Avakkai Pickle| Avakkai Mango Urugai Recipe | Andhra Avakaya Pachadi | Andhra Cut Mango Pickle

This recipe brings back tons of childhood memories. Almost everyone would beam with pride over the statement 'My mom makes the best comfort food and my grandma makes the best pickle'. And I'm no different. Even now I slurp over the mere thought of my grandma's (lost her 10 years ago) Avakai pickle. She used to make varieties of pickle like grated mango, cut mango, tomato and garlic during summer. There would also be vadams (that too variety flavoured ones like tomato, onion etc) and dried mango etc. 

My favourite of the lot used to be pickles and that too this avakai recipe. Unfortunately my mom didn't have the exact recipe to this pickle, so I had to resort to other blogs and finally found a close match to the taste of my grandma's pickle to Swasthi's recipe :) Now I too make this every year and Deeps too is a die hard fan of this pickle now :) My maternal grandma does not add garlic in this pickle but my paternal does. Me and my mom we both love to nibble to that garlic so I add them in my pickle too. The measurements mentioned here has never failed me, so I always stick to this one to the dot. If you haven't tried making this pickle at home do try once coz it's that simple and it will make you prepare at least one jar every summer :)

Makes: A 500 gm bottle

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 30 mins

I Used:

Cut Raw Mango pieces	-	1 - 1½ cup
Oil	-	½ cup (+ ¼ cup or so as needed)
Mustard powder	-	¼ cup
Fenugreek powder	-	½ tsp
Red Chilly powder	-	¼ cup (I use Kashmiri chilli powder)
Salt	-	¼ cup
Garlic	-	⅛ cup

The Way:

1. Heat a kadai. Add the mustard seeds and methi seeds (I take slightly less than ¼ cup of mustard seeds and ¼ tsp methi seeds to roast and grind. If you have the individual powder handy then skip this step) to them and dry roast on a low flame for 2-3 minutes till they turn warm. Switch off the flame and spread the mustard seeds on a plate and allow them to cool. Once cooled, grind them to a fine powder in a mixer/blender

2. Wash the mangoes with water and soak them in water for sometime (30-60 minutes) so that the dirt on them is removed. Then remove them from water and pat them dry using a kitchen towel and allow them to dry completely by spreading on a large piece of cloth. They should be completely moisture free and dry for the pickle to have a larger shelf life

3. The vessels, knife, cutting board and the area that you use for the pickle preparation - cutting mangoes and preparing pickle should also be dry and clean and completely devoid of moisture

4. Trim the edge of the mango where you have the stalk. Then cut each mango into half (lengthwise) keeping the pit (the hard shell at the centre of the mango that encloses the seed) intact. Use a really sharp knife and cut them with caution. If you feel that you are not getting a grip on the mango then use a cotton cloth or towel and wrap it around the mango and hold

5. Remove the seeds if any and keep the pit intact. If the pit gets separated then those mangoes/mango pieces are not used for the pickle as it changes the taste of the pickle by becoming soggy

6. Now after removing the seeds, you can see a thin seed covering on the pit that can be removed using a spoon or knife. I gently use a knife and remove that seed cover as well

7. Now cut each mango halves into 3-4 pieces

8. . And again cut each of those pieces to 3-4 pieces. Each piece have to be around 2-3 inches in length. Make sure that each piece has the pit/shell attached to them as well

9. Measure and keep the mango pieces in a plate. A medium sized mango yields about 1 cup of mango pieces cut as described above

10. Now peel the garlic cloves and keep aside



11. Now take the mustard and fenugreek (methi) powder, red chilly powder, garlic and salt in a bowl. Mix them well

12. In another bowl, measure and keep ¼ cup of the gingelly oil



13. Now take the mango pieces using a spoon/slotted spoon and dunk them in the oil. Then take them from the oil and add them to the spice mix. Coat them well with the spice mix and then add them to a bharani or the glass bottle where you intend to preserve the pickle

14. Repeat the above step until the entire mango pieces are pickled. If you run short of oil, then add the remaining ¼ cup into the bowl and continue pickling

15. At the end, if there is any oil or spice mix remaining, then add them to the pickle

16. Cover the bharani/glass bottle with a lid. If needed you can use a extra covering of cotton cloth to tie it up

17. Keep it in a dry shelf for 3 days. After that open the lid and mix it up with a wooden spoon or laddle. Check if salt is sufficient. If not add more. Wait till next day to see if there is enough oil to cover the pickle. If not add a little more to cover it



After 3 days, the pickle is ready to eat. You can keep it in a dry place and use as needed. It stays good for an year without refrigeration

Notes:

• If you are using 1 cup of mango pieces, the yield of the gravy will be rich and more. But if you do not want more gravy then use 1 ½ cup of mango pieces for the remaining quantity of ingredients mentioned

