By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

New Delhi, Jun 2 (IANSlife): Food connects the dots of life like nothing else. With the onset of summers, tangy and sweet mangoes and nutty coconuts are great for pickles, chutneys, murabbas and jams of all sorts.

Neha Mathur, a dentist by profession and a founder of WhiskAffair by passion shares the 'Hing Ka Achar' and slightly pinkish in colour 'Solkadhi' recipes that deeply connects with her childhood memories:

Hing ka Achar

Ingredients:

2.5 kg Raw Mango

½ kg Salt

50 g Hing

200 g Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder

Method:

Wash the mangos and wipe them with a kitchen cloth.

Peel the mangoes and cut them into thin slices.

Spread the mango slices on a clean cloth and let them dry for 2-3 hours.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

Transfer the pickle in clean glass jars and keep in strong sun for 3-4 days.

Bring the jars inside and keep them for another 10-12 days.

The pickle is ready to serve after 12-15 days of making.

Solkadhi

Ingredients:

15-20 pieces of dried kokum

1 cup grated fresh coconut

salt to taste

½ inch piece of ginger (chopped)

1 teaspoon chopped green chili peppers

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Instructions:

Rinse 15-20 pieces of dried kokum lightly with water. Soak them in a cup of hot water for 30 minutes. Mash the soaked kokum nicely in the water and squeeze with your palms. Discard the pulp. The color of the solkadhi will depend on the quality of kokum used. It ranges from brownish to dark pinkish.

Add 1 cup grated fresh coconut to a blender along with ½ inch piece of ginger (chopped) and 1 tsp chopped green chili pepper. Add 1 cup of water and blend to make a smooth paste.

Strain the coconut mixture using a fine mesh strainer to get thick coconut milk.

Transfer the leftover coconut pulp back to the blender. Add another cup of water and blend again for 8-10 seconds. Strain again to get thin coconut milk.

Add thick and thin coconut milk and kokum water to a large non-reactive mixing bowl or jug.

Add salt to taste, 1 tbsp chopped cilantro, and a cup of water, and mix well. Solkadhi is ready. Chill it for a few hours before serving. If you want to serve it right away, add a few ice cubes to the serving glasses.