This past week, Michael Tolani (of Loupe Digital Studio), the computer guru who manages this site, presented me with some presents made by his mom, Neeta.  And, oh, my gosh! what presents he brought – Mango Murba and 2 Mango Achaars, one mild and sour (or so the jar read) and one HOT along a package of home made koki, a dense, slightly spicy East Indian flat bread.  The murba reminded me somewhat of that supermarket staple, Major Grey’s Chutney, BUT, of course much, much better with lots of mango chunks in a sweet jammy syrup.  The achaars (or pickle) were entities unto themselves.  Once you tasted them you could imagine using them in a myriad of ways not only as a condiment or for koki dipping.

As you can see from the label of the mild and sour achaar, our friend Lynn challenged Neeta’s palate and scratched out the mild and sour and added HOT in big letters.  Apparently the South Asian palate is a bit more attuned to the subtleties of spice than that of a Wisconsinite of Norwegian heritage (just remember Norwegians eat lutefisk, a dish that can ruin Grandma’s sterling silver should it be served on it).

We absolutely devoured these treats all weekend.  First, we used the koki for dipping in the condiments with cocktails.  Then, we used it in various guises as salad dressing, on toast, to season veggies, and my most favorite discovery as a marinade for quail.  I had planned to make an old favorite – Red Devil Quail – on the grill but the mild and sour achaar combined with a bit of olive oil and garlic gave rise to a new taste sensation.  Thank you Neeta for making us all so happy!