Share
Oranges are one of the most underutilised fruits in cooking. Treated as more of a snacking fruit or a starting point for your morning juice, the recipes that really hero the potential of the citrus are few and far between. There are a few exceptions such as the French Crepe Suzette but in Indian cuisine, there are very few places where oranges are the star of the dish and even fewer where it's used in a savoury setting.
Over in Nepal however, they’ve found a way to integrate the tangy fruit into a beautifully balanced dish called the Suntala Sadeko. Spices and citrus converge in this unique dish made with sour curd, oranges and a typically Nepali spice blend. Sour oranges are preferred for this dish to really shine and a mix of different types can lend the dish an even more interesting finish. When pomelos are in season, the dish is often made with them instead of oranges and is then called Bhogatey Sadeko.
This dish is treated much in the same way we’d treat a chaat like dahi papdi in India. It’s a snack for any time of the day and is valued for its freshness and complexity of flavours. If you’re looking for a healthy but exotic snack option, this is sure to excite your tastebuds.
Ingredients
- 4 oranges
- 2 mandarins
- 1 ½ cups curd
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame paste
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- Salt to taste
Method:
- Peel the oranges and mandarins cut each segment in half and remove all the seeds.
- In a bowl mix the curd, sesame paste, chilli powder, salt and sugar. Add the chopped oranges and mandarins to this mixture.
- In a pan, heat up the mustard oil and when hot, fry the fenugreek seeds until they’re slightly charred, add the turmeric powder and immediately pour the mixture over the fruit.
- Serve immediately.
