Time For Pickles

Storing Pickles

This hot summer is time for pickles- the King of all Pickles, that is, Mango Pickles known as Avakaaya. Of course the pickle made from Gongura(a kind of sour leaf) is the Queen and nothing beats it   No function, or feast is complete in our India especially our Telugu States with out the pickles. Of all the pickles, mango pickles are the most popular ones. 

For us Telugu people making pickles from Mangoes or red chilies or raw tamarind or Gongura is nothing less than a sacred ritual or doing meditation. It is done with lot of care. 

Every family has its own secret recipe, ingredients and its own traditions connected with pickling. The grand mothers take care to see that these are followed every year and are handed down to the next generations.

The ladies have to take bath, wear clean clothes, clean the kitchen or the area of operation, tools and ingredients to be used thoroughly. Pickles are also stored with great care in big ceramic or glass jars covered with clean cloths. Once in a week or fortnight, required portion is taken out for daily use in smaller containers. 

I still remember my granny making huge amounts of pickles storing them filled in very big ceramic jars in the pantry and touching them only after a bath. No one else is allowed to touch them. 

All this because one careless mistake will spoil the pickles which other wise can be stored for an year and many years if need be.

I have already talked about the  proper storing of pickles in my introduction to pickles in my previous posts. 

No matter how many containers, jars or bowls we have, we women are always looking out for the latest ones so that our tables look great while dinning. Here I am going to show you the latest storage containers meant for our table. 

It is pickle caddy with two glass bowls. 

As you can see there is a plastic caddy which can be opened when needed and closed tight after stacking the bowls one upon another. The glass bowls (thank God for that!) have plastic lids (which I don't like much as it is meant for pickles). One more thing is it is available in only one colour.

It is easy to carry to table, very handy and easy for storing. Stacking up of bowls one upon another also saves space. 

What is good is the price. It is very affordable. All in all I felt it was a good buy.

Apart from  pickles we can serve chutneys, dips or even sauces or crispies in them. 

So do you want to have one too?

Pin It

Pickles from Andhra (ఆంధ్ర ఊరగాయలు)-9

Pickles and Chutneys With Gooseberries-II

This is the season for Gooseberries. These berries are rich in Vitamin C and is extensively used in Indian Natural Medicine System of Ayurveda. Just by eating a fruit daily will improve our eye sight, protect it, blackens hair and keeps our body, eye sight and hair healthy. They can be preserved in the form of pickles or jams or preserves and also eaten fresh in the form of chutney.

My previous recipe on Pickles is here:

http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/2011/01/pickles-from-andhra-vii.html


1. Gooseberry Pickle (ఉసిరి  నిలువ  పచ్చడి ):

This is one of the most famous pickle of Andhra cuisine. It is good for health and hence eaten first with cooked/steamed rice.

Ingredients:
Gooseberries    1Kg
Turmeric      2-3 Tbsp
Salt  (Granulated sea salt)    75 to 100 gms

Method:

• Wash the berries in plenty of water. Wipe them well with a cloth and spread them on a cotton cloth. Leave them for 2-3 hours (no need to keep in sun) till they are completely free from moisture.
• Slice or chop (can be thick pieces) the berries with a knife and discard the seeds. We use the traditional stone grinder and wooden pestle instead of knife.
• Mix in the turmeric and put them in a ceramic or glass jar. Close the lid tightly and leave for 3 days. These pieces will soften.
• Don't use table or iodised salt. Dry natural granulated sea salt in the sun and powder it. If you can get the powder itself use it. 
• On 4th day remove the berry pieces from the jar, mix in salt and grind to a rough paste. Again store in a glass or ceramic jar. The lid should be fitted tightly and cover it with a piece of cloth to avoid atmospheric moisture.

When you want to use it follow the following procedure.

Ingredients:
Goose berry Paste 1 cup (around 100-150 gms)

Mustard seeds:  1/2 Tbsp

Black Lentils(split and husked) 1Tbsp

Red Chillies (dry)  5-6 (broken to pieces)
Asafoetida 1/4th tsp or 2-3 pinches

Oil             1 Tbsp
Salt to taste

The spice Box

Asfoetida
Method:

• Heat oil in a small pan to a smoking point.
• Lower the heat to the minimum
• Add Black lentils and mustard seeds after a minute add red chillies and asafoetida. When the mustard start spluttering remove and cool.
• Grind this to a paste
• Add the gooseberry paste and salt and grind a few seconds to mix it well.
• it is served with hot steamed rice, slit green chillies and onion slices.

