Mango pickle

Nowadays many of us are not including pickles in the daily menu. But there were days when we wanted to have some pickle everyday along with that paruppu kulambu and rice:) In such situation homemade pickles are better. My mom used to make these mango pickles during the mango season in smaller batches and it would always vanish in a day or two:) she would keep a small piece of some kind of pickle in our everyday lunch boxes, so that we consume the rice without any hesitation. Those were very little incidents but her care and thoughtfulness always amazes me.

Here is an instant mango pickle for those picky eaters:)

Ingredients:

Unripe mango - 1 (1/2 kg)
red chilly powder - 4 tbsp
mustard seed - 1 tsp
fenugreek seed (methi/venthayam) - 1 tsp
turmeric - 1 tsp
salt - to taste
sesame oil - 1/4 cup
hing / asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Select unripe mango with lesser sour taste (like pacharisi maangai or kilimookku - Tamil).
Finely chop the mango.
Heat oil in a kadai.
Add the mustard and fenugreek and wait till mustard finishes popping.
Slide in the chopped mango with enough salt and turmeric.
Add the hing powder too.
Stir continuously and wait till the mango gets cooked.
Then put the red chilly powder and let it cook in low heat till the oil oozes.
Instant mango pickle is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve as side dish with curd rice, sambar rice or paratha.

Tips:
To increase the shelf-life add 2 tbsp of vinegar or juice of 1 lemon after the pickle cools and store in a dry jar. If handled with a clean dry spoon and care, this pickle can stay for a week in room temperature.
If refrigerated, this lasts longer even without vinegar or lemon.

Mango Pickle

"A variety of mango pickle prepared by seasoning the grated unripe mango with sesame oil and spices "

This is my most favorite pickle and I am narrating my mom's recipe here.

A dollop of mango pickle waiting to accompany the curd rice:)

Ingredients:
Unripe mango - 1 big (1/2 kg)
(Grate and measure it)
Sesame oil - 1/4 of the quantity of mango
(we can reduce the oil , if we are refrigerating the pickle)
Red chilly powder - 3 tbsp
fenugreek (methi / venthayam) - 1 tsp
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
hing (asafoetida) - 1/8 tsp
salt - to taste (approx 1.5 tbsp)

Method:
wash and clean the mangoes. Wipe with a clean cloth and dry it in open air to remove any moisture for an hour or more.

Now we should keep our hand clean and dry. Grate the mango using a carrot grater (bigger hole). Measure the amount of mango.

Heat the above said quantity of sesame oil in a kadai (wok). Add the mustard seeds and let them start to crackle. At the same time add hing , fenugreek seeds and wait till it gets red. Immediately add the mangoes and saute till they loose the moisture.

When the oil starts showing off the edges, add the red chilly powder and salt. Stir well till the raw smell of red chilly powder goes.
(we can add the red chilly powder in the beginning also, but it will emit a lot of hot fumes that no one can stand. So better add it this way).

Switch off the flame and let the pickle get cool.
Mango pickle is ready!

Mangai thokku stored in air tight container.

This will last for a week or more if prepared with 1/2 a cm of oil floating above the pickle. Otherwise we can refrigerate for further use.
(I generally prepare with lesser oil and refrigerate it).

Serving suggestions:
Serve as side dish with curd rice.
We can  mix some of this pickle with white rice to prepare a quick mango rice for lunch pack.