Happy Labor Day everyone! Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved this long weekend. For many kids and adults, it means going back to school and marks the end of the summer. There was always something exciting about going shopping with my mom for back-to-school clothes, a new book bag, and freshly sharpened pencils. In university it often meant a brand new course schedule and professors, undiscovered textbooks, and exciting possibilities. Before long, the leaves would begin to turn color and hearty soups and stews would appear on mom’s stove. If you’re not quite ready for the summer to be over, I completely understand. In fact, with temperatures expected to be well over 86F/30C in New York City this week, it hardly feels like the summer is over. As bumper crops of tomatoes, zucchini, and corn hit their peak and we start to see crisp, tart apples in the market, there are plenty of ways to transition your dinner table from summer to fall in a slow and lazy way like a long, cool nap on a hot summer afternoon…that we will miss come November. This recipe is a perfect transition recipe. It’s a light South Indian ‘huli’ (also called ‘rasam’ or ‘sambar’) that stews red lentils together with ripe mango, and gently combines classic South Indian flavors like turmeric, tamarind, and coconut, tempered with black mustard seeds.

Mango Huli (Stewed Lentils and Mangoes with Turmeric, Tamarind, and Coconut)

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 slightly ripe mango,  cut into small chunks with skin left on
• 3 cups of cool water, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or red chilli powder
• Dash of cinnamon
• Dash of black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon tamarind concentrate OR 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dried, unsweetened coconut powder

For tempering

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• Kari patha (optional)
• Pinch of asafetida, also called ‘hing’ (optional)

Preparation

1. Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add red lentils and cook until they’re just done, about 10 minutes.
2. In another smaller saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to boil. Reduce the heat. Add mango pieces and the rest of the ingredients (except for tempering ingredients). Cook for 10 minutes or until the mango is cooked and the pieces are soft but still retain their shape. Combine the mango with the cooked lentils.
3. For tempering: in a small non-stick frying pan, add canola oil and black mustard seeds on low-to-medium heat and cover tightly with a lid or cover. You will hear the mustard seeds begin to pop, it will sound like popcorn. As soon as you don’t hear anything, turn of the heat, and pour the contents gently over the lentils and mango. Fold to combine. *If you have kari path leaves and asafetida, as soon as the mustard seeds stop popping, hold the skillet away from the heat and add them, swirling to mix them (or use a wooden spoon), then proceed as described.
4. Serve as a soup or over steamed basmati rice.