Kadugu Manga | Tender mango pickle | 300th Post

Today is the last day of this mega marathon. Yippeee!!! I succeeded this time in posting all the recipes almost on time. Also this is the 300th post I am publishing. What a coincidence. And I am posting my favourite pickle. This pickle tops my list. If this pickle is available I will eat anything!!

I guess kadugu manga is the most favourite pickle of all kerala brahmins. Haven't heard anywhere else so... Others prepare kanni manga achar, or vadu maanga oorgai, but both of them can't come near the authentic kadugu manga oorgai that is prepared in the kerala brahmin household. I guess it depends on the type of this raw mango. Though I am unable to find what this particular type of raw mango is called. I guess the tiny mangoes of the raw mango with which we prepare "aavakkaya oorgai" might be the apt one.

Mind you this pickle preparation is a strenuous job. But this pickle is very healthy since when compared to other pickles this has less oil and no water is added. The water that is seen in the pickle comes from the mangoes it self. 

Ingredients

Vadu manga / maavadu / baby mangoes - 5 cups heaped

Salt (rock salt preferred) - 1 cup

Castor oil or sesame oil - 2 tbslp

*The baby mangoes should be round variety

To Roast and grind

Red chillies (Long variety) - 20

Vendhayam (fenugreek seeds/ methi seeds) - 1/2 tsp

Mustard - 3/4 tsp

A small piece of turmeric Or turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Method:

• Choose fresh, roughly same size of baby mangoes / vadu manga. Wash properly and don't remove the stalks. You can probably cut the stalks if they are too lengthy but dont remove them completely.
• Pat dry completely in a clean kitchen towel and dry in the shade for making sure it has no water. 
• In a porcelain bowl or glass bottle, big enough to hold the mangoes, transfer the mangoes and salt in layers. 
• Keep stirring or shaking the mangoes every day. By the second day, water would have started oozing out of the mangoes. Keep stirring daily until the water level reaches above the mangoes. Generally this takes about 15-20 days time.
• Now, roast the items given under ‘To roast and grind table’. Add asafoetida powder towards the end. (I used the solid ones). No need to roast the turmeric. Roast until the mustard starts cracking. Do it in medium flame. Cool down and powder everything.
• Take the salted water from the raw mangoes and mix in the chilli powder and mustard powder in clean bowl and add to the mangoes. 
• Keep the jar covered air tight and keep in a cool dark place. Keep stirring every day for another week. The pickle will be ready to use in a week.

Kadugu Manga is ready!!! Relish it with a bowl of thayir sadam....

Notes:

• As always told for pickles, always use clean spoons while handling the pickle.
• Use only peengan/bharani or glass bottles as others may not withstand the salt content in the pickle.
• Using kal uppu / rock salt is recommended.
• Do not forget to toss the mangoes everyday atleast 2-3 times for a week.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 68

An InLinkz Link-up

Uppilitta Manga | Salted Mango Pickle

The name raw mango is rhymed with pickles right? So here I am with another easy pickle. This is not a very spicy pickle rather a salted one, but it stays fresh for about a year at room temperature - if stored properly.

Kerala Style Uppilitta Manga or Mangoes in brine is one the ways of storing raw organic mangoes. We also have a famous film song (black and white) which has the lyrics - "uppilitta mangai undu unnan vaa machunane" meaning "salted mango pickle is available, come have lunch dear". 

For first timers who want to preserve raw mangoes; let me tell you that there is no such recipe for this. When I asked my Mother, all she said was boil salt and water together, cool completely, pour over mangoes, let it sit for at least a month and use it during the monsoons for curries, chutneys etc

It is better if this mango pickle is preserved in bharanis. But since I don't have them I preserve it in glass bottles. Until now I have preserved it for about 6 months and it stays good. Just keep the glass bottles in dark places.

Ingredients:

Raw Mango: 1 kg

Salt: 1 cups (125 grams)

Water: 3 to 4 cups or as needed 

Green chillies - 20 nos

Method:

• Clean and wash the mangoes, pat dry with a towel.
• I sliced the mangoes into cubes of 1 inch. Generally mangoes are cut into big pieces lengthwise. Or if they are small mangoes, then they are just cut into two. I cut them into smaller pieces so as to compactly fit in my glass bottle.
• Slit the green chillies lengthwise. 
• Add the chillies and the cut mango pieces to a glass jar/bottle.
• Boil salt and water together, cool it completely and pour it over the mangoes. Cover tightly with a lid and keep it for a week. In between I check on it and give it a shake.
• The mangoes should be completely covered with water. So add water accordingly.
• After about a week you should start seeing the mangoes skin change color from a bright green to a mild green.
• When the complete mangoes have changed color, you can start using them. 

