Raw Mango Pickle ( North Indian style ) / Aam Ka Acchar

Ingredients:

Raw Mangoes with skin - 1 kg

Salt - 300 gms or to taste

Turmeric powder -  20 gms

Asafoetida powder - 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 15 gms

Mustard seeds - 125 gms

Red chilli powder (or adjust to taste) - 100/ 125 gms

Fennel seeds / saunf / perumgeerakam - 30 gms

Cumin seeds / jeerakam - 25 gms

Ginger Garlic Paste - 100, 50 gms

Vinegar - 50 ml

Curry leaves - Few (optional)

Mustard oil / refined oil - 170 gms 

Method:

wash the mangoes and dry them on cotton cloth under fan or sun completely making sure there is no moisture or dust. Make sure your knife and the platform you use for cutting the mangoes is clean and moisture free. Cut the mangoes in half, deseed and further cut them into one inch cubes.

Layer Cube size cut mangoes, salt and turmeric powder in a sterilised glass bottle.Repeat Layers till end. Keep side covered for 3 days.Shake the bottle daily. Mangoes release water .

Heat a big pan on medium heat, and roast the fenugreek seeds and Jeera separately until you start smelling the aroma. Turn off heat and allow it to cool. Once cooled, using mixer powder them. Add oil and fry asfoeitida piece and powder that too.

Heat half of oil in the same pan on mediaum flame. Add snauf, curry leaves and fry. Be very careful not to make oil too hot and burn the masalas. Add Ginger - Garlic paste and saute again. Once it become light brown Switch off the gas. Add red chilly powder and vinegar.Mix well.

 Dry Roast and powder Mustard seeds. Mix mustard powder, roasted and ground masala powder to the cool masala.

Take mangoes from the bottle and mix to the masala.mix well check salt and chilly and add appropriately.

Heat and cool balance oil in a separate kadai and pour on to the pickle.

It takes approximately two to three weeks for the aam ka achaar to marinate itself and get the flavours from the masala. Best flavor and tenderness in the pickle comes after couple of months of marination.We can start using after a week.Use a clean dry spoon so that there is no moisture when you take the pickle out of the bottle.For easier and regular usage, transfer little amounts to a smaller jar...... and there the pickle is ready. Enjoy with paratas... rice...etc etc....:)

Recipe courtesy: Usha Tripati.

Mango pickle (South Indian style) / Manga Achar / Manga oorugai

Ingredients:

Raw mangoes - 2 cups  

Salt - As needed (Approximately 3 tbsp)

Gingelly Oil - 1/4 cup

Black mustard seeds (kaduku) - 2.5 tsp

Fenugreek seeds (uluva) - 1 tsp

Asafoeitida - 1 tsp powder or 1/4 inch piece

Red chilli powder 2-3 tsp

Method:

Wash and dry raw mangoes. Cut the mango into small pieces and remove the pit. Add salt to the cut mango pieces. Mix well and transfer to a sterilised bottle. Set aside for 2 days. water start coming out making mangoes soft.

Dry roast 2 tsp mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and asofoetida piece  and powder it together. Take care not to burn the spices. You can make it a finer powder or leave it a bit coarse . 

To the  salted mangoes bottle and this ground powder, chilli powder ,salt and mix well. stir vigorously for 5 seconds.Adjust chilli powder and salt to your preference. Don't be stingy on the salt though, it acts as a preservative. Also, if you like a fiery red pickle  add Kashmiri chilli powder like I did.

 

Heat oil in a pan on medium flame. When the oil becomes room temperature, add to the bottle of mango pieces and mix well. If not U can mix all in a separate pan also.When cool close the lid and keep for a week so that the masala get absorbed to mangoes. 

.......And there Cut Mango pickle is ready. Serve with rice and curd. 

Recipe courtesy : Mallika Vasu

Manga Inji Acchar / Mango Ginger Pickle / Maa Inji Thokku

Mango Ginger (Curcuma amada Roxb.) is a unique spice having resemblance with ginger but imparts a raw mango flavour. The main use of mango ginger is in the manufacture of pickles and culinary preparations. Ayurveda and Unani medicinal systems have given much importance to mango ginger as an appetizer, many other uses to cure itching, skin diseases, bronchitis, asthma, hiccough and inflammation due to injuries.

Ingredients:

Manga Inji / mango Ginger  - ¼ kg

Gingelly oil - 4 tbsp

Red Chilli powder (adjust spice according to your taste) - 4 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp 

Asafoeitda powder - ¼ tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - ¼ tsp

Curry leaves - Few

Lime juice /  vinegar -.!/2 lime or as per taste   

Salt - to taste

Method:

Peel the skin, Wash and pat dry the mango ginger.

Grate the mango ginger and keep aside.

