the end), BUT this is my favourite.

Goes with everything; especially well with curries, hot spicy food, roasts, fish dishes and cold meat. It is a Great addition to your meal or accompaniment to your sandwich.

Serves: Two persons
Actual salad making time: 5 minutes
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

RADISH

HORSE RADISH

Beetroots 4;

Horse Radish 1 or radish 4;

Lime juice of ½ lime;
Salt to taste;
Pepper to taste;
A pot full of water for boiling.

MAKING THE SALAD:

Julienne the radish (as in the instructions below)

Add salt, pepper and juice of ½ a lime and mix

Dice the boiled beetroot (instructions for boiling, below)

Mix the diced beetroot and julienned radish in a bowl.

Cover the bowl and chill. Serve.

HOW TO COOK THE BEETROOT AND PREPARE RADISH:

1. Take 5 moderate size beetroots. Avoid very large ones as they could be fibrous and thus spoil your dish and are hard to cook.

2. Cut off the stalks and leaves, if any. Leave the skin on.

3. Put the beetroot in a large boiling pot; fill with enough water to stand an inch or two above the beetroot. Add a pinch of sugar or 1//2 tea spoon of jagary or any other natural sugar. Place the pot on a high flame to boil. (If you have an electric steamer, steam the beetroot. It tastes a 100 times better).

4. In the mean time, scrape the upper surface of the radish to clean it.

5. Then halve it round the middle. Further, Cut the two halves length wise. You now have 4 pieces. Cut all four into thin strips (juliennes), as fine as possible.

6. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime on it, add a sprinkling of a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, mix and leave aside.

7. Now, check to see if the beetroot is done. To check whether the beetroot is fully cooked, poke the beetroot with a knife. The knife must easily slide all the way in without having to force it at any stage.

8. Once the beetroot is well cooked, remove the pot from the flame. Spoon out the beetroot and let it cool.

9. Once cool, peel the beetroot and dice then bright red flesh into your salad bowl.

10. Taste the radish you had put aside. Adjust seasoning (Taste for salt n pepper)

11. Add the radish juliennes to the diced beetroot.

12. Mix, chill and serve.

ALTERNATE RECIPES:

You can replace:

The boiled and diced beetroot by pickled beetroot. This is acceptable all over Europe. In this case eliminate the lime juice from the above recipe as the pickled beetroot is sour enough;
Or
The radish with red onions;
Or
Lime juice with your favourite vinegar;

OR
Dress the salad with one table spoon each of crème fraiche and mayonnaise or to your taste;

OR
You can add:
Or
Green apples to the salad; again reduce or eliminate the lime juice. The apples are tart;
Or
Pickled gherkins and dill; again eliminate the lime juice;
Or
A spoon of Dijon Mustard, (remember it is sour) chopped chives and dill.