Note: 

1. This keeps for a week or two. 
2. Usually both dried red chillies and green chillies  are used for spicy taste. Some fry the green chillies along with mustard seeds, red chillies etc before grinding. This is not only tasty but also reduces the spiciness of the chillies. Coriander greens are also added before grinding all the ingredients. But this pickle will keep only for 2-3 days because of the green chillies and coriander greens. I prefer this method and make it in small quantities at a time.
3. A little bit of jaggery can be added to blend all the tastes.
4. Grinding the ingredients in traditional stone mortar  and wooden pestle gives the pickle a taste which is different from that in the food processor. 

Watch out for more.......

Pickles from Andhra (ఆంధ్ర ఊరగాయలు)-8

Tomato Pickles-1(टमाटर का आचार /టొమాటో నిల్వ పచ్చడి )

Tomatoes are perhaps the most popular vegetable used all over the world. Actually it is a fruit. We Indians love it so much that we use it daily in form or the other.

In India, we make chutneys and pickle it many ways.Chutneys keep for a day or some for a few days. but pickles can be stored for long. This is the season for it and tomatoes are available at a very cheap rates. I will give the Andhra recipes first.

Before pickling:

• Choose semi ripened ones. Should not be too red or too soft. They should be orange or light red and very firm to touch and less juice in them. However don't use green and unripe ones. 
• Use desi or local varieties(not hybrid variety) which are meant for cooking.These may be small but more tastier. Don't use those tomatoes which are meant for salad. The tomatoes meant for salad just has firm flesh but no taste or sourness. They also don't preserve well.
• Wash them in plenty of water, wipe them clean and leave them for an hour or two till the moisture is completely gone
• Keep all the ingredients ready at hand
• Use a glass or ceramic jar and plate/bowl and wooden spoons for mixing and storing. You can use stainless steel vessels and spoons but immediately transfer into glass/ceramic one.
• Please note this carefully. The quantity of salt and red chilli(dried red chillies) may vary- can be more or less than what I have given. For any pickle recipe I am posting, I am giving the quantities of spices as accurately as possible. But the quantities of salt and chilli may vary-depending upon the sourness of the basic ingredient like mangoes, tomatoes, goose berries, tamarind or when tamarind or other ingredient is used as souring agent . So it is better to add the salt a little at a time and keep checking the taste. Do not add all at once. The taste of salt should be slightly more than other tastes. Check the pickle after three four days for taste, as by this time the ingredients would have marinated well. If salt is less add some more. 
• Similarly is the case with chilli powder. Adjust it to your taste. My recipes are very spicy. So add a little quantity at a time and adjust according to your taste. Mix a fistful of red chilli powder of those chillies which are not spicy but just add colour to the pickle. Or better mix both spicy and coloured one and then add according to your taste.
• Do not used tamarind which is black in colour, if possible. Use new tamarind. If tamarind is old that is preserved for more than 6 months, it turns black. When this is added to the pickle its colour also does not come out properly. Fresh or newly harvested tamarind is available now and is light brown in colour. This is good.
• I use freshly pressed sesame oil (whole sesame and not husked one). This is traditionally used in Andhra for pickles.But you can use any oil of your choice including refined oil which you generally use for pickles. Experiment with various oils by pickling a small quantity and check for the taste. I feel mustard oil is too pungent and does not go well with this pickle as tomato is mildly flavoured. Similarly coconut oil may also not taste good. But groundnut oil, sunflower oil is OK.
• These pickles keep for an year and beyond that. But It is better to have fresh pickles in the season as nothing tastes better than that.

I have used our traditional cutter for cutting. This is easy to use. We have to sit cross legged with one leg pinning the wooden base. This helps it to keep the cutter stable. We keep a bowl or plate underneath it and the pieces and juice get collected in them.