Uppilitta manga ready!!!

Notes:

• I topped the sliced mangoes into a big clean and dry glass jar. If you have a ceramic pot or "bharani" use it, though steel or aluminum is not ideal.
• If the mango skin is thick, it might take time to absorb the salt and hence the change in color.
• Once in a while check if there is any fungus formation on top; if there is wipe off with a clean towel or napkin. Make sure water covers the mangoes.
• Use always a dry spoon to take the magoes out. I show the spoon in flame for about half a minute and then insert it into the mangoes.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 68

An InLinkz Link-up

Manga Kari | Instant Pickle

Yippeeeeeee. We are in the last week of this month long marathon and I am happy that I have managed to be ready with all the 5 recipes for this week. I just have to edit the pictures and my post.

For the last week the ingredient I have chosen in raw mango. It is off-season now but I managed to get 1 or 2 mangoes for some of my recipes and few recipes I had prepared over summer but never posted. 

Manga kari makes an entry 2-3 times in our kitchen during the summer season. There is a mango in the name of kilimooku in tamil and kilichundan in malayalam meaning parrot's nose. Whenever I find this mango (Raw) I buy them in huge and make a variety of recipes like this manga kari, manga chammandhi, manga koottan etc... Will try to post most of these in this week's marathon. 

Starting this week with a very easy to make and instant pickle. This pickle often finds its place in the sadya menu. This can be made in a jiffy. The only time consuming process being chopping up the mango into small pieces. This kari stays good in room temperature for 2-3 days. Most of the times it gets over within that time. If you are planning to keep it for more time then it has to be refrigerated and consumed within about a week.

Ingredients:

Mango,unripe - 1 

Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp 

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Roasted fenugreek seeds powder - 1 pinch

Salt - As needed

To temper

Sesame oil - 1 tblsp

Mustard - 3/4 tsp

Method:

• Chop the cleaned mango finely - as tiny as possible and place in a mixing bowl. 
• Add salt and raw asafoetida and mix everything with the chopped mango.
• In a pan/ kadai, heat oil and temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table. 
• Switch off the stove and add fenugreek seeds powder, turmeric, red chilli powder and mix well.
• Add this to the chopped mango. Mix well until the oil is evenly coated.

Instant mango pickle is ready!! Enjoy with a bowl of curd rice.

Notes:

• Adjust the spice and salt according to the tanginess of the mango.
• You can also add 1 red chilly while tempering. I usually don't add.
• This pickle also goes well with biriyanis.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 68

An InLinkz Link-up

Garlic Pickle | Garlic in vinegar brine

This week I will be posting recipes which have garlic as the main ingredient. In the last post I have mentioned so many health benefits of garlic. But I also heard that to reap the real benefits of garlic, it needs to be eaten raw. Chew and eat the garlic for best benefits. There are some nutrients in garlic that will be completely digested by our saliva. So one has to chew the raw garlic till we get the burning sensation in our mouth.

At my place I often make this garlic pickle. This is H's favourite. He likes to have this all days along with some rice based menu. It is very easy to make this pickle. While buying garlic to make this pickle I buy those with bigger bulbs. Garlic needs to be properly dried for making this pickle. While you peel the skin off, the skin should come out very easily.

This pickle is of course made of raw garlic. So just be careful if your are packing this for lunch. This pickle has a very strong smell and your mouth might also smell of garlic after you eat. Since it is not a very pleasant smell, carry a mouth freshener whenever you eat this pickle.

Ingredients:

   

Garlic -250 grams (Peeled)

Salt - 25 grams

Green chillies - 50 grams

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Asafoetida/Hing - 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds (dry roasted and powdered) - 1 1/2 tsp

Gingerly oil/sesame seed oil - 1/4 cup

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Vinegar - 1/4 cup

Method:

• Peel the garlic pods and keep it aside. Take care that they are properly dried and no rotten ones exist. Do not wash the garlic.
• Wash the green chillies. Dry them propelry with a kitchen towel. Slit the green chillies lengthwise.
• Add salt, turmeric powder, slit green chillies, fenugreek powder and vinegar. Mix well and bottle it.
• Boil water and allow it to cool to room temperature.
• Pour the water into the garlic bottle such that all the garlic is immersed.
• Leave it aside for 2 days so that the salt and chillies are completely mixed.
• Heat the gingelly oil. Add mustard seeds. Once mustard splutters, switch off the flame. Let the oil cool. Then pour it into the bottle. The oil need not be mixed. The oil has to stay like a layer on top of the garlic water.

