Ingredients

• 2 green, unripe mangoes, peeled and sliced (2 cups)
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
• 4 Indian or Thai green chiles, halved lengthwise
• 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
• 3 cloves garlic, cut into thin matchsticks
• 3 Tbsp coconut vinegar or white vinegar
• 1½ tsp salt
• 3 cups coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1½ tsp black mustard seeds
• 4 dried red chiles, snapped in half
• 20 curry leaves
• Fried Onions for garnish (optional)
• Basmati Rice to serve

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine mangoes, shallots, green chiles, ginger, garlic, vinegar, and salt and mix well. Set aside for 2 hours.
2. In a large saucepan, combine mango mixture and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until mangoes are softened.
3. Have a splash guard and measured spices nearby. Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat until nearly smoking. Immediately reduce heat to medium. (You can test the heat of the oil by dropping in a couple of seeds. The oil is at the correct temperature when the seeds crackle, but do not burn.) Add mustard seeds and temper for a few seconds, until they stop popping. (Cover with the splash guard, if needed.) Add red chiles and curry leaves and cook for 15–20 seconds. Add the tempered spice mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine.
4. Garnish with fried onions (if using). Serve with rice.
5. Tempering is a traditional method of extracting optimal flavor from Indian spices, and it is a skill learned with practice! Reducing the heat a little before adding the spices prevents the spices from burning and adding a bitterness to your dish. If they do burn, simply start again with fresh spices.