Radish and Raw/Unripe Mango Galka/Launji

Most of the dishes that have been shared here are either popular in India or commonly known to most of the people in India or may other regions of world. But today I am going to share with y’all the not so very common recipe and known to very few folks native to Northern-India or North-West India like U.P., Rajasthan etc. In some parts Galka is the name for ridge gourd/sponge gourd but here Galka is a conventional name to an accompaniment side dish made with raw/unripe mangoes and radishes. In Rajasthan and other neighboring places, some similar kind of preparation with raw mangoes is called Launji/Lunji but in our maiden Place, the city of Nawabs, Lucknow it is called Galka.

If you were looking for a different and delicious dish/recipe of Mooli/Radish besides usual Mooli-Paratha (flatbread), salad, or pickle then your search ends here with Galka. Add this recipe to the not so vast series of radish recipes.

And again if you were searching for different dish/recipe of mangoes/ unripe mangoes/Amiya, much abundant fruit of the season then add this dish to your mangoes’/Unripe/raw mangoes’ recipes.

Generally the version of Galka that is known or commonly prepared is with Kachcha Aam/raw/unripe mangoes only but this Galka is the recipe of my grand-mom who has been preparing it conventionally with both raw mangoes and radishes. In off-season of mangoes, raw mangoes can be replaced with dried raw mangoes.

Although both ingredients are counter-seasoned ingredients and these days radishes are not so abundant finds in market but trying a search in supermarket may avail them to you easily.

Galka is a side dish but not any curry of raw mangoes. It’s an accompaniment that can be eaten as a substitute to pickle or chutney. It tastes nice with Dal-chawal or as a side dish for any flatbread/Parathas.

That evening I took a note of its recipe from my Grand-mom and proceeded to cook Galka. But you know as per my tendency I couldn’t resist myself from including a variation. I asked her “how about adding some raw mango purée in the jaggery stock/syrup. She was not with that variation and replied that there is no need as such but satiating my inquisitive quirk I finally attempted that variation. I wanted to make that jaggery syrup more tangy. But this one’s is not a huge variation as cubed raw mangoes used there in, themselves suffice to give that tangy flavor to sweet jaggery stock. But if you like more of tangy flavor than sweet in jaggery stock/syrup like me you can add raw mango-puree otherwise skip.

If I come to its taste then it’s lip smacking, it has tender soft radishes having sweet and tangy flavor infused with in, raw mangoes soft mushy with a contrasting jaggery sweetness infused along with their own tartness. Both ingredients are soaked in delectable sweet-sour claret syrup or stock with a slight zest of spicy flavor. Aromatic flavor of Fennel powder along with nutty touch of chironji and sweet raisins serve as icing on the cake.

This Galka can be consumed for 3-4 days keeping it preserved in refrigerator.

Okay so it’s all about my Grand mom’s Radish and Raw/Unripe Mangoes Galka. Let’s quickly have a look at its easy recipe-

 

Recipe

Time Taken- For Preparation-10 min

                       For Cooking- 25-30 min

Servings- 5

Category- Side Dish (Accompaniment dish)

 

Ingredients

Radish- 2 (sliced round of ½ cm thick)

Unripe/Raw Mangoes-6 large (slightly sweetened would serve the purpose good but not too sweet)

Jaggery- 3 blocks (around 150-175g)

Turmeric- ¼ tsp

Red chilli Powder- ½ small/restricted tsp

Roasted Coriander Powder- ¼ small tsp

Fennel Powder- 1 generous tsp

Raisins- 1tbsp +few to garnish

Chironji- 1tbsp +few to garnish

Salt- a pinch

Water- 2 cups

Steps to follow-

1. Slice radishes in round pieces; among 6 raw mangoes, two will be pureed therefore peel all mangoes, cut them in large cubes (Discard Core seeds/stones if they are soft and small. But don’t throw them away if they are hard and some mush is stuck there on while cutting; let that be. They can be used later in the dish. You may find using seeds a bit odd but while cooking when they would absorb flavors of dish, they taste slurpacious licking them). Take portion of two mangoes cubed to get pureed smooth in blender. Put aside these sliced radishes and cubed mangoes along with raw-mangoes’ puree.
2. Take 2 cups of water in a deep vessel/Saucepan to boil. When water starts boiling, put in jaggery and start dissolving. Mash jaggery with back of ladle and dissolve quicker stirring occasionally. (Strain jaggery syrup if any impurities appear and put on flame again)
3. Now add in powdered spices i.e. turmeric, red chilli powder, roasted coriander powder with a pinch of salt. Give all a nice stir.
4. Put in sliced radishes and cubed raw mangoes (including core seeds with some mush on). Let it gets cooked lid closed for 15-20 min or until radish gets tender along with raw mangoes.
5. Now add in raw mangoes’ puree (optional. If omitting, don’t puree the 2 raw mangoes and take them in cubed only) with a sprinkle of fennel powder. Cook for 1-2 min more.
6. Turn off flame and mix raisins & chironji.
7. Serve warm or chilled Radish and Raw mango Galka garnished with few of raisins and chironji.

 

I hope you liked the unique combination of radishes and raw mangoes in such a scrumptious platter. I would really cherish your responses in the forms of sharing be it on Pinterest or Stumbleupon, Google+, Facebook or Twitter. All that would take only a single click on any of the respective buttons. It paves the path of enthusiasm to do more and more well in future.

                         

Submitting it to the WTML event and Shruti’s Rasoi

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