Delicious garlic pickle is ready!! You can start eating it from the next day.

Notes:

• The water is boiled to kill the bacteria or other germs. So do not miss this step.
• This pickle stays the same for about an year. I never refrigerate it and have used it for about an year.
• Always store it in airtight containers preferable glass containers.
• Washing the garlic might remove the essential nutrients out of it.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 68

An InLinkz Link-up

Naranga Achar | Lemon pickle

I cook the planned food, take photos and keep it aside. I work on the photos and the post later whenever I get time. This time I was not satisified with the pics for naranga achar when I copied the pics and saw them in my PC. But I couldn't take another set of pics because by that time naranga achar was over!!! And I couldn't plan or cook another recipe from N because the realization came in very late. So had to settle down for "not-so-good" pictures. Probably I shall change them in due-course when I get good clicks.

I had decided a long time back that I will post Naranga Achar for N in this month long blogging marathon. Naranga is the malayalam word for lemon. There are multiple ways to prepare lemon pickle. The method I give below is the one which my mom follows and I feel this method makes the lemon pickle without any bitterness. Achar is the malayalam word for pickle but sometimes I have heard this being called naranga kari.

Kerala sadhya always has pickles included and most  of the time it is the lemon pickle since lemon is available in almost all the seasons. Home made pickle always taste good than the store-bought ones. So here we go:

Ingredients:

Lemon - 20 nos
Dried red chillies - 5 nos
Turmeric powder - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste (I used 5 tsp salt)
Red chilly powder - 4 tbsp
Fenugreek powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida powder / Hing - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Gingelly oil / sesame oil - 4 tbsp
Vinegar - 1 tsp
mustard - 1 tsp

Method:

• Clean, wash and pat dry lemon/lime. Steam in steamer or idli vessel for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the fire and take out the lemon from steamer. Let it cool and wipe it well with a kitchen towel
• Cut the lemon into halfs and then each half into 4 pieces. So totally 8 pieces out of one lemon.
• Take care not to loose the lemon juice while cutting.
• In air tight dry glass jar or in a ceramic jar (bharani); add chopped lemon pieces,turmeric powder, salt according to your taste, mix well and keep for 10 to 15 days in room temperature. You can also keep it in sunlight for an hour daily.
• Shake the jar once everyday or stir the mix once a day using a clean,dry spoon.
• On the day you are making the pickle - Heat the 2 tbsp of sesame oil/gingely oil in pan. Add the mustard seed, when  it’s starts spluttering, add the curry leaves and dry red chillies;
• Simmer the flame. Add the red chili powder, asafoetida powder, fenugreek powder and saute for couple of  seconds.
• Allow the mix to cool down and then add the lemon slices along with the juice; mix well and adjust the salt. Set aside and let it cool.
• Add vinegar and combine well in a such a way that vinegar has to get into all the parts of the pickle and leave it in the pan for 4-6 hours.
• Transfer it in an air tight glass jar or in a ceramic jar (bharani) and add 2 tbsp of gingely oil. Keep it in a room temperature for atleast a week for the flavor to set in and then refrigerated it for further use.

Naranga achar is ready!!! This is typically served with biriyanis!!

Notes:

• Vinegar can be omitted.
• You can also add garlic pods to this pickle. I generally don't.
• You can avoid steaming the lemons also if the lemon skin is very thin.
• If you want the pickle to be less sour, then remove the juices formed before mixing the chilly powder with the lemon pieces.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 63

An InLinkz Link-up

Mangai Thokku

Mangai Thokku is a very easy to make pickle. We got introduced to this recipe when we spent time in Tamil Nadu. I have not heard of this recipe atleast from the Keralites. But this is an awesome dish and goes with most of the rice varieties in particular the curd rice. 

I usually make this with what I call as "Salem Manga" or the famously called kilimookku manga. And I feel Salem Mango is the best suited for this pickle. This tangy and spicy pickle lasts for about a month if refrigerated. This statement I got from my mom because at my place it never lasts for more than a week.

