How to Make Mango Pickle, the South Indian Way

There are many different methods to prepare mango pickle. This is one such method used in South India which will allow you to store the mango pickle for a long time. The recipe is simple but may take a week as the mango pieces are mixed with salt and seasoned in the sun for a week.

• Take one medium sized raw mango. This one I have harvested from our tree.
• Cut the mango into cubes of about 3/4 inches in size.
• Remove the seed from inside but leave the hard shell intact.
• Transfer the cut pieces in to a bowl

The raw mango pieces weighed about 200 grams.

• Add about 20 grams of crystal salt to the mango pieces.
• Shake well so that all pieces are uniformly mixed with salt
• Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and keep it in sunlight.
• Keep the mango pieces in sunlight for seasoning. Shake mango pieces everyday.

After a week of seasoning, the mango pieces are ready for pickling.

The following ingredients are required to make the spice powder

• Dry red chilies 12 to 15 numbers (As per you taste)
• One teaspoon of Cumin seeds
• One teaspoon of Mustard seeds
• One teaspoon of Fenugreek seeds
• About 5 grams of unprocessed Asafoetida

Dry roast all ingredients separately other than red chilies. Add few drops of oil in the pan for roasting red chilies.

The quantities of ingredients mentioned here are sufficient for about 500 grams of Mango pieces.

• Allow the roasted spices to cool and then transfer all ingredients to a mixer / grinder jar

• Grind the roasted spices into powder and transfer to a bowl

• Heat a frying pan over medium fire
• Add a tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan. We usually prefer Sesame oil for pickling.
• When the oil is heated, add a teaspoon of mustard seeds.
• When mustard seeds start to crack, add the seasoned mango pieces to the oil
• Use a ladle to turn over the mango pieces till all the pieces are properly covered with oil.

As I have said earlier, the quantities of ingredients we have used to make spice powder is sufficient for about 500 grams of mangoes. Our cut mango pieces weighed about 200 grams. So we will add slightly then than half the quantity of the prepared spice powder. You can store the balance for another pickling job.

• Mix the spices with the mango pieces and cook for about five minutes.
• Turn off the stove and allow the pickle to cool down.
• Transfer the mango pickle to a bowl.

Enjoy the mouth-watering Mango pickle with Rice, Chappathy or even with morning breakfast.