This is another recipe that I came up with green almonds. Slice the green almonds thin and add them to tomato-basil sauce and pasta. When lightly cooked, green almonds have a wonderful flavor and texture, providing quite a different experience from the raw ones. For those of you new to green almonds, this is how I’d describe Green almond’s taste profile:

Outer green skin: Bitter and sour, like how it tastes when you bite into an olive.

The middle white part: Sour and sweet, like tender green mango.

The inner undeveloped almond seed part: Sweet and jelly like, similar to toddy palm seeds (Taati munjalu).

Green Almonds

Green Almond Pasta

1 teaspoon peanut oil or ghee
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced green almonds (like shown in the photo above)
2 cups mixed vegetables like carrot, zucchini, peas and corn
2 cups tomato-basil sauce
salt and chilli powder – to taste
Whole wheat pasta – enough to serve for four

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook to al-dente. Drain and keep aside.

In a large pan, sauté the onion in oil or ghee until translucent.
Add the green almonds and vegetables. Saute until tender for 5 minutes.
Stir in tomato-basil sauce, salt and chilli powder.
Cover the pan and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
Add the cooked pasta to the simmering sauce. Toss the ingredients well. Serve hot.

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

Green Almond Pasta ~ Meal Today

Finely Chopped Green Almonds, Green Mango, and Black Peppercorn

Today’s recipe is inspired by yesterday’s thought (post) . Green almonds and Green mango sounded like a natural pair. Before the idea expired, I had to try the combination. Green almonds and green mango were cut to small pieces. Black pepper and salt were added. When I had a taste, the flavor combination tasted awesome. Unripe almonds and unripe mango complemented each other without overwhelming and overpowering each other’s sweet and sour qualities. Parents also liked this simple, oil-free salad and praised the good ruchi.

Oil-Free Salad with Green Almonds and Green Mango
(makes about 4 half cup servings)

12 green almonds
1 small green mango
6 peppercorn
1/4 teaspoon salt

Wash the green almonds. Trim the edges and finely cut them to tiny pieces.

Peel the green mango skin. Cut and remove the seed. Finely chop the mango to tiny pieces.

Take peppercorn and salt in a mortar. Pound to coarse powder.

Put the chopped almonds and mango in a bowl. Sprinkle the pepper-salt powder. Combine and serve.

© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.

Oil Free Salad with Green Almonds and Green Mango ~ Meal Today

Green Almonds

Green almonds (Hara Badam) are a rare and raw delicacy in India. I was very happy to see these precious gems again here in Houston at an Indian grocery shop. For us, like I mentioned they are a rare and raw delicacy. Short season and high price makes them a treat. We usually cut the green almond to half lengthwise, sprinkle salt and eat. Skin, seed and all. The sweetness of green almond has a delicate quality to it. Like the valley’s mist in early morning, the sweetness is ethereal and enthralling. You know the vadu manga? Very tender, bud size unripe mango, which is baby sweet with adult sourness just palpable. Green almond’s flavor is almost like that. They are really a delight, and I enjoy them greatly.