Fajeto

Fajeto or Mango Kadhi is a Gujarati recipe made using yogurt, mangoes and some basic spices. It is spicy, savory, tangy. Hot steamed rice along with Fajeto and papad is a perfect summer lunch for me when I don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking but still want to eat something that is soul satisfying.

I know, I know you are skeptical about how will this taste. How will the sweetness of mangoes balance the tanginess of the kadhi? And honestly, I was too. I had this at my friends place many moons ago. To be honest, I was quite smitten by the unusual name, but when she told me what it was, I was not sure what to expect. Just like you, I was hesitant and unconvinced. But when I had the first spoon I knew I was going to go for second helpings for sure.

Fajeto is a Mango Kadhi with array of flavors, you can taste the mangoes, the sweetness, the tanginess from the curd/yogurt and the hint of spices. You can taste all the flavours in a single bite.

The drawback of staying away from India, is missing out on the Indian seasonal produce. You find mangoes here all year around but they are no match to the Indian Varieties. Sorry but it’s a Fact. We have to rely on someone who can source the mangoes from India. Fortunately, with the vast and ever growing Indian community, it is possible to procure the here for a limited time and limited quantities.

So when we brought our share of Mangoes this time…. Ahh, the first batch! For any mango lover, this is a dream come true. Those days of dreaming about mangoes and suppressing cravings are over. The days of drooling over mangoes posts on Instagram and pictures sent over WhatsApp are long gone. The wait has finally come to an end and at last paid off when you see those beauties just laid right in front of you! The entire house filled with that tropical and sweet mango aromas. You mood is definitely lifted everyday.

After I have had my share of eating those soft and juicy mangoes I had to try the recipes which I had saved. Before the Mango season stock is over, I wanted to make Fajeto. Anything which has mangoes, and I am completely sold. My friend’s granny used to make this and she was kind enough to share this recipe with me, and I made a few changes to suit to our taste buds.

The origin of this dish always intrigued me. So when I sat down to write this, I called her to ask how this dish came into existence. She then told me that the main idea was utilizing the very last bit of the mango. Her Granny (nani) would use the last of the pulp that is scrapped out of mango. And sometimes would even add the mango seed or pit (Koy / Baat in Marathi) to the Kadhi to extract maximum flavours. On other occasions, she he would add the Pit and mango skin in water and mash it to extract maximum flavour.

I have also eaten it when Aunty ( Her Mom) would make it using leftover Aamras. Or you can always make this using store brought mango Pulp. This gives an advantage of been available all year around. I recommend using Ashoka and Frooti mango Pulps as these are tried and tested.

Some Important tips to remember:

1. You can use any mango of your choice. But my friend highly recommends Kesar variety of Mangoes for making Fajeto.
2. I have made Fajeto using canned brought Mango Pulp and I was not disappointed. For store brought ones ,I have used Ashoka, and Frooti.
3. Adjust the quantity of water and curd that you use, to get the consistency you desire.
4. You can do the tempering with either ghee or oil. I prefer it with ghee.
5. Do not cook the fajeto too much after it reaches boiling point – just simmer for about 2 minutes. Overcooking might cause the dish to curdle and lose its taste.

Fajeto

Recipe by Samrudhi MaheshCourse: Lunch, Main course, vegetarian

Servings

3-4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Total time

15

minutes

Fajeto is a Mango Kadhi with array of flavors, you can taste the mangoes, the sweetness, the tanginess from the curd/yogurt and the hint of spices.

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cup fresh/ store bought mango pulp

• 1/3 cup yogurt/ curd

• 3/4 cup water or as required

• 1 and 1/2 tablespoon Ghee

• 4-5 small pieces cinnamon

• 4-5 cloves

• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 8-9 curry leaves

• 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida

• 3 green chilies- chopped

• 3-4 red chillies (optional)

• 1 teaspoon Grated Ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed powder

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1 tablespoon Besan (gram flour – optional : check notes)

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• Salt to taste

• Corriander – to garnish

Directions

• In a bowl add mango pulp, yogurt and water and whisk until smooth. Add to a pan on low heat and keep stirring. This is very important so that the mix does not curdle.
• Add turmeric, coriander seed powder, cumin powder, salt and sugar. Mix and keep stirring until you see the first boil. Remove from the stove.
• In a smaller pan, heat oil and add cinnamon and cloves. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds once clove starts to sizzle. Add asafoetida Add curry leaves, green chilies, grated ginger, red chilies and sauté it for a 30-60 seconds. Pour this sizzling tempering over the kadhi. Mix well. Garnish with cilantro.

Notes

• If you are using Besan, add it in the first step and whisk well. The recipe that my friend shared didn’t use besan but she mentioned that her Nani used besan if she is using the pit in the kadhi and is boiling it for a longer time.
• You can use any mango of your choice. But my friend highly recommends Kesar variety of Mangoes for making Fajeto.
• I have made Fajeto using canned brought Mango Pulp and I was not disappointed. For store brought ones ,I have used Ashoka, and Frooti.
• Adjust the quantity of water and curd that you use, to get the consistency you desire.
• You can do the tempering with either ghee or oil. I prefer it with ghee.
• Do not cook the fajeto too much after it reaches boiling point – just simmer for about 2 minutes. Overcooking might cause the dish to curdle and lose its taste.

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