Feb 26, 2009

Naralachi amba wadi

Mangoes are hard to come by in this part of the country, and there are times when you just crave for that divine taste of the Alphonso mango. So when we spotted a can of Alphonso mango pulp it was hard to resist. And from there began the quest to make the perfect Amba wadi. But then we could not find any khava, and making some at home even with (cow's) whole milk would have been difficult. Hence the improvised Naralachi Amba Wadi for those of us who want the taste, but cannot find all the ingredients.

Ingredients
  • 2 cups mango pulp
  • 2 cups grated coconut (as finely grated as possible)
  • 1/4 cup condensed milk
  • 1 small potato (mashed)
  • 2-3 tbs ghee
  • A pinch of cardamom
Method

Heat 2-3 tbs of ghee in a skillet and add a pinch of cardamom to it. Then add 2 cups of grated coconut and fry it for a minute. Add the mango pulp and condensed milk and mix it in well. The condensed milk gives the wadi a semblance of khava, and is an attempt to fool the senses. Now add the mashed potato and fold it in. The potato will act as a base to hold the wadi together which has a lot of liquid in the form of mango pulp. Since the mango pulp and condensed milk are usually sweetened, it is not necessary to add any more sugar to the wadi.

Keep stirring continuously on medium heat to keep it from sticking to the skillet and speeding the drying process. The mixture needs to be reduced until the spatula stands in it. You can feel the mixture getting heavier and difficult to stir as it thickens.

Now spread out the mixture on a greased cookie tray or plate. I like to line the tray with aluminium foil to avoid greasing, and also because it makes cleaning so much more easier. Spread out the mixture evenly while it is still warm and allow it to cool down completely before cutting. Cut the mixture into squares of your desired serving size. Always store the wadi in a fridge. The wadi, especially straight out of the fridge, makes an extremely satisfying snack or mini dessert.