See how the Tomatoes look.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes             1kg

Tamarind              250-300gms

Salt                      100 to 150gms

Red chilli powder  100 gms
Fenugreek seeds    100 gms
Mustard seeds          50 gms
Asafoetida pieces   10 gms

Turmeric              2-3 Tbsp
Vinegar                 150ml

For Tempering:

Oil        500 ml
Chick pea lentil     40 gms
Black gram lentil    40 gms
Mustard seeds        50gms
Fenugreek seeds     20 gms
Dried red chillies    10-12

Method:

Cut the tomatoes into medium sized pieces. There is no need to remove the seeds. 

Add turmeric and salt. Mix well. It should be little salty. But don't worry as you can adjust the salt in the end too.
Store them in glass or ceramic jar with tight lid. Leave for three days.

After three days, the pieces will be soft and you can observe lot of juice. 

Squeeze out juice as much as you can and collect it in a separate bowl. Spread the pieces on a plastic sheet and dry it in the sun for three days. You need to turn the pieces once or twice a day, so that they dry well. 

Above you can see my pickle being dried out. They should be at least 75% dry.

This is the new tamarind-freshly harvested.

Meanwhile you put the tamarind into the juice and sun it a few hours a day. Keep stirring it a few times while in the sun. When you bring back into the house after each day, leave it till it cools down completely before covering it with a lid. Or else it will develop fungus.

Now  there are two methods here to be followed on the fourth day or on the evening of third day itself:

A. Add the pieces to the juice and leave it for two hours. The pieces will get soaked in the juice and become soft again. Now you can grind the pieces along with tamarind. 

OR

B. First squeeze the tamarind well. Since it is already soaked in the juice, the pulp is easy to extract. keep the pulp and fish out the waste. Now add the tomato pieces to get soaked. You need not grind it. I follow this method.

Again after this there are two ways:

Method 1:

1. Heat 1-2 tsp of oil in a pan. Add asafeotida pieces and let them fry well on low heat. Let it cool, powder it and keep aside.
2. Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in the same pan to smoking point. Lower the heat and add 100gms each of fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds and fry. Keep stirring it to avoid burning. Fry till you hear the crackling sound. Remove from fire, add half of the asafoetida, keep stirring it for a few minutes to avoid burning of the spices. Cool it and then grind to a fine powder.
3. Now for tempering- heat the remaining oil to a smoking point in a deep bottomed pan. Lower the heat add the lentils, fry for a minute, add the mustard and fenugreek seeds, fry for 2-3 minutes till you hear the crackling sound. Add the red chillies, fry for a minute. Remove from fire, add asafoetida. Mix well and cool it completely.
4. Now to this add the red chilli powder little by little and keep on mixing till it is completely mixed in the oil.
5. Add this to the pieces and mix well. Taste it and add salt if required. Mix well and store it in a ceramic/glass jar.  This keeps for an year. Use as required.

Method 2:

1. Under this method, store the tomato pieces after following the process at B.
2. But add salt to these pieces if required, as without adequate salt, the pickle will not last long.
3. As and when required  a small quantity of the pieces are taken and the process at Method 1 above is followed. But the quantity of the oil and all other ingredients has to be used proportionately.
4. The advantage of preparing the pickle for use each time is that it tastes fresh and tasty. In the first method when we mix everything in the beginning itself, the spices loose their freshness, the tempering also looses its crunchiness and pickle does not taste good after a month or so.
5. We can prepare the quantity required for a fortnight or so freshly each time or just before our guests arrive so that it tastes fresh.

This is how it looks. I used old tamarind as I did not have time to go to market and fetch the new one. So my pickle looks black instead of red now itself. But I have only pickled a little quantity now. I am going to make more shortly. Then I will use the fresh one.

So try this out and see for yourself. If you have any doubts or questions please mail me....

Pickles from Andhra (ఆంధ్ర ఊరగాయలు)-7

Pickles and Chutneys with Gooseberries-I


My previous posts on Pickles are here:
http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/search/label/Pickles


Please read the introduction part before attempting this if you are making pickles for the first time. Its here:
http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/2010/05/pickles-from-andhra-i.html

Gooseberries are a favourite in Indian Kitchens  These berries come into market after the festival Diwali-that is in the month of Karthika and are available till the end of December or even first of January. These days most of the fruits are available through out the year. But during the season when they are naturally available, they are cheap, tasty and healthy too. 

