Masala Mango Pickle / Masala Manga Oorugai

Curd rice with Mango pickle is the world's best combination according to me. I can never get this kind of satisfaction of eating a wholesome food by eating anything else. That too when it is home made, nothing else can beat it. :)

Indians and especially South Indians would agree with me I guess. :)

Just like lot others, even I had an inhibition that making pickle is a very cumbersome process and it does not turn out perfect for all and always.

My mom is a super expert in making pickles and especially Masala mango pickle is her specialty. All those who have tasted it could not just stop with one. :) I am an ardent fan of it too. :)

Now its the mango season and I just cant afford to miss the chance.

So this time I took charge and learnt to make this pickle all by myself. :) If a fresher like me can do, why not you???

Ingredients:

Small Raw Mangoes - 8 cups
Chilly powder - 1 cup (heaped)
Salt - 1 cup (till the brim)
Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
Asafoetida(Perungayam) - 2 tsp
Fenugreek(Vendhayam) - 6 tsp
Sesame Oil - 1 1/2 cups
Mustard - 2 tsp
Sodium Benzoate - 1 tsp

Method:

Wash and dry the raw mangoes on a cloth. Make slits in them in both the directions like shown in the below picture. The slit should go just about 3/4 of the mango, so that the top portion is still stuck together.

Dry roast fenugreek and asafoetida separately for just few mins and then grind it into a fine powder. Now mix the salt, chilly powder, asafoetida, fenugreek powder and turmeric powder in a bowl and keep it aside.

Now take the oil in a heavy bottomed pan and once it is hot, season with mustard. After it crackles, simmer the stove fully and add mangoes and the mixed masala powder to it. Stir quickly until all the mangoes get mixed with masala. Once done immediately transfer it to a different vessel.

Keep the pickle in the same vessel for 5 days. Mix the pickle from bottom up, once everyday. Initially it will look dry but after 5 days the oil will ooze out and look shiny.

After 5 days, dilute sodium benzoate in 2 tsp of water and add it to the pickle and mix really well. This is a preservative that is used to keep the pickle from getting spoilt and this also helps in maintaining the crispness of the mango for a long time.

Now transfer it to bottles and store them in the fridge. You can preserve and enjoy this delicious hot pickle for around 6-10 months. :)

Note: Once the pickle is transferred to the bottles, see to that there is a layer of oil on top. This will keep the pickle from getting spoilt.

Serve it with curd rice. :) I am sure you would say yummmmm after eating the hot and tangy masala mango pickle :)

Happy making :)

Coming up next: Maavadu - the ever famous mango pickle ;)

Written by: Nithya
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