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Kancha aam makha
কাঁচা আম মাখা (kancha aam makha): sour green mango tossed with salt, chilli, sugar and mustard oil
Outside every school gate in Bangladesh during the hot months, a vendor with a glass box on his cart sells green mango makha: unripe mango sliced paper-thin and squeezed by hand with salt, sugar, chilli and a splash of mustard oil, handed over in a cone of newspaper with a toothpick. Makha means mixed by hand, and the hand matters, as the squeezing bruises the mango so it softens and drinks in the seasoning. It tastes sour, sweet, salty and hot all at once, with the sharp nose-burn of raw mustard oil, and it is eaten as an afternoon snack in April and May, especially around Pohela Boishakh. Slicing the mango too thick is the error that leaves it hard and bland in the middle. Chef's tip: stir in a spoon of kasundi, Bengali mustard relish, for the version the street sellers call kasundi makha.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 green (unripe) mangoesabout 500 g, peeled and very thinly sliced or grated
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 /4 tsp black salt
- 1 ½ tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 green chilliesfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 1 tbsp kasundi (Bengali mustard sauce) (optional)
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Put 2 green (unripe) mangoes in a bowl with 1 tsp salt, 1 /4 tsp black salt, 1 ½ tbsp sugar and 1 tsp chilli flakes and squeeze and mix with your hand for 1–2 minutes until the mango softens and gives out some juice.
3 minStep 2: Add 2 green chillies, 1 tbsp mustard oil, 2 tbsp fresh coriander and 1 tbsp kasundi (Bengali mustard sauce) and mix again.
Step 3: Taste for sugar and salt and eat straight away, while it is still crisp.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kancha aam makha take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of black salt?
- Ordinary salt, same amount (loses the tangy, sulphurous note).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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