Maavadu or Tender mango pickle

in Pickles

This pickle is the favourite of every South Indian household , especially a Tamilian one. This is made from the first crop of special type of mango of mountainous variety which are suitable for this pickle.The mangoes used for this pickle are small and different .

These mangoes are generally available in month of March / April, in the vegetable markets. They are seasonal and are pickled at this time of the year and used for rest of the  year. They are usually stored in ceramic jaadis or pots, covered by a muslin cloth and secured by a top. These are unique pickles which does not have much oil, makes an ideal accompaniment to quintessential curd rice or thayir sadam. The water of the maavadu  too is well liked by many, if not the pickle. It is fairly  simple to make , if you  measure and assemble all the ingredients . However due to constraints of time and easy availability of pickles in super markets, many do not make it at home.  The homemade pickles come with carefully chosen ingredients, no preservatives, and is  made with lots of love and care.

Recipe from Cook & See Part 1.

Ingredients

  • Maavadu Mangoes – 8 cups,
  • Rock salt – 1 cup,
  • Red chillies – 1 cup,
  • Mustard powder – 1 teaspoon,
  • Turmeric powder – 2 teaspoon,
  • Castor oil – 2 teaspoon.

Method

  1. Wash the mangoes well, in lots of water, wipe them thoroughly  and dry them in a bamboo basket or big tray until completely free of moisture. You could pat it dry with a clean cloth again before making the pickle. Mangoes having moisture, will get spoiled if made into pickles, so be careful.
  2. Mix the turmeric powder, mustard powder and castor oil, well. Smear it on the tender mangoes evenly.
  3. Now take a big jaadi or a porcelain jar or a glass jar, take a handful of the salt, add to the bottom of the jar. Top it with four handful of smeared mangoes, top it handful of salt and chili powder.
  4. Again add four handful of mangoes, add handful of salt and chili powder, repeat until all ingredients are exhausted.
  5. Leftover salt and chilli powder can be added to top layer of the  pickle, cover and keep.
  6. After two days give the jar a good shake, with a wooden ladle or by simply shaking the bottle if made in small quantities.
  7. After a week, the pickle will be watery as the salt would have melted.

Note

  1. Please do not pinch out the entire stalk from mangoes, leave a little, say half an inch from the top
  2. Generally for the pickles, instead of using store bought chili powder or turmeric powder, you could get dried red chillies and virali manjal or turmeric roots from the market and powder them at home.
  3. Rock salt is used in preparation of all pickles.
  4. For garden variety of maavadu mangoes, reduce the salt and chilli powder.
  5. Virali Manjal(long variety) can be used to prepare pickles, Sun them well or dry roast them and powder and use in the pickle.