Cherry Umman – hot, tangy dipping curry (Vegan + Gluten Free)

Whenever we have boiled cassava (see note) for breakfast, my children ask for cherry umman as the side dish. I am only too glad to comply as it takes less than 15 minutes to make this marvelous dipping curry.

Cherry Umman

So I hasten to the acerola cherry bush to look for ripe, red acerola cherries. You can have cherry umman as a wonderful side dish to baked or mashed potatoes, to rice, or as a dipping curry for dosas.

Boiled cassava with Cherry Umman

Acerola cherries (also called Barbados, West Indian, Wild Crepe Myrtle cherries, Malpighia Emarginata) are so rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that they are excellent for good health, the more so, as they can be grown fully organic, without any pesticides.

Acerola cherries / Barbados cherries / West Indian cherries / Wild Crepe Myrtle cherries / Malpighia Emarginata

Be sure to try this tangy, yummy, pickle-like curry and enjoy!

Print Recipe

Cherry Umman Yum

Delicious hot and sour acerola cherry dipping curry, prepared the Konkani way.

Cuisine

Fusion, Konkani

Cook Time

15 minutes

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 500 gm acerola cherries (ripe)
• 35 gm medium hot green chilies
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 15 ml coconut oil
• 2 gm mustard seeds
• 1 gm fenugreek seeds
• 15 gm Kashmiri chili powder
• 1 gm turmeric powder
• 1 gm asafoetida powder
• 20 gm salt
• 500 ml water

Cuisine Fusion, Konkani Cook Time 15 minutes Servings servings Ingredients 500 gm acerola cherries (ripe) 35 gm medium hot green chilies 1 sprig curry leaves 15 ml coconut oil 2 gm mustard seeds 1 gm fenugreek seeds 15 gm Kashmiri chili powder 1 gm turmeric powder 1 gm asafoetida powder 20 gm salt 500 ml water

Instructions

1. Put the cherries in a curry vessel or sauce pan.
2. Slit the green chilies lengthwise on one side and tip them in.
3. Add the chili powder, the turmeric powder and the salt.
4. Pour in the water and set on high heat.
5. As soon as the curry comes to a boil, lower the heat and cover partially with a lid.
6. Stir occasionally and let the cherries cook for 5 minutes. Now switch off the heat.
7. Set a skillet on low heat. Pour in the coconut oil and throw in the mustard seeds.
8. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish crackling, throw in the fenugreek seeds.
9. As the fenugreek seeds start bursting, pull the curry leaves off their sprigs and put them in.
10. Tip in the asafoetida powder and switch off the heat.
11. Stir once and empty the contents of the skillet into the curry. Stir and cover with a lid to trap the flavors.
12. Your ultra-delicious, hot and tangy cherry umman is ready to serve. Enjoy with hot boiled cassava (see note), with baked potatoes or with dosas, or just as a side dish to rice.

Recipe Notes

To boil 2 kilos of cassava (chendan kappa in Malayalam), wash, peel, wash again, drain and chop roughly into chunks of around 5  cm (2-inches) size. Put them in a pressure cooker. Pour in enough water to completely immerse the chunks. Tip in 15 gm. of salt, put on the lid and set on high heat. As soon as you hear the first whistle, lower the heat and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Switch off the heat and let the steam cool and subside naturally. Open the cooker and drain off the broth. Serve the hot cassava with delicious cherry umman and enjoy!