Kadumanga Achar| Kerala Mango Pickle

Posted on October 7, 2015

Have you noticed this strange fact?We crave for a particular food/dish/fruit more when its not in season or is not easily available at our part of the world.. 🙂 This is strange but true.Its October and I crave for Mangoes.So I satisfied myself with some tinned Mango 😦 …though its taste comes no where near a  fresh juicy and ripe mango 😦 ..

Yesterday was Market day or Thamu(as it is locally called here).I was lucky enough to see a lady selling some raw mangoes.So I immediately bought them.First I thought of making Mango pachadi.Then I thought Pachadi wont stay for more than 4 days..So I decided to make this Kadumanga achar…or kadumanga uppilittathu..that way i could Mango everyday 🙂

This is my mother’s recipe…its simple and easy and a perfect recipe.I strongly recommend to use gingelly oil in this recipe.It imparts that typical nadan ruchi(taste) to the achar(pickle).

Ingredients:

1. Raw Mango – 2 cups(Lightly pared and chopped small)
2. Ginger – 1 tbsp(finely crushed)
3. Garlic  – 1 tbsp (sliced)
4. Dry Red chilli – 2 to 3 (broken into two)
5. Curry leaves – 1 sprig
6. Mustard seeds – 1 tbsp
7. Water – 1 cup
8. Red chilli powder – 5 tbsp(according to your spice level)
9. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp.
10. Asafoetida – 1 fat pinch
11. Gingelly oil – 3 tbsp
12. Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a big bowl,take the chopped mango pieces.Add salt to it and mix thoroughly.Leave aside(covered with lid) for about 8 hours,preferably overnight.
2. After 8 hours/overnight,heat oil in kadai/or deep pan.Add mustard seeds and when it splutters,add the curry leaves and Dry red chillies.Then add the crushed ginger and sliced garlic and saute till the raw aroma disappears.
3. Now add the powders from ingredients 8 to 10.Saute for 1 or 2 minutes and then add salt and then water and bring to boil over  a low flame until thick.Remove from heat.
4. To this add the Mango pieces(from step 1) and combine well.Add salt is needed.Allow to cool.Transfer to clean and dry bottles.Leave aside for two whole days in a cool dry place.
5. After that serve when needed with a clean dry spoon, along with Curd Rice/Thayir sadam or plain Rice.Enjoy!!