For us South Indians, Gooseberries known as Usirikaya (Telugu) and Amla (Hindi) is a sacred fruit perhaps as much sacred as the holy Tulasi(basil) leaves. These berries are very good for health being rich in Vitamin C. It delays ageing process and keeps us young. It is good for our health in general and especially eye sight and hair. External application to hair makes it black, lustrous and healthy. It is extensively used in many medicinal preparations in Ayurveda system of medicine.

Here is a glimpse of the fruit:

This is how it looks on the tree. The trees are very tall with many branches. The leaves are very small. The fruit grow close to the branches in bunches.

Before making the pickles or chutneys or jams, wash the berries in water and wipe them dry with cloth thoroughly. Spread them on a clean dry cloth and dry them under fan for an hour or two till you are sure that there is no moisture left.


Use gingelly or sesame  oil for pickles.

1. Goose Berry Pickle(ఉసిరి ఆవకాయ / आमला आचार)

Ingredients:
Goose Berries    500gms
Red Chilly Powder  100gms
Mustard Powder     100gms
Salt   100gms
turmeric Powder      1tsp
Fenugreek seeds    1tbsp
Oil     250gms


Method

• Pierce the berries with a fork  few times or put little slits with a knife  here and there
• Now in a deep pan heat oil on low heat. Add the berries to oil, mix well so that the oil is coated all over the berries. Fry for five to ten minutes till the berries are somewhat fried. Stir in between so that the berries are fried on all sides.
• Remove from fire and coll completely
• Now add salt, chilly powder, mustard powder, turmeric, fenugreek seeds to the berries and mix thoroughly
• Store in a glass bottle or a ceramic container and close the lid tightly
• Keep for two or three days and then use it
• This tastes very good with hot boiled rice.

NOTE: 

• Some people heat one or two table spoons of oil separately, add 1/2 tsp of Asafoetida powder and immediately remove it from fire. Cool it add to the berries and mix thoroughly.
• In some regions, tamarind is soaked in hot water or boiled along with . Say lemon sized or more in enough water. Then it is cooled and the tamarind is squeezed thoroughly to extract a thick paste. This is then cooled completely and added to the berries mixture. In this case one has to add more salt and chilly powder  to balance the sour taste. But adding of tamarind pulp, not only lessens the slight bitter taste of the berries, but enhances the taste and also adds more stuff to the pickle. 

Try this out and let me know please....More to be posted in my next posts

Pickles from Andhra (ఆంధ్ర ఊరగాయలు)-6

MANGO PICKLES -5


My previous Posts on this topic are here:
http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/search/label/Andhra%20Pickles


12. Spicy Aavakaya (मसालेदार आम का आचार-మసాలా ఆవకాయ):


Ingredients:

Raw Mangoes 10(big)
Red Chilli Powder 250 gms
Mustard Seeds 150 gms
Coriander Seeds 150 gms
Cumin Seeds  100 gms
Fenugreek Seeds 100 gms
Turmeric Powder 2 Tbsps
Black Cumin Seeds 10 gms
Cardamoms 10 gms
Cloves 10 gms
Cinnamon 10 gms
Ginger 150 gms
Garlic 150 gms
Salt 250 gms
Sesame Oil 750 gms


For Tempering:
Mustard Seeds          2 Tbsps
Cumin Seeds            2 Tbsps
Fenugreek Seeds      1 Tbsp
Dried Red Chillies    4-5
Asafoetida powder    1 tsp


Method:

