For Gujaratis and other Indians, Mango is just not a fruit, it’s an emotion. Once mango season is in full swing, so many mango recipes are made in kitchens. When no mixers or blenders were in Indian kitchens, the older generation had their own techniques to juice the mangoes. Especially for making Keri no Ras (translates as mango pulp).
What is Fajeto?
Usually, Fajeto is prepared during the summer season and served the end of a meal to help calm down the stomach after a spicy meal in Gujarati households. Basically, this recipe was invented to prevent any waste from the mango. Mango is an expensive fruit so the idea was to extract as much fruit as possible. Fajeto is different to Mango Kadhi Mango Kadhi is a savoury dish made with gram flour and yogurt. It is a soup that is consumed with a meal in similarity to Gujarati Kadhi. Fajeto is a beverage enjoyed after a meal and is made with yogurt and mango pulp alone. There is a lot of misinformation on the internet which states that mango kadhi and fajeto are the same recipe. They are not. More Mango recipes: Mango and Mixed Nuts Eggless Biscotti | Mango Shrikhand Fajeto is made with mango pulp either directly from the mango seed or using ready made pulp. In the olden days, it was made by washing out mango skin and seeds from which the majority of pulp was removed. Spices and sweeteners were added to this mango water and a mild tempering made on top. In my Mum’s recipe below, we simply use ready made mango pulp and thin it out with water. If you can’t find fresh mango, use canned mango pulp.
Ingredients
mango pulp thick water beaten mild yogurt salt to taste crushed green chillies and ginger sugar or jaggery hing ( asafoetida ) dry ginger powder ( Soonth no powder ) Tempering oil mustard seeds dried red chilli Few curry leaves Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing
How to make Authentic Fajeto
In a big saucepan mix mango pulp, water, salt, jaggery and crushed chilli ginger.Heat this mixture on a medium heat for 4-5 minutes.Turn off the heat and leave it to cool for a bit.Then add beaten yogurt and mix well.Now prepare the tempering by heating oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves and dried red chilli. Once it crackles add it into the prepared fajeto.Add dried ginger powder, mix well and let it cool at the room temperature.Serve in a glass, garnished with coriander leaves.