• Do not go stingy on the oil or the salt, as they are the ingredients that preserve the pickle and give it a long shelf life

• Always use clean, dry spoons to take for the pickles. If you have made a large batch then I strongly suggest to use a small bottle for regular use. Opening the pickle frequently diminishes the flavour and quality of the pickle

Cheers,

Chitz

Mango Chia Seed Pudding | Chia Mango Pudding | Mango Chia Pudding Recipe

This is one dish that regularly makes it's appearance during summer. I love chia pudding and that too only with mangoes :D Last year when I made this and was trying to take pictures for the blog while Dhruv was sleeping. Just when I had the whole setup ready and clicked 2-3 pics, he woke up and came. And was not ready to part with the pudding. He was smirking and grinning that he sabotaged my set up and was happily having the pudding. Yes, my little one too loves this :) So this year I made it while he was away at school and clicked leisurely ;) And evening we both enjoyed having this.. It is best served chilled ! Usually it's quite sunny in Chennai. But day before yesterday when I clicked this it was quite gloomy. And yesterday it rained for about 10 minutes. This is the first rain of the year and it feels good too as there is a little relief from the scorching heat :)

Check out the other Mango recipes here if interested.. 

Makes: 1 cup

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 5 mins

I Used:

Mango	-	2 sides of 1 big banganapalli
Chia	-	3 tbsp
Milk (boiled & cooled)	-	1 ½ cup
Honey (any sweetener)	-	1 tbsp
Vanilla Essence	-	1 tsp

The Way:

1. Take the chia seeds in a bowl. Add milk to it. Use milk that is boiled and cooled

2. Now add sweetener of choice. I added honey

3. Then add vanilla essence if using and mix well

4. Cover the bowl and leave it refrigerated for minimum 2 hours. Leave it overnight if possible

5. Next for assembling the pudding, peel a ripe mango and rinse it with water. Then cut into small bite sized cubes

6. In a serving glass, now layer the pudding with alternate layers of mango slices and the bloomed chia 

7. Garnish with pomegranate or cherry or nuts or raisins of your choice

Serve chilled !

Notes:

• You can customize the pudding the way you want. You can layer it with mango puree instead of mango pieces

• You can add a layer of rice flakes or granola to make it more healthy & wholesome

• If the mangoes are sweet enough you wouldn't need any sweetener

• You can also add in seeds like hemp, melon etc and nuts like almonds & dry fruits of choice

• You can go for another fruits like strawberries or chikoo as well but personally I favour mangoes :)

Cheers,

Chitz

Raw Mango Pachadi | Pacha Maanga Pachadi | Mangai Pachadi | Mamadikaya Pachadi

This is a dish with a lot of emotions attached to it.  This was one of my grandfather's favourite dish. This is my mom's favourite. And now it's mine too.. Earlier I was not a great fan of this. But after a point, I started relishing this relish. And what happened was I never used to get it right. So I have made this a couple of times and clicked a couple of times over a couple of years but somehow I was not satisfied. 

This year when my mom was home, I made her do this and after that I made it again a couple of times and it was tasting perfect each time. Just like that childhood days taste I have in my senses :) And this time I jotted down the measurements too and so it made it's way to the blog now. Sometimes (Many a times) the simplest of the dishes are the ones that take time to master than the complex ones. At least for me ;) This dish can be had like you have the pickle, as a side dish/relish for rice. Or if you are like me, can have it as such too :D

Makes: 1 cup

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 5 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

I Used:

Raw Mango	-	1 medium sized (A heaped ½ cup)
Red Chilly Powder	-	1 tsp
Turmeric Powder	-	¼ tsp
Salt Water	- -	As Needed ¼ cup
Jaggery	-	2-3 tbsp
Oil	-	2 tsp
Mustard	-	½ tsp
Red Chilly	-	1-2 nos
Curry Leaves	-	2 sprigs

The Way:

1. Trim the edges and peel the skin of the mango. Wash it well. The area near the stalk may have milk in it. So wash well else you will get a bitter taste

2. Chop the mango to small pieces (around ¼ inch pieces)

3. Take the chopped mangoes along with the red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt in a kadai/pan. Add water and mix well

4. Keep the kadai on flame. When it comes to a boil, simmer the flame and  close the kadai with a lid and allow the mango pieces to get cooked. It will take around 5-7 minutes

5. Check once in a while to see that the water is not dried and the mango pieces doesn't get stuck at the bottom of the kadai

6. Once cooked you can see that much of the water has evaporated and you have a thick mix. Now add the jaggery granules to it. I use organic jaggery granules. So added as such