• Clean and wipe Mangoes thoroughly.
• Cut them into pieces with the hard shell as explained in my Recipe sl 1 Simple Aavakaya
• Roast Fenugreek seeds, Coriander Seeds, separately and powder.
• Powder Mustard seeds.
• Powder together Cinnamon, Cardamoms, Cloves and Black Cumin Seeds.
• Clean, peel and grind together Ginger and Garlic. Make sure that Ginger has no moisture if you have cleaned it with water. Wipe it thoroughly and let it dry for an hour or so in shade.
• Mix in, Salt, Turmeric, Mustard powder and Red Chilli powder, thoroughly.
• Now add some oil enough to wet the mixture and mix well. Roll the mango pieces so that they are well coated. Store this in a jar and leave for 3-4 days.
• On 5th day, mix the pickle thoroughly and adjust the taste of salt or chilli/mustard.
• For Tempering: Heat the remaining oil to a smoking point, add Mustard seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Cumin seeds, when it starts crackling add Red Chillies cut into pieces and Asafoetida powder.
• Now add ginger garlic paste and fry well till the oil separates.
• Add the Coriander Seeds powder, Cumin Seeds powder and fry for few minutes. Add the remaining spices powder and fry for a minute or two.
• Cool it thoroughly.
• Add this to the pickle and mix well. 
• Store properly and use it after 2-3 days.

In my next posts I am going to cover some more recipes on pickles involving raw mangoes. I know the season has ended here since it is raining and monsoons have started. But then I will keep on posting so that may be it may be of use for next year. Any way these days we are able to buy Mangoes almost through out the year, though a bit costly.

Pickles from Andhra (ఆంధ్ర ఊరగాయలు)-5

MANGO PICKLES -4


My previous posts on this topic are here:

http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/search/label/Andhra%20Pickles


10. Mango Pickle using water (पानी वाला आम का आचार -నీళ్ళ ఆవకాయ)

For preserving any pickle for a long time, the general advice is keeping it away from moisture at all costs and as such no water is used. The peculiarity in this method is using water for making the pickle. So here is the recipe…

Ingredients:

Raw Mangoes 12 Medium sized

Mustard Powder 500gms

Red Chili Powder 500 gms

Salt 500 gms

Turmeric 1 Tbsp

Roasted Fenugreek Seeds Powder 2Tbsp

Water 3 glasses

Oil 750 gms to 1 Kg


Method:

• Clean and cut the mangoes as explained for simple Aavakaya Pickle.
  
• Mix together all spices. Mix them well.
  
• Boil water and cool completely.
  
• Add this water to the spice mixture little by little and mix.
  
• Now add oil to this mixture and mix thoroughly
  
• Add the mango pieces few at a time mixing well until they are coated with the spice mixture.
  
• Place the pickle in a glass or ceramic jar. Leave for three to four days.
  
• Then check for the taste and add the required spice or salt to adjust the taste.
  
• If necessary add more oil.
  
• Now it is ready for use.
  
• Store properly.
  

11. Fenugreek Avakaya (मेथी वाला आम का आचार -మెంతి ఆవకాయ)

Ingredients:

Raw Mangoes 10 Medium Sized

Mustard Powder 100gms

Red Chili Powder 500 gms

Salt 500 gms

Turmeric 3 Tbsp

Roasted Fenugreek Seeds Powder 500 gms

Water 3 glasses

Oil 1 Kg

Method;

• Clean and cut the mangoes as explained for simple Aavakaya Pickle.
  
• Mix salt and turmeric and roll the pieces in the mixture.
  
• Place them in a jar and leave for 3-4 days.
  
• On 5^th day squeeze out the juice and dry the pieces in hot sun for 2-3 days.
  
• Keep the juice as well as the jar in sun for a day and store them till the pieces are dried.
  
• Mix together Mustard Powder, Fenugreek Powder and Red Chilli well.
  
• Now add oil to this mixture and mix thoroughly.
  
• Add the juice and mix well.
  
• Add the mango pieces few at a time mixing well until they are coated with the spice mixture.
  
• Place the pickle in a glass or ceramic jar. Leave for three to four days.
  
• Then check for the taste and add the required spice or salt to adjust the taste.
  
• Now it is ready for use.
  
• Store properly.
  

Pickles from Andhra (ఆంధ్ర ఊరగాయలు)-4

MANGO PICKLES -3

This is the fourth in the series on Andhra Pickles. The previous posts are here:http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/2010/05/pickles-from-andhra-i.html

http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/2010/05/pickles-from-andhra-ii.html

http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/2010/06/pickles-from-andhra-iii.html

Before giving some recipes, some of my friends asked me for the measures of ingredients for making small quantities of pickle. So for simple Aavkaya (sl 1) it is as follows:

Raw Mangoes: 12 (medium sized) or 6 very big ones

Red Chilli powder: 500Gms

Mustard Powder: 500Gms

Salt: 500Gms

Fenugreek seeds(optional): 50 gms

Garlic (optional): 100gms

Turmeric powder: 1-2 Tbsps or a fistful

Oil: 750 gms to 1 Kg

NOTE: For Sl 3 and 4 take 500gms of Green gram(lentil) and sesame for Green gram aavakaya and Sesame aavakaya respectively.

