Mandi (Vendakkai Mochai Mandi)
This is a Chettinad special curry or side dish (as it can be used as both) which for sure will find its place in all special lunch served in chettinad. As it won’t get spoiled fast it is taken as side dish for picnics. My brother is a big fan of this curry but I have not bothered even to taste that till I myself prepared it. As ladies finger and potato will be seen as pieces along with long green chilies without any color to the gravy, I thought the taste also will also not be great.
For a long time this recipe is due from my side as some of my readers are eager to know about this dish, and I was little hesitant to write about this as I have never prepared this. For my readers sake I got the recipe from my mother and thought I will try 2 or 3 times and when it comes good I will blog the recipe. To my surprise it was awesome in my first trial itself. As I didn’t take the snaps first time, I had to make it again to write about it. This time also I made it very good. My daughter just loved it and started asking me why I never prepared this. Thanks to my readers as I found out another dish which my child loves. Each vegetable in the mandi got all the 3 tastes (salt, sour, hot) and tasted excellent with curd rice and the little gravy in the dish was also excellent.
The main difference in this curry to the other curries we make is that, we use green chilies instead of chili powder for the hot taste. Instead of water we use ‘Arisi Mandi’( the water we get while washing rice) for making the gravy. I guess it is this water which gives so much taste to the gravy. If we prepare this dish on days in which we soak rice for idly we can get thick mandi. (I used just the water taken from 1 ½ cups of rice).
For taking the water, just wash rice once, pour of the water and soak the rice in two cups of water for 5 minutes then drain the water and keep aside.
Mandi it is said can be made using all vegetables but I guess this combination will be the best since I have seen only these vegetables usually .If mochai is not there also no problem.I didnt soak the mochai the previous day,so made the curry without that.There was not much difference in taste
Ingredients
Ladies finger-6
Small onion-20
Garlic-15 pods
Tomato-1
Green chillies-4 to 5
Potato-1
Arisi Mandi-2 cups
Mochai(white one)-a hand full(It should be soaked overnight)
Tamarind-a small piece (as shown in the snap)
If you have Manga vathal soak 5 vathals in hot water and add while adding mochai to the curry. In that case reduce the amount of tamarind used.
Method
Pressure cook mochai for 1 whistle and keep aside. Keep the kadai in the stove. In 2 teaspoon oil season with little mustard, curry leaf and fennel seeds. Add the chilies, chopped onion and garlic pieces and sauté for 2 minutes. Now add the ladies finger and sauté nicely for another 3 minutes. After this add the tomato, mochai and potato pieces, put little turmeric powder and pour 1 ½ cups of Arisi mandi and cook in medium flame. When the potato pieces are cooked add the salt and tamarind soaked in ½ cup of Arisi mandi. Let the mixture boil for 3 minutes after tamarind is added. The curry should be semi solid (neither too watery nor too thick).If you are going to keep it for a day without refrigeration then don’t use tomatoes
22 comments:
Nice recipe...and presentation...pic looks yummy solai
I was looking for this Mandi for a long time. Thanks for posting.
Hi malar,
i'm from devakottai,near karaikudi..Its a delight to see all the chetinnad recipes posted in ur site..awesome and i appreciate it..Keep up the good work.-Vani
Hi Solai,
I'm blogging your Mandi as a model recipe in the one page cookbook 1001 Chettinadu Vegetarian curries at http://ramkicooks.blogspot.com/
/Thanks for the recipe
Dear Solai
What is mochai? I am sorry, but I am not familiar with some of the terms.
Annapurna
Dear Solai
what is mochai? I am sorry I am not familiar with some of the terms.
hello aachi
i m from trhiruppathur near karaikudi. now i m in us.i m so glad tht i fount ur blog. i m glad to c all my favoright receipe. pls post ukra receipe also
Hello aunty,
I made this dish yester night and had it along with curd rice. When mom use to cook these sorta things, i said i wouldn't eat this n that.. i limited myself to 3 or 4 dishes till my higher secondary.. only when i was doing my coll, i strted eating some variety dishes that mom cooked... But, now only I'm feeling how good it really tastes.. (Similar case for Raja sir songs @ my young age, i use to wonder what the hell is there in that song n y ppl r always listening to it).. BTW, as we don't get small onions here, i made it with large onion. Still, it tasted good.
Bala
Goshh - Only people who lived in the Karaikudi/Devakottai/Chettinad area will know how precious Mandi is. I was so thrilled to see the recipe here. This was my favorite during my Hostel days in KKdi. Great work on the authenticity of the Chettinad recipes and keep up your great work.
I went to college in Karaikudi and married into Vriddhachalam (close to Neyveli)! If there is one thing I never missed about home, while I was in hostel, it was the food, because Chettinad food and the local cooks in the hostel were just so awesome. However, being a vegetarian, I am sure I did not get the full mileage of Chettinad flavors. I am so happy to have found your website and intend to try atleast some of the recipes.
Maam, it'd be helpful if you could post a recipe on "Maanga Mandi". I love that recipe wen my mom makes it... Miss that a lot...
Hi achi,
I am a great fan of chettinadu cooking.....and i used to search for chettinad receipes....so happy to see your blog.....surely going to try your receipes....thanks a lot for your lovely work and expecting more chettinad authentic dishes from you.....
hello aachi, for pongal i want to know how to make the kola maavu? I usually grind rice and put but it is not at all bright. My mom used to use the tablet. It used to be so nice to see it after it dries. Can you tell me how to make that tablet?
Valliappan,Are you in India?.If so soak nice white raw rice for an
hour.Grind it nicely in grinder or mixie.Pour the batter on to thick
news paper to absorb the water content.Make small small balls make it little flat.Dry it in sun.store it in a container.Use whenever needed
by dissolving in water.
Ma'am, is the arisi mandi taken the first time or the 2nd time after removing the impurities?
Madhu,Mandi is the water collected after removing the impurities once.
thanks for the instant reply Aachi... Wil definitely try this recipe... I used to hog this with curd rice.. :P
Tried this Mandi today for lunch, Aachi. The taste is so heavenly, just like my mother's preparation. But, I couldn't understand why You have told to add tomatoes after adding the chopped ladysfingers. May I know the reason, Aachi?
I tried this mandi for lunch, did not turn out to be a wow. I feel cos the quantity of my mandi for less. Still i was a good and new dish to me.
Hello aunty,
We tried this out,it came well,it has a very special bland taste to it,it's unique,never had like this before,the combination always tastes great,thank you,
Skl
Another version of mandi .... 1 x potato, 1 x carrot, 2 x green chili , 1 x brinjal (katrikai)
(murungaikai or valaikai if available)
it will be the best mandi you could ever taste. Biting onto the chili gives an amazing flavor ...
cooking method is the same !!
I Cannot thank you enough for this blog. It is one of the most useful Indian cooking sites on the net.
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