Avnaas Amba Saasam | Pineapple and Mango Coconut Curry (Vegan)

 Avnaas Ambe Saasam is a south Indian Konkani Style curry with pineapples and mango chunks in a sweet, spicy and tangy coconut-mustard gravy, traditionally served as a side dish with rice and dal or enjoyed as a dessert too!

This is one of the first dishes we prepare when mangoes start to flood the market! With pineapples available year round, and with the advent of mangoes, this  is a tangy, spicy and sweet tropical-feel dish that is looked forward to during all festivals and weddings as a gourmet addition to any meal!

With summer almost upon us, the grocery aisles are beginning to be stocked with a variety of juicy, sweet mangoes (called “ambo” in Konkani)! Every variety has a different flavor and texture and sometimes it is difficult to choose!

Coming from the coastal town of Mangalore in south India, I have grown up feasting on these tropical delights during the summers!

There is such a surplus of mangoes that besides gorging on them fresh, we end up making a plethora of mango based dishes like ambe upkari (mango curry), mango gojju (pureed mangoes with a spicy touch) and the quintessential favorite of all of us, Avnaas Ambe Saasam which is traditionally served at all festivals and weddings along with a special place on the dinner table when guests arrive!

Saasam is a coconut based curry with a dash of mustard seeds or as we call it “saasam” (in Konkani, our language) blended into them along with just a couple of dry red chillies giving it a unique flavor. Like any traditional Konkani coconut masala curry, tamarind is not added as pineapple lends the tanginess or sour element to the dish.

Jaggery is added to sweeten the whole mixture. Traditionally, chunks of fresh pineapple are mixed in with jusicy and sweet mango cubes in coconut gravy. But in our house, we cook the pineapple along with jaggery, let it cool and then add the mangoes and coconut masala giving the pineapples a wonderful texture and flavor!

Tempering it with mustard seeds and curry leaves in coconut oil is optional.

If you are short on time, you can stir in fresh pineapple chunks into the coconut gravy along with the mangoes. Most houses prefer to follow this method.

With Ugadi or New Year’s Day for people in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh (in India), coming up, I decided to share this simple but exotic and festive Mangalorean delight to my gourmet Facebook group Healthy WellthyCuisines for the theme #UgadiSpecial where you an check out other awesome Ugadi specials too!

So, head on to the kitchen and churn this tropical and exotic dish for Ugadi or any day for that matter and enjoy it as a side dish!  It is easy, needs few ingredients, not much cooking involved and tastes amazing!

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Pineapple and Mango Coconut Curry | Avnaas Amba Saasam |

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Serving Size: 4

A south Indian Konkani Style curry with pineapples and mango chunks in a sweet, spicy and tangy coconut-mustard gravy, traditionally served as a side dish with rice and dal or enjoyed as a dessert too!

Ingredients

• 2 cups pineapple chunks
• 2 mangoes, peeled and cut into cubes (the sweet variety)
• ¼ cup black raisins
For the coconut masala:
• ¾ cup grated coconut (fresh or frozen)
• 2 dry red chillies, roasted
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
Other ingredients:
• 1/2 cup jaggery (unrefined cane or palm sugar) or to taste
• Pinch of salt
• Green or black grapes (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel and chop pineapples into bite-sized pieces.
2. Transfer to a saucepan with water enough to cover it and bring to a boil.
3. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered until slightly cooked.
4. Add jaggery to taste as well as a pinch of salt (to balance the flavors), mix well and cook for a few more minutes until the jaggery has dissolved and the pineapple mixture is slightly thick.
5. Remove from heat and let cool completely. At this stage, once it is cooled, you can refrigerate until you are ready to add the mango and coconut masala and serve.
To make the coconut masala:
6. In a blender jar, make a smooth paste of grated (fresh or frozen) coconut, red chillies (do not add more than 2) and mustard seeds.
7. Just before serving, stir in chopped mango pieces along with raisins (or grapes) and coconut-mustard masala into the cooked and cooled pineapple; mix well. Adjust the taste and consistency of the gravy to your preference. It is generally serve slightly thick.
8. Cooked pineapple will have some gravy so adjust accordingly.
9. Serve chilled or at room temperature; store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Notes

Another popular version is adding the pineapple uncooked. If you are short on time, you can make the saasam with uncooked pineapple too.

Do not add more red chillies as the curry may become too spicy. It is amazing how just only one or two red chillies can spice up this mixture.

When mangoes are not in season, you can make this dish with chopped apples and grapes or use frozen or canned mango chunks.

For more flavor, you can season the dish with mustard and curry leaves in coconut oil; totally optional.

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Some more mango treats you can check out:

Mango Sheera/Mango Semolina Pudding

Ambe Upkari/Mango Curry

Creamy Mango Sorbet

Check out the other awesome Ugadi specials shared by HealthyWellthyCuisines: Gulab Nariyal Ladoos |  Puran Poli | Makhana Jaggery Payasam | Puliyogara/Tamarind Rice

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