6. Garlic Aavakaya (लहसुन वाला आम का आचार/వెలుల్లి ఆవకాయ)

Peeled and sliced Garlic

• The ingredients are same as in sl 1 or as above for lesser quantities except for garlic. The procedure is same as that in sl 1 too.
• Apart from that take either 250 gms if the quantities are as in sl1 or 50-100 gms if it is as above- of Garlic. Actually it is according to your taste. Some like only a very light trace. If that is so reduce the quantity of garlic. 
• Peel the pods. You can add it as it is or slice it before adding. This can be added to the spice mixture the first day pickle is being made or on the final day (after 3-4 days) when adjustment of spices is made and the remaining oil is added before storing. It takes a while for the taste of garlic to blend in with the spices say a week or so.

TIP: 

1. For easy peeling of garlic, separate the pods and place them in a polythene bag and keep in the refrigerator for a day or two. 
2. OR place the pods in the sun for few hours. 
3. OR heat a flat pan keep on very low fire, add the pods and and roast them for a few minutes, constantly stirring them with a spoon. Take them off the pan, cool and then peel.

7. Dried Mango Pickle (सुखा आम का आचार- ఎండు ఆవకాయ)

Ingredients:
Raw Mangoes: 10 (medium sized) or 5 big
Red Chilli powder: 500Gms
Mustard Powder: 500Gms
Salt: 500Gms
Fenugreek seeds: 50 gms
Turmeric powder: 1-2 Tbsps or a fistful
Garlic (optional): 100gms
Oil: 1 Kg

Method:

• Clean the mangoes and cut them with the hard shell as described in my earlier post (II) 
• Mix in salt and turmeric well and then roll in the mango pieces coating them well with the mixture. Store them in a jar after securing the lid properly. Leave for 3 days. 
• On the fourth day separate the juice from the pieces by placing them in a sieve or a fine muslin cloth. Squeeze the pieces for removing the juice in them. 
• Collect all the juice in a glass or ceramic bowl and place it in the sun for few hours or a day. Place the jar also in the sun. 
• After cooling the jar as well as the juice, pour the juice into the jar and store aside. 
• The pieces should be dried in the sun for 3-4 days until well dried. 
• On the 5th day, roast and powder fenugreek seeds. 
• Mix together red chilli powder, mustard powder and fenugreek powder. Add garlic pods as it is or sliced and mix well. 
• Take the stored juice in a wide bowl, mix in the spice mixture by adding little by little. Add the oil and mix well. 
• Put all the mango pieces and mix well. 
• Put the pickle in the jar, cover properly and store. Can be used after 3-4 days.

  
  

8. Stuffed Mango Pickle( भरवाँ आचार గుత్తి ఆవకాయ)

• The ingredients are same as for simple avakaya (sl 1). 
• The process is slightly different. 
• Take very small mangoes. So either increase the number of mangoes or decrease the quantity of spices proportionately. 
• Clean the mangoes and wipe them well. 
• Place a cut in the form of + on each mango and slit in through the stone length wise. The base should be intact and the four pieces should not get separated. Remove the seed inside but the hard shell should not be removed. 
• Mix in all the spice powders well. Add little oil-enough(say one fourth) to wet the mixture and mix well. Keep the remaining oil aside. 
• Stuff in each of the mango with the spice mixture. 
• Place a layer of spice mixture in the jar first. Now place all the mangoes carefully. Spread the remaining spice mixture on the top of these. 
• Pour in all the oil over it. Cover properly and store. Can be used after a week or ten days. The pieces can be separated just before serving or serve the mangoes as a whole. 
  
