Aam Tenga Sour Mango

Method

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   About Aam Tenga: This is the iconic summer sour curry of Assam — raw green mango cooked simply with mustard paste and seasonal greens. It is intensely tangy and is eaten with heaps of plain steamed rice, the rice itself becoming the canvas for the sharp mango flavour. Nothing else captures the spirit of an Assamese summer kitchen quite like this dish.

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   Choose the right mango: Use a large, completely raw, hard green mango. The skin should be bright green with no yellow patches. Press it gently — it should feel rock hard. A semi-ripe mango will give a sweet-sour curry which is not the dish you want.

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   Peel and dice the mango: Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin — raw mango skin can cause itching. Peel with a sturdy peeler. Cut the flesh away from the stone in chunks, then dice into 2cm cubes.

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   Make the mustard paste: Take 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds (or 2 tsp ready-made mustard paste). If using whole seeds, soak in 2 tbsp warm water for 15 minutes, then grind with a tiny pinch of salt and 1 fresh green chilli to a smooth paste in a small grinder. Soaking removes the bitterness; salt during grinding stops the paste from going acrid.

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   Clean the greens: Take 1 cup of any tender mixed greens — spinach, amaranth (chaulai) or pumpkin leaves all work. Wash thoroughly in 3 changes of cold water; greens often hide grit in their crevices. Roughly chop, including tender stems.

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   Prepare the green chilli: Take 1 fresh green chilli. Slit lengthwise from tip to stem, leaving the stem intact.

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   Heat the mustard oil: Pour 1 tsp mustard oil into a heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai. Place over medium-high heat. Heat until the oil just begins to smoke and the harsh raw smell mellows — about 30 seconds. Do not skip this step or the curry will taste sharp.

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   Add the mango: Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced mango to the hot oil. Stir well to coat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until the mango pieces just start to look glossy.

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   Add turmeric: Sprinkle 1 tsp turmeric powder over the mango. Stir for 30 seconds — turmeric burns quickly so keep moving.

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    Add the mustard paste and water: Add the prepared mustard paste and the slit green chilli. Pour in 1/2 cup of water. Stir to combine. The water will turn a beautiful pale yellow from the turmeric and mustard.

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    Simmer to soften the mango: Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. The mango pieces will soften and start releasing their sour juice into the curry. Stir every 2 minutes.

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    Check the mango: Pierce a piece with a fork — it should be soft and just yielding, not falling apart. The curry should now be tangy with a thin sauce.

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    Add the greens: Tip in the chopped greens. Stir gently. Cook for 3 more minutes until the greens wilt and turn bright green.

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    Season and serve: Add salt to taste — start with 1/2 tsp and adjust. The curry should taste forward-tangy with a faint mustardy heat behind. Serve hot in shallow bowls alongside large mounds of steamed plain rice. Mix the curry generously into your rice — that is the proper way to eat Aam Tenga.