Pickle season is usually during the summers in India. As Pickle is part of Indian diet , many enterprising homemakers make pickles when the ingredients are available in season. As Mango is abundant in summer , the raw mangoes are made into pickle. Usually special variety of mangoes are used to make pickle. These are fibrous and a little sour . They are available during the month of April and May . So a variety of pickles are made from them. Basically Avakkai belongs to Andhra cuisine , however due to its taste its popular in other parts of India , too .
The procedure is very simple too. If you are making pickle in huge quantities , cut mangoes in the market, where it is being purchased. If they are bought in smaller quantities , then you can cut them at home . Get a sharp knife ready as for this pickle ,as the mango kernel too needs to be is cut . You could chop them to 2 to 3 inch sizes.
They are dried in the hot sun for a day . then they are pickled adding chili powder and mustard .
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Pickle Mangoes 12 ( chopped)
- Chili powder 2 cups
- Salt 2 cups
- Mustard powder 1 cup
- Turmeric powder half a cup
- Fenugreek seeds 2 tablespoons
- Bengal gram dal (Chana Dal) 3 tablespoons ( Optional)
- Sesame Oil 2 cups
- Compounded Asafoetida an inch (optional)
Method
Method
- Wash the mangoes well, dry them with a soft cloth . Cut them in half, length wise ( along with the seed ). Then again chop into four and then cut them to 2 to 3 inch cubes.
- Spread them in a tray and sun them for a few hours. The moisture if present will evaporate.
- Take a wide tray, add all the powders and mix well. Add salt ,fenugreek seeds , chana dal and again mix well . Add oil and make a paste.
- Add the cut mango pieces and mix them in the prepared paste . Coat them well .
- Take a dry porcelain jar or a glass jar and add the coated mango pieces to it.
- Cover them tightly .If porcelain jar is used , cover the mouth with a muslin cloth and tie it well.
- Keep in a dark cool place.
- After three days , stir the pickle with a long ladle , from top to bottom . Cover tightly.
- Henceforth , every day , start stirring the pickle for 10 days to 15 days .
- The pickle would have softened for use .
- Relish the homemade pickle .
directions title=”Note”]Note
- If pickles are made in huge quantities , take a little of it in a small bottle for daily use and keep rest undisturbed in the bigger jar.
- Cover both the jars tightly , when not in use.
- The quantity of chili powder can be increased or decreased according to ones taste.
- Mustard powder adds some bitterness to the pickle . If not desired , reduce the quantity of it.
- Sesame oil gives the wonderful taste to the Avakkai , however you can use the oil you prefer.
- Mustard can be dried in sun and then powdered in a processor to a fine powder .
Usually Rock salt is used , while making pickles
[/directions]
