Fajeto | Gujarati Mango Kadhi

A super delicious and refreshing Gujarati summer recipe; this Fajeto or Mango kadhi combines mango juice with the traditional kadhi.

Sweet, savory, sour and super flavorful; this pairs beautifully with steamed rice or Gujarati rotli.

Summer treats are always loved in our household. From chilled fruit based drinks and recipes to those with cooling ingredients like kokum, yogurt, raw mango and so on.

We really these from Spring all the way till it gets pretty chilly. If you are like me, these delicious recipes are worth a try. Sol kadhi, fruit chaat, barley kachumbar, thandai boba and lychee ice cream top our list of favorites!

And when we talk of summer, mangos are difficult to leave out. From the raw mango treats like aam panna and fresh mango pickle to the delicious recipes like mango lassi, mango custard, mango falooda and mango mousse; these scream summer in every bite!

And while we talk of mangos, we cannot forget Gujarat's loved mango recipe; Fajeto.

Jump to:

• What is Fajeto
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Expert Tips and Notes
• Making fajeto without chickpea flour
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage
• Recipe FAQs
• More Yogurt Based Recipes
• Fajeto (Mango Kadhi)

What is Fajeto

The word Fajeto literally means fiasco in Gujarati. This is quite a funny word to name a dish and seems like someone messed up something. But honestly, this recipe does not like a mess up at all. It is a perfect sweet sour dish to enjoy through summer.

Technically this recipe is Gujarati Kadhi; with the addition of 'ras'. Ras is the common name for mango juice in the cuisine. And for sure, mango ras makes everything even better!

This kadhi is made with the traditional ingredients along with mangos. It was actually a perfect way to use up any mango flesh that was stuck to the seeds and peels of the fruit. A frugal recipe, it starts with washing the peels and seeds of mango in water and adding in chickpea flour, yogurt and seasoning to it. After cooking and tempering the kadhi it converts into a magical dish for sure!

However, it is now not very common to wash the peels or seeds. Instead we simply add some mango purée and drop in a couple of mango seeds in the kadhi. And it boils, the mango stuck to the seeds will mix into the kadhi and then we discard the seeds.

Either way, the dish is super delicious with mag ni dal, steamed rice, roti and bhinda batata nu shaak.

Why this recipe works

• Fajeto is super quick to make.
• It is a frugal way to use up the mango flesh stuck on peels and seeds.
• The kadhi pairs beautifully with steamed or jeera rice.
• This is a great summer recipe.
• It is super flavorful yet easy to make.
• This makes a refreshing side and also a drink.
• We only need a handful of ingredients to make this.
• It is easy to put together in under 30 minutes.
• Mangos truly shine in this mango loaded kadhi.
• We can easily make this Vegan or gluten-free if desired.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chickpea Flour: The base for fajeto is chickpea flour or besan. Just like regular kadhi, we use this to thicken the mixture. Moreover, use fresh flour over dated to make the fajeto perfectly flavorful.

• Ripe Mango: There are two options for this in the recipe. Either add some fresh mango purée and a couple of mango seeds to the recipe or use just mango pulp from the store. The traditional recipes uses the former but store bought pulp works just as fine.

• Yogurt: We whisk the chickpea flour with some sour yogurt to make this. It is best to use full fat yogurt for a perfectly creamy consistency. Moreover, if the yogurt is not too sour, add some lemon juice to balance the flavors. Plus, we add some water to get the correct consistency in the whisked yogurt.

• Ginger chili paste: To bring in some spice, we can add grated ginger, freshly pounded green chili and garlic or a paste of ginger and green chili. Either of these are great.

• Tempering: I like to temper the fajeto with ghee. Whole spices like cinnamon stick, dried red chili, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and asafetida are great to add. Plus, some fresh green chili and curry leaves work.

• Spices: We only need some basic spices in the recipe. Salt, a hint of jaggery or sugar (optional), turmeric powder and some red chili powder are perfect in the recipe.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- In a bowl add chickpea flour, yogurt and water.

2- Whisk well using a hand blender or a blender till smooth.

3- Add in the ginger chili paste, salt, turmeric powder, red chili and jaggery. Mix well.

4- Then add mango purée and the mango seeds. Whisk one last time and start heating on medium flame.

5- Keep stirring and cook the mixture on medium flame for 15-20 minutes. The mix will start to thicken in a few minutes. Keep stirring so there are no lumps.

6- Once the mixture is thick, turn the flame to low and let the fajeto simmer.

7- Then heat ghee in a small pan.

8- Once hot, add the tempering ingredients and let them pop.

9- Once these pop, transfer the tempering to the thickened fajeto.

10- Mix well and boil for another couple of minutes.

11- Turn down the flame and add the cilantro leaves. Also add lemon juice (if using) and mix well. Remove the mango seeds from the fajeto.

12- Then serve with hot steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.

Expert Tips and Notes

• Using sour yogurt: The taste of fajeto is best when we use sour yogurt to make it. Regular plain yogurt will make it pretty bland. To make the yogurt sour, keep the container on the counter for a couple of hours. If the yogurt is still not sour, add a spoon of sour cream while whisking the yogurt or some lemon juice to the fajeto once it is prepared.

• To make a Jain version: The only ingredient we need to eliminate here is ginger. Leave that out and you get a Jain version of fajeto. Substitute with dried ginger (saunth) if you consume that or leave it out completely.

• Using the right mango purée: Make fajeto with ripe mangos. Unripe mangos will make it extra sour and over ripe mangos make it smell different. Ensure that the mango purée is not fibrous. If it is, strain and use it to get a smooth consistency. Also, if it is too thick, balance the water to get the right consistency. Do not forget to adjust the spices as well.

• Adding the Tempering: Add the tempering only once the fajeto is hot and boiling. Add it to cold kadhi may split the yogurt and not result in a creamy texture.

• Making the recipe Vegan: Simply swap the dairy based yogurt for a non-dairy one and use oil instead of ghee in the recipe to make it Vegan. All the ingredients are Vegan friendly.

• Making fajeto free from gluten: Ensure that pure asafetida (not with any added flour) is used in the tempering. That way the recipe will be free from gluten.

Making fajeto without chickpea flour

Chickpea flour or besan is the traditional ingredient in all kinds of kadhi recipes including this fajeto. However, to eliminate this, add some corn starch whisked with water to make the base. The color and texture will be slightly different but it works well.

Another variation is to make fajeto without any added flour. To make this, simply leave out the chickpea flour. The resultant fajeto is far thinner but super flavorful with all the mango in it. It is more like a drink to serve in a glass rather than with rice. It is great warm or chilled.

Serving Suggestions

Traditionally fajeto is served with a host of Gujarati recipes in a thali. It is great with mag ni dal, steamed rice, roti and bhinda batata nu shaak.

Given that this is an easy swap for dal or kadhi, it is great with some jeera rice, parathas, any dry everyday sukhi sabji and some barley salad.

Make a spicy pulao or biryani and enjoy this slightly sweet and tangy fajeto for a meal if you like.

Storage

Fajeto is a yogurt based kadhi and is best enjoyed just after making. It tends to thicken as it stands.

We can store it for a day in a lidded container in the refrigerator. To reheat it, add some water to compensate for the thickened part and heat through. Often times, it is great to add another round of tempering and some fresh cilantro to bring back freshness and consume it within a day.

I would not recommend freezing this kadhi as the texture and consistency simply do not come back on thawing.

Recipe FAQs

More Yogurt Based Recipes