From my kitchen to yours

From my kitchen to yours

Monday, July 2, 2012

DAY 76 : UNPREDICTABLE MANGO JAM...

UNPREDICTABLE MANGO JAM...
Oh yes ...
And after Spain won the UEFA 2012 last night beating Italy by 4 fantastic goals..
I just had to celebrate...
Why???

Because I love Spain..the place, the people , the food , the language , the Sangria, the beaches..the mountains...Xabi Alonso..(who is yummy...)
And how amazing that place just makes you feel..
Sun-kissed and very happy...
I was there last year on holiday with my girl-friends and made memories that are gonna last me till I do'nt lose my memory ...ha ha ha .
And so what I made actually reminds me of the golden in the Spanish flag..

And so ,here I'm at it again...
Can't help it ...
Trying to keep the flavour of mangoes with me for a longer time than possible..
And so I have been devouring them like they are zero calorie ..
Using them in salads, dressings, desserts and even put some in my face pack...
And it was "Deeeelicious"...
I don't know if it did anything for my skin...but I was busy licking my lips...
Because the honey, lime and mango combination was just too yummy...
And Taz was looking at me, like I was his dessert....wagging his tail, ready to lick my face ....
Ha ha ha...

And so I made something , I saw my mummy make every year ..
And store in huge glass jars in the fridge...
And for a very large part of the year..
We had yummy mango jam , mango ice-cream, mango chutney etc...etc..

INGREDIENTS

Fresh Mango pulp-1.2 kg...(that's because, I had quite a number of Alphonso mangoes at home)
Castor sugar- 1 1/2 cup
Sour limes -3 squeezed..

Method..

In a non stick pan..
Stir all the ingredients together on a medium to low flame...
You have to keep stirring it, till the consistency changes to thick and very glossy...
It took me approximately an hour , fifteen minutes and a little more...
You know you are done , when you run your spatula through the pulp and it parts like how Moses parted the waters of the sea to save his people..
Err but not till all the horses had run through..
Just count 1...2...3... And you can then take it off the fire..and let it cool completely before transferring it into a clean and dry glass container or Tupperware of your choice...
You are done ...

That easy, probably my easiest recipe till date , and one that is really deeply satisfying ....
Now keep a little out, for daily"  greedumption " my version of greedy consumption..
And the rest store in the fridge..

So while I was stirring the mango pulp and inhaling the aroma, of probably the last mangoes this season..
(Because now, on account of the rains, the mangoes in the market are not upto mark...)
I was just thinking , that this. is just an ideal way of keeping with me .all who I don't want to let go off...

So are there more like me..
Making jam of what they want to keep with them...

Longer than a season ,for a reason known best to them...
Simply because who has really seen a life-time....

How nice , if we could also add lime and keep with us ,the people we love..
So when we miss them..
All we have to do is go to the jar ,say marked "Betty-boo" or "Ninja", my golden-retriever and my Boxer...
And there ,they are with me, all over ,again...
Jumping , bouncing, wagging their tails ...

Unfortunately life is not as easy as making Jam...
You cannot put anyone in a bottle, or hold on to them...
More than they want to be held....

We were meant to be free,  that is our true essence...
And it is that fragrance that permeates through our very being...
And the choices we make in "complete freedom" are the only ones we can truly stand by...

In my opinion , how a person behaves with you while exercising his complete 'free will', is directly proportionate to where you stand in their life and vice versa..
It's easy to ask for what you want , or put limitations or expectations onto any relationship...
But for me, free will is the "clincher" the deal " maker" or" breaker"..

There are no "genie's " in any bottle...

And no amount of preservatives can keep anything forever...
But while it is with you, if it brings you unboundable happiness, then it's worth it..

As you know, everything in a bottle comes with a shelf life...
But thank fully some relationships don't...

And the ones that do...
Well....I don't know...????

