How do we stretch mango season? One word – pickles. Shirin Mehrotra shares three of her mom’s secret North Indian pickle recipes to make the rainy days that follow bearable.
Noncha or Dry Mango Pickle
Ingredients:
Raw mangoes 100
Turmeric powder 1 small cup
Salt 1 and a half cups
Asafoetida 1/2 tsp
Fennel 20 gms
Fenugreek seeds 20 gms
Nigella seeds 10 gms
Whole dry red chillies 50 gms
Carom seeds 10 gms
Black pepper powder 2 tsp
Mustard oil 200 gms
Method:
Wash, dry, de-seed and slice the mangoes. Add turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt to mango slices and keep them in a jar in sun for 48 hours. On the third day strain the liquid that accumulates in the jar and store it separately. Spread the pieces out on a patch of cloth or newspaper and let them sun-dry for another 24 hours.
Next roast all the remaining spices, except carom seeds and grind them coarsely. Now, add the previously removed residual liquid, ground spices, carom seeds, and mustard oil to the dried mango slices. Seal them in a jar and place it in the sun for another 4days before its ready to eat.
Khatti kairi
Ingredients:
Raw mangoes 30
Asafoetida powder According to taste
Salt 1 cup
Cumin seeds 10 gms
Black pepper corns 10
Cloves 10
Cardamom 10
Nutmeg powder 1 tsp
Mace powder 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder 1 tsp
Bay leaves 5
Sugar 1 ½ cups
Method:
Peel and slice the mangoes. Mix sugar, asafoetida, and salt with mango slices. Cover the jar in which you keep mango slices with a clean cloth and place it in the sun and for 10 days.
After 10 days grind and mix the remaining spices with the mango slices. Place this in the in sun for another 24 hours and you’re pickle will be ready to eat.
Heeng-mirch ka achaar
Also known as 12 tole ka achaar, you must really be brave to try this one.
Ingredients:
Raw seedless mangoes 1 kg
whole red chillies (powdered) 250 gms
Asafoetida powder approx 12gms
Salt 100 gms
Method:
Peel and cut the mangoes into thin long slices. Mix chilli powder, asafoetida powder and salt into it. Seal and set jar in sun for 1o days. After 10 days, serve up this scorcher to anyone willing to give it a shot.
So, what are you waiting for? Stock up on your quota of these yummy pickles and have a perfect accompaniment for your parathas and pakodas.
