Bottle up the magic of summer by making this raw mango quick pickle that will take your simple every day meals up a notch.
No matter which part of India you are eating from, meals are incomplete without a sharp puckering pickle aka Achaar. Every state/region/community/family in India makes pickles to preserve and celebrate in season produce. Ready in minutes with fresh in season raw mango and basic ingredients, it adds that bit of oomph to a mundane meal.
If you are in Australia like I am, right now, markets and Asian grocers are bursting with unripe mangoes. Make sure to buy firm, thin-skin, blemish-free green mangoes that are sour and unripe. Like pickles across cultures, it is important to work clean and fast to ensure there is minimum contamination and helps pickles last longer. When storing, the oil should ideally submerge the mangoes completely.
Western “pickling” focusses on vinegar-salt-sugar and very little spices for minimal flavouring. In contrast, Indian pickles are potent, pungent and lip smacking with the focus on oil and salt to preserve. In some cases, the hero ingredient is sun-dried to remove all moisture to help it last for years. While this raw mango quick pickle imitates those flavours, it is essentially not a long-life pickle.
Raw Mango Quick Pickle
Ingredients
- 2 Raw (green) Mango (sour)
- 2 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
- ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1½ tsp Fenugreek Seeds (methi)
- 1½ tsp Mustard Seeds
- ½ tsp Asafoetida Powder (heeng)
- 4 tbsp Sesame Oil (or neutral oil)
- Salt (to taste)
- Sugar (to taste)
Instructions
- Clean and dry your raw mangoes thoroughly – you want to make sure there is no sap/debris. Peel and cube them into bite sized pieces
- Add salt to the mangoes and toss to marinate. Set them aside for 30 minutes. This helps draw out excess moisture as well as helps preserve. Drain the water released keep them as dry as possible.
- Toast your fenugreek seeds until fragrant. In a mortar pestle, coarsely crush the fenugreek and mustard seeds. Add to the mangoes along with chilli and turmeric powder.
- Heat your oil until it starts to shimmer. Add to the mango mixture and mix well until combined. Once it has cooled down, taste and adjust salt and a touch of sugar.
- Store refrigerated in a dry container. Use a clean dry spoon every time you eat some of it. Tastes best as a condiment to Indian meals.
Notes
- Peeling the mangoes is optional – you can choose to make the pickle with the skin on.
- For Indian style pickles I personally love using sesame or mustard oil – their pungent fragrance is part of the flavour profile. Having said that, feel free to use any neutral oil ( like canola/vegetable).
- You can use kashmiri chilli powder if you prefer your pickle milder. taste and adjust – start with 1tsp and see how you like it.
This pickle is best enjoyed as part of a full Indian meal of steamed rice, dal (like this) and vegetables. You can use offcuts of the mango and the seed ( with some of the flesh) to make this mango dal.
For other delicious recipes from the blog, click here. If you make this recipe and love it, let me know in the comments below. When sharing on Instagram, tag me @rupalbhatikar.
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