And I'm sure that's why God gave us "memories" ...
That we can visit , each time we are missing someone ...
All we really have to do is visit our memory of that person, and smile again...
All the little moments, you shared everything that made you laugh, giggle, cry, fight, scream, sing, eat, cook, argue, talk, stay silent, run, walk, travel, drink coffee, have green tea, get drunk with champagne, swim, jump, dance, whisper, play in the rain, drive...everything...

Or then sometimes we keep photographs...
Because photograph's do not change , even if the person in them has...

So yes while I was busy stirring this very rich mango pulp, that was soon starting to look like a beautiful sun shining , satiny  quilt , that you would like to drape around you on a rainy day ...
And the aroma of which was driving me slowly but surely insane ...

In my head, I had a number of people that I would have liked to make into "Jam" ..
So that I could hang on to them longer than what life intends...

But since thats not possible...
In this crazy kitchen that exists in my head....
I have these little bottles in different colours...
And they have smiling photographs on all of them, of the ones that I love...
And inside I have a corresponding spice or ingredient...

Ha ha ha ..
And I just cannot share the names or what ingredient each one stands for...
Because I don't want to get beaten up...
The whole exercise then ,would be counter active...

But in my head at the moment I'm having a mad laugh fest...
And all these bottles are walking around and I'm having a wonderful tea party with all of them...
And yes, Mad-hatter , the Cheshire cat and the Rabbit are very much part of it ...
And the man on the moon...

Bottom line..

My mango jam is really nice ,wholesome, and very basic,has the flavour and essence of fresh mangoes..
It has a beautiful rich colour and an uneven texture..(I left pieces of mango in it, for ....unpredictability)
There is nothing artificially flavoured or coloured..
What you see ,is what you get..
Or rather what you put into it, is exactly what you get back... ha ha ha ....

Blue pancakes

Settled 1/3 of my cookery books..


And it's , just going to be a pleasure biting into a slice of toasted multigrain bread with  Mango Jam, smeared generously on it..
When it's pouring cats and dogs here in Mumbai , and there are no more mangoes available in the market ...

So here's presenting wholesome , flavoursome , simple ,"Unpredictable Mango Jam" inspired by my mum...
Made with tons of old and new wonderful memories..
That are lying in bottles marked with smiling faces in the kitchen of my heart...

As I'm busy licking my fingers only in , "Maria's Kitchen

30 comments:

  1. Your food makes the mouth water and your talk makes the heart melt...:D Love, Nandini
    P.S. We have the equating ppl with food in common!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Nandini,
      Im thinking ...
      Not bad at all...

      Delete
  2. OMG Maria,

    I thought i was the only person who thought like this. It was like reading something that always goes on in my mind. 70's and all the amol palekar movies put me in an instant into my childhood and those bush shirts that men wore. Movies like choti si baat, baaton baaton mein, golmal, khatta mitha. i could go on and on. People i don't let go of, places that i have in my mind. i hold on to memories like they are the jewels from aladin's cave. The minke whale that i saw last year in quebec or the pigeons that i used to feed grains at chowpatty. Man! you 've just let loose a whole lot of things in my mind right now. Even India, between 1975 and 2000 is in my memory box a precious jewellery box which i visit from time to time to admire the beautiful thing that i have and look at them fondly. Cause when i come to india i am collecting all the modern pieces of mumbai and take them back with me. it 's quite a ride , this ride between two worlds i close my eyes and i am running in mumbai, i open them and wham i am at the lakeshore in toronto

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Listen,
      when was the last time you visited Mumbai...
      You need to visiy soon , by the feel of your thoughts...
      And thank you always for reading ...

      Delete
  3. It is always a delight to read your blog Maria!!! You inspire me to cook.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeaah Rukhmini,
      so what have you tried ....

      Delete
    2. I have a list of dishes that I want to try when I go back home, right now studying but will be done soon :)
      thanks for replying Maria!