 Roast and grind fenugreek seeds . keep aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds starts to sputter, add curry leaves , grated mango ginger and mix well. In low flame, saute the grated mango ginger till they are tender and soft

Add red chilli powder, Salt, Fenugreek Powder and Asafoetida . Mix well. You can taste and adjust the salt and spice. Remove the thokku from flame. Squeeze Lemon to the pickle and mix well.

Allow the pickle to cool. Then transfer it to a glass bottle. Add 1 tablespoon of oil on top of the pickle and close it with a lid. 

 The tasty Mango Ginger Pickle is now ready to serve with curd rice / Plain Rice / Dosa or Idli.............:)

Narthangai Pickle

Ingredients:
Narthangai / Citron - 5 nos., small orange sized
Crystal Salt / Sea Salt - 1/4 cup, heaped
Dry red chillies - 13-15 nos.
Turmeric Powder- 
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida - 1/8 teaspoon
Gingelly Oil - 100ml
Mustard seeds - 1 tablespoon

Method:

 Wash and wipe the narthangai.

Make sure there is no water content in the skin. Cut into wedges. While cutting, remove the seeds completely. Keep the Narthangai in a Broad plate and cut it so that the juice while cutting will stay in the plate. Remove the seeds.Choose a glass bottle which has a tight lid to it. Generally ceramic or Porcelain bowl is preferred. Squeeze half narthangai juice to the bottle. Layer narthangai wedges and sea / rock / crystal salt to the bowl.  Shake the bottle nicely.

Cover and set aside undisturbed for 3-4 days. Each day toss the bottle well two times with proper intervals. This allows the salt to mix well with the narthangai. After 3-4 days, narthangai wedges become soft and you can see the juice coming out from the narthangai. If it's not soft even on 4th day, you can again keep it for a day.

Remove narthangai from the bottle to a bowl. Heat oil in a pan. When it is hot, add mustard seeds. Let it splutter.At the end, add asafoetida Powder.Turn the flame off and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, pour this oil to the narthangai. Mix well.

Dry roast fenugreek seeds and dry red chillies.Make sure not to burn the fenugreek.Allow it to cool to room temperature.Once cooled,make a powder of it .Add turmeric powder to the mixer and add the ground ingredients  to the narthangai.

 After preparing the pickle, gradually the juice oozes out from the narthangai. This is normal and as day pass by the pickle turns soft and tasty. Adjust the salt, spice and oil quantity as per your preference. The measurement given here is the standard one.
 Pickle is ready. Store it in a sterilized bottle.

Recipe courtesy: Uma's Kitchen Experiments.

Mixed vegetable Pickle

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 1
carrot -1
Green chillies- 2
Dates - 15
Raisins - 15
Ginger- 1/2 "piece
Garlic - 10 flakes
Split mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
salt- to taste
sugar - 1 tsp
Vinegar- 1/2 cup
Red chilly Powder - 2 tbsp

Method:

Cracked mustard Seeds/ Split mustard seeds are easily available in markets. It can also be made at home using mortal and pestle. Or give a swirl in a mixer . Use  yellow seeds only by removing the skin of the mustard.

Cut carrot beetroot,Ginger,Garlic and Dates lengthwise. Chop only 10 dates. Rest have to be grinded in vinegar. Chop green chillies also. In a bowl mix all these vegetables and dry fruits. Add split mustard seeds and red chilly powder to this.Toss well.

Grind 5 dates (from 15 dates) in vinegar(taken from 1/2 cup ). Add this to the bowl and mix with vegetables.

Add sugar and salt. Mix well. If its too thick and some more vinegar. 

Mixed vegetable pickle ready........:) Bottle the pickle. Start using the pickle after three days...:)

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs.Prassana Sugathan (Amma)

Garlic Pickle with Dates

Ingredients:

Garlic - 1 cup
Ginger - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves 1 tbsp
Green chillies- 1 tbsp
Vinegar - 1/2 cup
Mustard - 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder- 2 tbsp
Gingelly oil-4 tbsp
Asafoeitida powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

Peel and take one cup Garlic. In a kadai add 4 tbsp of oil. Fry garlic in that oil and keep aside.

Chop Ginger, Green chillies and curry leaves. Fry them in the same oil. when done add red chilly powder and saute for two minutes. We should not over fry as it will give burnt smell. Add fried garlic and switch off the stove.

Grind seedless dates in vinegar and add to the garlic and mix well.

Roast the mustard seeds on very low flame for a minute or so just to make it warm. Take them out in a mortar and using the pestle press the seeds couple of times. The skin of the seeds will break and you will get split seeds. this adds a beautiful aroma to the pickle.This is kadukuparippu.

Add kadukuparippu, asafoeitida and salt and mix well. If you want the pickle more watery add more vinegar.

 When cool bottle it............:)Yummy garlic pickle is ready to use in 3 days....:)

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs.Prassana Sugathan (Amma)