Pickle making is undoubtedly an age old tradition in India.Commonly known as “Achar” and served as a condiment or an accompaniment while complementing every Indian meal,adding a sweet n spicy zest to the palette.

Often thought of as a digestive if eaten in small quantities. Pickles are fairly native to the Indian subcontinent and consist of varieties of raw fruits or vegetables that are preserved in salt, spices,oil and vinegar.

While raw Mangoes reign supreme,lemons, carrots, green chilies etc also form the basis of many pickles, all though pickling styles and methods per say may vary from region to region.A pickle made in Northern India will vary very much from its counterpart in the south, primarily due to the oil used. Mustard oil in the northern states and sesame oil in the  southern ones seem to be predominant choices.

Most North Indian pickles use a variety of mangoes,chilli and lemon.Some even a multitude of vegetables like the lotus stem,amla (Indian gooseberry) limes and peas like in the popular “Panchranga” pickle of the north.In Southern India, many  vegetables are sun-dried with spices, taking advantage  hot and sunny days throughout the year, thus making pickles an everyday affair. The sun-drying of pickles acts as a preservative for the vegetables, along with spices such as mustard, fenugreek seeds, chili powder, salt, asafoetida, and turmeric.

 

I have several wonderful memories of partaking in the ritual of pickle making in my grandmothers kitchen,having spent numerous childhood years with her in Mumbai.

Summers essentially translated into loads of raw mangoes at the onset of the season ,prior to the ripened varieties that flooded the fresh markets later on.Her homemade pickles also included a host of lemons, green chillies, mixed vegetables like cauliflower,carrots and turnips. My maternal grandmother was quite known for her prized “Brinjal Pickle” and a mean and spicy “Prawn pickle too.Most spicy pickles would be mixed along with pickling spices such as fennel, cumin, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, chilli powder, salt, Oil and the sweeter variety would often contain cinnamon, star Anise, jaggery and sugar.

While its not certain how this tradition originated, ancient Indian culture probably resorted to pickling as a form of preserving food for extended periods of time,whereby salt,sugar and oil acted as preservatives and the process of drying the pickle in the sun helped cure the pickle and made them shelf stable.

With an abundance of Mangoes in season in Mumbai, one is spoilt for choice and just before the “Hapus” or the ripe “Alphonsos” hit the markets, the green raw Mango or also known as the Kairi work just wonders for pickle making, be it a savoury or sweet. It would be worth a mention that these gorgeous green Mangoes were picked off the the Mango tree in our backyard in Mumbai.Organic produce at its best.A tedious and laborious affair every summer when help from “Bhadur” ( the guard for the complex), who is summoned and assigned the job of the  “Mango Plucking” activity in our yard, while we all wait at our windows excitedly,awaiting our fair share of the produce. He then distributes the mangoes amongst all the residents of the complex.

On this particular occasion we received over two kilos of green mangoes. My mum -in-law suggested we make some sweet mango pickle. Now every home has a specific mango pickle recipe for the summers. Her’s is an absolutely easy and delicious way to celebrate summer’s favourite fruit, raw Mangoes with a sweet and tangy pickle.

The flavours of this raw and exotic fruit along with a medley of spices hint of cinnamon,star anise,fennel and of-course generous amount of sugar, add an intense flavour to this sweet pickle, making it finger licking good and addictive too!

Sweet mango pickle, also known as meetha aam ka achar, is a delightful variation that balances the tanginess of raw mangoes with the sweetness of sugar or jaggery,

Ingredients:

• 500 grams Raw green Mangoes (peeled & sliced)
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon stick (split in half)
• 1-2 star anise
• 1/2 teaspoon onion seeds (kalonji)
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1/4 cup jaggery (plus 2 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder ( add more if required)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Wash the green mangoes thoroughly and peel them.
2. Remove the seed and slice the mangoes into medium with slices or pieces.
3. Keep the mangoes in a glass bowl and add the salt,chilly powder,fennel seeds,cinnamon sticks and star anise.
4. Cover this and let the mango marinate in the pickling spices for one  hour.
5. Heat a thick bottomed pan. Add in the oil. temper with mustard seeds and the onion seeds (kalonji) and asafoetida.
6. Add the marinated mango to this oil.
7. Add the water.Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes or until the mango is semi cooked.
8. Now add in all the jaggery.
9. Cook on medium heat till the jaggery melts and the chutney forms a thickish consistency.
10. Turn off the heat and remove from the heat and let this cool.
11. Store in an airtight glass jar.