      Delete
  4. Maria,

    I was in Mumbai 2010 monsoons. But it is always like this. Does not matter when i was there. It has been 13 yrs since i left to come and settle in Canada. Love the country and like it here but for me it will always be like jhumpa lahiri's Namesake or M. G. Vasanji's books. It has taken me a while to make my peace with the ocean and say ok, i will meet you every year in New Jersey and not at aksa or nariman point or juhu. SO i love to read what you r doing and saying cause it makes me feel near to the place i love. When kalyan says he went to candies or like today when he is sitting at Bandstand with a coffee and the rain lashing out, I connect thru him to that scene. remember ghar, ghar ke aage garden, garden ke agge samundar. so your blog about the memories and them being in jars with labels hit a nerve. Or if you may compare it to avengers when Hulk says the secret is that i am always angry. So the secret is i always carry bombay in my heart. It hurts to be away but then i come to your blog and i see what is kalyan upto today and i am at peace.

    BTW: Sounds a bit heavy the whole thing above but it is a part of life and I am at peace and very happy with what i have.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Sneha,
      I love what you write ..
      You ate a blessed soul ..

      Delete
  5. ...you add beautiful colors to your writing and when u r done, u end up sprinkling shiny love dust on it....its like dessert for the heart and soul.
    much love,
    simmi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awww Simmi,
      That is so nice of you ..
      Thank you ..

      Delete
  6. everytime i see a spice jar on my kitchen counter i will now remember your post & assign someones face to it :D loved reading this one xx
    Nev

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Nev,
      Ha ha ha yup do that it makes cooking more fun ...

      Delete
  7. You have such a talent to put heart into words.....love these lines..""".And the choices we make in "complete freedom" are the only ones we can truly stand by..."""
    I donno if il find mangoes in the market to make a jam but sure do have my memories full of people I wud like to preserve :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Neelambari,
      Keep the ones you want in your heart ..
      They are yours ...

      Delete
  8. hey maria ur mango jam jus reminded me of my granny's 'moramba' its a Maharashtrian name .. its a kind of pickle .. sweet spicy nd chatpata .. she sends it for every year nd it came yesterday nd jus like u evn im licking it day nd night ;) :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Antara,
      Unfortunately I never did learn anything from my grandma ..
      So go ahead and keep the recipe..
      Even if you do not make it now ..
      You will want it one day ...

      Delete
  9. Replies
    1. You know I really do not replying to an anonymous ..
      But ...
      Thank you ..

      Delete
  10. This is cool. I 'll give it a shot :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Maria! :)

    Amazing post as always and amazing and recipe. I tried it myself and my niece simply loved it! :)

    Thanks a lot! :)

    Love,
    Payal

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Payal ,
      That's awesome...
      I'm sooo happy ....

      Delete
  12. Hi Maria, love reading yr blog. Can I ask u a question, can this recipe of mango jam be used for any other fruit jam?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think for strawberry ...
      But will try out some recipes and post soon ...

      Delete
  13. I added bits of kashmiri red chillis to my ditto mango jam recipe! sugar varied i think...blue pancakes look HOT!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup chili just adds an awesome zing ...
      But this was made for my kids, hence a very simple basic flavour

      Delete
  14. You are so much fun! Full of life and colour!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Maria,

    I am Kay D’lyma, a food enthusiast and blogger. I am writing in with a request that I hope you can help me with, I would love to interview you for a post I am doing on my blog www.thetreattruck.wordpress.com .

    If you could make sometime for a local blogger that would be great! I currently work at Star TV but my passion is food and so I started The Treat Truck blog, currently I am doing a series of interviews with chefs and other foodies, I hope we can do an interview too.

    If nothing else I hope you enjoy the recipes and writing.

    Looking forward to hearing from you.

    God Bless,
    Kay
    P.S. I mailed you on fb but you could have missed it if it went to the others folder. I know this wil go through approval so it won't appear as a comment.

    ReplyDelete