  

9. Red Chilli Aavakaya ( लाल मिर्ची वाला आचार కారం ఆవకాయ)

Ingredients:
Raw Mangoes: 10 (medium sized) or 5 big
Red Chilli powder: 500Gms
Salt: 500Gms
Fenugreek seeds: 50 gms
Turmeric powder: 1-2 Tbsps or a fistful
Garlic (optional): 100gms
Oil: 750 Gms


Method: 

• Clean the mangoes and cut them with the hard shell as described in my earlier post (II) 
• Mix thoroughly, salt, chilli powder, turmeric and fenugreek seeds. Add on fourth of oil and mix well. 
• Coat the pieces with the mixture by rolling them in it. Place them in a jar and keep aside for 3-4 days. 
• Put it in a bowl and sun them for a day in the hot sun. 
• After cooling it thoroughly in the evening, mix in the remaining oil, put it back in the jar, cover and store. 

More to come...so keep a watch on my blog.....Leave your comments and suggestions if any please...

Pickles from Andhra (ఆంధ్ర ఊరగాయలు)-3

MANGO PICKLES -2


This is the third in the series on Andhra Pickles. The previous posts are here:

http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/2010/05/pickles-from-andhra-i.html

http://spiceomylife.blogspot.com/2010/05/pickles-from-andhra-ii.html

4. Sesame Aavakaya ( तिल वाला आम का आचार - నువ్వు ఆవకాయ )

Sesame is also known as Gingely, is known as Til (तिल) in Hindi and Nuvvulu (నువ్వులు) in Telugu. The main ingredient here is sesame seeds.The colour of the seeds varies from creamy white to dark black. The whiter varieties are preferred for consumption.

The raw sesame seeds whose husk is not removed is a dusky white to light brown in colour and a bit bitter to taste. This is the whole seed known as Mudi Nuvvulu (ముడి నువ్వులు/నువ్వులు) in Telugu. This is a bit bitter to taste. Then there is the one where the husk is removed and seeds are polished/processed. This is more tastier and almost cream white in colour. This is known as Nuvvu Pappu (నువ్వు పప్పు). This is used for the pickle.

This is how they look. From light cream or dirty white to slightly brownish. Once the husk is removed and polished they look much cleaner and whitish.

Clean the Sesame seeds, roast till a nice roasted smell is given out. For roasting (toasting) heat a thick bottomed pan or kadhai and roast the seeds on low fire. Once roasted they will start popping all over. So be careful and immediately switch off the fire. Cool and powder it.

• All the ingredients are same as in sl 1, except that substitute 1Kg Mustard powder with 1Kg sesame seeds powder. 
• I don't add Fenugreek seeds or garlic. 
• A little quantity Mustard powder say one cup or up to 250 gms or so may be added. But this is not a must. The taste lies in the powdered sesame seeds.
• The rest of the process is same as in sl 1.
  

5. Jaggery  Aavakaya  (गुड वाला आम का आचार/- బెల్లపు ఆవకాయ )

Jaggery is known as Gud (गुड) in Hindi and bellam (బెల్లము) in Telugu. This is a product of sugar cane and very sweet when compared to sugar but much healthier and so widely used in Indian cuisine.

• Ingredients are same as for simple Avakaya pickle I explained in Sl 1 of my previous post.
• Some avoid Fenu greek seeds. But I have observed that some like to add it -either as it is or roasted and powdered.
• Some add garlic also. Around 100 to 250 gms of garlic can be added after peeling the pods and sliced if necessary.

Method I:

• The procedure of Mango Pickle as explained in simple Avakaya- sl 1 (of the previous post)is the same.
• In addition, 1kg to 1 and 1/2Kg Jaggery is made into a syrup. If needed add very little water. Cool it completely and add it to the pickle. This can be done on the third or fourth day, when the pickle is checked for its taste and finally mixed after adding oil. It takes a week or so for the tastes to blend in well. So leave it till then and use.