Ingredients:
Salem Manga - 2 (appr 500 grams)
Turmeric Powder - 10 grams
Chilly powder - 50 grams
Salt - 2 tsp

For Tempering:
Oil – 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Asafoetida – a big pinch

Dry roast and grind:
Fenugreek Seeds – ½ tsp

Method

• Wash and peel the mangoes. Cut into small pieces. You can even grate the mangoes. I prefer grating...
• Heat a Kadai with oil. Temper with mustard seeds. Add asafoetida.
• Next add the mango pieces and turmeric powder and salt.
• Saute on medium flame, till the mango pieces are almost cooked.
• Now add the chilli powder and sauté for some more time or till you see oil on the sides. The pickle will leave the sides of the kadai and become a whole mass.
• Remove from heat.
• Dry roast fenugreek seeds and powder with the help of a mortar and pestle.
• Finally add this fenugreek powder and mix well.
• Cool completely and store in airtight containers.
• Tastes best when served with curd rice

Note: Some people also add little bit of jaggery to this. Since the type of mango used here is not so sour, I generally avoid this.

Thakkali Thokku / Tomato Pickle

A few days back I had mentioned that we got around 20 kgs of tomatoes and had promised a recipe on "Thakkali Thokku". So here it is... I was just waiting for the tomatoes to ripen on their own. Nice red colour tomatoes are the best for this recipe. This would be a very good side dish for Idli, dosa, appam, adai, chapathis and even curd rice. I like to just mix rice with thakkali thokku and have it with nice vadams or papads.

The best thing about this recipe is neither my mom nor my MIL makes this. I somehow caught hold of this dish from my friends and am a huge fan of it. H likes to have this with idli/dosa. So for few days down the line my breakfast preparation time would decrease since I need not have to worry about side dishes.

The ingredients are very few and the preparation time is also very less about 10-15 minutes. But the cooking time would be more because we need to boil down the tomato puree until they become a thick paste. Of course this depends on the quantity. More the quantity, more the cooking time. This pickle stays in fridge for about 3 months and if kept outside stays fresh for about 5-6 days. Always use a clean and dry spoon to serve the pickle.



Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 6 kgs
Chilly powder - 250 grams
Hing / asafoetida - 25 grams
fenugreek seeds - 25 grams
Gingelly oil - 200 ml
mustard - 25 grams
Salt - to taste



Method:

• Wash and clean the tomatoes.
• Make a juice of all the tomatoes and keep it aside.
• Heat a heavy bottomed, wide mouthed pan or a uruli.
• Dry roast the fenugreek seeds. Powder and keep aside.
• Pour the oil in the pan. Using gingelly oil gives a longer life span for this thokku. We can also use other oils.
• Add mustard. Once mustard splutters, pour the tomato juice. 
• Now our job is to keep stirring until the juice gets reduced to a thick paste.
• If we use a non stick pan probably its enough to stir every 5 minutes or so. 
• It took me almost an hour to complete this task.
• Now add salt, powdered fenugreek, chilly powder and hing.
• Mix well and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
• Switch off the stove. Let it cool and store in an airtight container.

Delicious Thakkali Thokku is ready!!!

Manga Inji + Manga Achar

Another speciality of the summer season is we prepare loads of pickles and vadams. I have not yet tried my hands on vadams/papads but I do make a lot of pickles. This season I have started with a pickle made using manga inji.

Manga Inji is a root which is a look alike of ginger, but smells like mango and has a little tangy taste. Hence the name manga inji which literally translates to mango ginger. I haven't seen manga inji sold in any of the grocery stores. My MIL grows this in her back yard and hence we have a regular supply of this root.



Manga inji alone cannot be used to make pickle since it has very little tangy taste. Usually my mom prepares manga inji with chillies and lemon juice. Its a great accompaniment for curd rice. I tried a different one. I mixed manga (raw mango) and manga inji and made a pickle. It tasted wonderful. I initially made a very few quantity since I was not sure how it would taste. But now I have requests for making more...

Ingredients:
Manga Inji - 200 grams
Raw Mango - 150 grams
Salt - 5 tbsp
Fenugreek - 20 grams
Mustard - 15 grams
hing - 5 grams
chilly powder - 4 tbsp
gingelly oil - 50 grams

Method:

• Chop the raw mango and manga inji into finer pieces. 
• Add the required amount of salt.
• Mix well and keep it aside until you see water oozing out if the mango pieces.
• I kept this for about 2 days (48 hours)
• Dry roast the fenugreek and powder the same.
• In a kadai, pour gingelly oil and add mustard.
• Once mustard splutters add the fenugreek powder and hing.
• Add the chilly powder immediately switch off the stove.
• Add the soaked mano + manga inji pieces. Mix well until chilly powder is evenly combined.
• Store in a clean and dry air tight container.
• I kept this for about one week without refrigeration and the pickle didn't go bad.
• For longer storage probably we need to refrigerate.

Manga Inji + manga achar is ready!!! This would be a good accompaniment with curd rice as well as dal rice.

Linking this to celebrate - summer event guest hosted by nivedhan's