Green Apple Pachadi

We Malayalees have very few festivals when compared to the rest of the country, and Onam is one of them. Like any Indian festival there is always food involved in the celebration and we too had a modest sadhya (feast) at home, with a couple of friends.

A few tart green apples have been sitting on my kitchen counter for over a week and  when the menu planning for the sadhya was going on, I told my husband that I might make apple pickle instead of the traditional mango pickle. He wasn’t too thrilled about the idea because he loves the mango pickle I make. The idea was in the back of my head when we went shopping, and to his joy, the store had fresh mangoes. With the mango safely in the shopping basket, he happily says, “Why not make both?”

Anyway, on the day of the sadhya, I was contemplating about making a pachadi with okra when he suggested making it with the apples instead. I thought it was a brilliant idea and the result…an absolutely delicious pachadi, with crunchy apple pieces and a mild pungency of the ground mustard. Here’s what I did.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

Chopped green apple – ¼ cup

Grated coconut – 3 tbsps

Mustard seeds – 2 tsps

Curd – 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Method

Grind together the coconut and mustard seeds to make a smooth paste. Remove into a bowl, add salt, and curd. Mix well to combine.

Add the chopped apples and mix.

Though I served it at room temperature for the sadhya, I realized that it actually tastes better chilled. So you could make this ahead and enjoy with a sadhya or simply with rotis. Tastes great either way. Bon Appètit.

 

Note: Raw mustard has a slightly pungent taste, which some people may not savor.