Method II:

• The ingredients are the same as above.
• The mango pieces (as in Sl 1) should first be mixed with salt (half of the quantity) and turmeric powder. Put them in a ceramic or a glass container. Cover and leave for 3 to 4 days, till the entire mixture is wet and juicy.
• On 3 or 4th day, squeeze out the juice from the pieces and place the juice (just for a day or few hours, keep aside, properly covered and store it away from moisture till required) and the pieces (till well dried) in the hot Sun. The pieces will take a day or two to dry.
• Mix chilli powder, mustard powder, remaining salt, (garlic and fenugreek seeds or powder if being added) thoroughly. Add the remaining oil kept aside (see sl 1) little by little and mix well. Now add the juice kept aside and mix well.
• Make a syrup of jaggery by heating it on very low heat. Add a little water if needed. Cool it well. Add this to the above mixture little by little and mixing well.
• Now add thedried mango pieces and mix thoroughly so that they are coated well.
• Put back the pickle in the ceramic or glass jars. Close the lid tighlty and leave for a week before using.

Method III:

• Process every thing as in Sl1 and leave the pickle for three to four days.
• On the fourth day, take the pickle in a wide plate or vessel and mix well. Check for the taste and add the required spices and the remaining oil kept aside. Mix thoroughly. 
• Grate the Jaggery add to the pickle and mix well. Leave it overnight. 
• Place the pickle in the hot Sun for three to four days, until the jaggery melts into thick syrup and all the tastes blend well. Mix it now and then when placed in the Sun each day. 
• Store in proper container and lid closed tightly. 

Method IV:

• Ingredients are same as above.
• Use small (smallest available) sized mangoes for this, as mangoes have to be used as a whole. 
• Either use the same quantity of spices and increase the quantity of mangoes (as we are using smaller size) or decrease the quantity of spices. 
• Grate Jaggery. Mix in all spices along with jaggery and a little of the oil (enough to wet the mixture). 
• Keep aside the remaining oil. 
• Place a cut in the form of + on each mango and slit in through the stone length wise. The base should be intact and the pieces should not get separated. Remove the seed inside but the hard shell should not be removed. 
• Loosely stuff in each of the mango with the spice mixture. 
• Pour some oil in a Jar and place some of the mangoes one by one into it and sprinkle a little of the left over spice mixture overthem. Again place few more mangoes and sprinkle a layer of spice mixture. Continue this till all the mangoes are placed and the spice mixture is exhausted. 
• Pour some oil on the top, close the lid tightly and leave for three days. 
• On fourth day remove the mangoes carefully and dry in the sun 4-5 days. Similarly mix the spice mixture in the jar, which by now will also have the juice from the mangoes and keep in the sun for few hours and store aside till the mangoes dry . 
• After the mangoes have dried, on the 6th day carefully roll them in the spice mixture stored earlier so that they are all well coated. Replace them in the jar along with the spice mixture. 
• Heat the remaining oil to a smoking point and cool thoroughly before pouring over the pickle in the jar. Cover properly before storing. The pickle will be ready to use within a week. While using the pickle one can separate the pieces or serve the mango as a whole.

Method V-Dried Avakaya (తీపి ఎండు ఆవకాయ):

• In this method follow the steps given in Method III above.  The amount of oil can be reduced to half-three fourths. (I need to verify this though. I am not so sure.)
• However(in the sixth step), the pickle should be placed in a big plate and allowed to dry completely. It will take a few days for this even if the sun is very hot. Once dry, the spice mixture should be powdery and not slushy like in the usual pickles.
• This can be stored as usual and used. In rainy season however, this pickle may become a little slushy because of the moisture content in the atmosphere.
• I remember that as children we used to eat pieces of this pickle like a candy instead of a pickle.

I am giving the ingredients for making smaller quantities of Pickle:

Raw Mangoes: 10 (medium sized) or 5 big
Red Chilli powder: 500Gms
Mustard Powder: 500Gms
Salt: 500Gms
Jaggery: 500 Gms
Fenugreek seeds(optional): 50 gms
Garlic (optional): 100gms
Oil: 750 gms to 1 Kg


Please let me know if you have any comments and suggestions. Since these are traditional methods and now a days many people are not aware of this, I would be grateful to you, if any one who has knowledge of these methods can add to my content or correct it or improve it so that we all can keep the tradition going. I have taken utmost care in recording the original methods of pickling and have posted them here, but still if there are any omissions or misses and errors so, please feel free to let me know.


I am going to post many more recipes on Mango Pickles and Chutneys...Keep an eye on my blog......