7. If you are using normal jaggery, scrape the jaggery and take them in a separate vessel. Add little water to it and heat it over flame. Once they dissolve switch off the flame and allow to cool. Then strain them using a strainer to remove any impurities in the jaggery and then add it to the pachadi

8. Once you add jaggery, it will release some water. Keep mixing over low flame for 2-3 minutes. The mix will come together. Switch off the flame then

9. In another tadka pan, heat oil. Splutter mustard

10.Add broken red chilly and curry leaves

11. Add this tadka to the pachadi. Mix well and serve

Notes:

• Quantity of the red Chilly powder and jaggery mentioned here are that which I used for a moderately sour mango. Adjust them according to the mango that you use 

• Use raw mangoes for making this pachadi. My mom says that the best ones for making this pachadi are the ones that are starting to turn ripe. The ones which are firm like raw mango but have a mild yellow colour to it

• Adding tadka is optional. If you do not like, you can skip it

Cheers,

Chitz

Mango Milkshake Recipe | How to make fresh Mango Milkshake at home?

Come summer, mango milkshakes have to be made.. Right? Yes, for us it is like "What is summer without a Mango Milkshake?' I would love to make some popsicles too but this year we are cutting low on sugar and some carbs too, so I guess the popsicles have to wait for another year maybe :( This milkshake can be tailored in many ways to suit our cravings and needs. You can make it rich by adding a pinch of saffron. You can make it healthy by skipping the sweetener. You can make it vegan by adding almond or coconut milk instead of the normal dairy milk. Or maybe add 2 scoops of ice cream instead of one ;) Choose as you may want to, but if the mangoes are reasonably sweet, then any variant of the shake is great and makes you feel  refreshed :) I generally make the shake with Alphonso (for it's bright colour :D) or Banganapally mangoes but you can choose any pulpy and reasonably sweet variety of mango for the shake..

Makes: 2 glasses

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 mins

I Used:

Alphonso Mango	-	2 medium sized ones
Milk	-	1-1½ cup (boiled, cooled & refrigerated)
Sugar/Jaggery/Sweetner (optional)	-	1-2 tbsp (As needed)
Ice cream (optional)	-	1 scoop
Saffron/Kesar (optional) Cardamom powder (optional)	- -	A pinch ¼ tsp
Nuts (optional)	-	2-3 tbsp

The Way:

1. Scrape the skin of the mango and trim the stalk off. Rinse it well in water. While trimming the stalk some milk can ooze out of the mango and it gives a weird taste if not rinsed properly

2. Cut the mango into small chunks and take them in a blender

3. Add milk to it and blend well

4. Now open the blender and taste the milkshake. If needed add sugar, kesar and ice cream and then give a final blend

5. Pour into tall glasses and serve cold. You can garnish with chopped nuts if needed

Notes:

• I use Alphonso (or Banganapalli) mangoes for it's colour and taste. It gives a deep yellow colour and the shake feels like store bought :) You can use any ripe, pulpy, sweet and fibreless mangoes of your choice for making the shake

• For a thick milkshake use less milk for blending. Also keeping the mango/mango pieces in fridge also helps

• If using ice cream, use vanilla or mango flavour so that the taste is not compromised much

• Use ice cubes while blending for chilled shake. It can make the shake a little runny. Instead use chilled milk and mango for making shake and serve the shake with ice cubes added in the glass

• You can blend in the nuts or use for garnishing. Sometimes I like to blend in the nuts when I skip adding extra sweetner. Then it feels like having an extra crunch and I do not feel that I have skipped the sweetner (At times it is for satisfying the mind too ;))

Cheers,

Chitz

Instant Mango Pickle | Manga Achar | Manga Urukai | Raw Mango Pickle

I make this pickle almost every year. This year I made it twice :)  So you can understand how easy it is to make :)  During summer, I almost always have the pickle powder (mustard-feungreek powder) ground in bulk and stored. So it is a breeze to make the pickles as and when needed.. This pickle is the family favorite and is loved by all. Now who can say no to fiery, salty and sour lip smacking mango pickle na :) The more it sits the more darker and tastier it gets.. So shall we see now how to make this yummy and easy pickle?

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 minutes

Recipe source : Ma

Makes : A 300 gm bottle 

I Used:

Raw Mango	-	3 medium sized ones (cut into small pieces)
Salt	-	As Needed
Gingelly Oil	-	¼ Cup
Mustard	-	1 tsp
Asafoetida	-	2 tsp
Red Chilly Powder	-	1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder	-	½ tsp
Mustard	-	2 tsp
Fenugreek	-	2 tsp
Mustard-Fenugreek powder	-	½ tbsp

The Way:

1. In a pan dry roast the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds for 4-5 minutes on low flame. Take care not to burn them. It starts giving a nice aroma and also the mustard will start spluttering. Then off the flame. Allow it to cool and powder them in a clean and dry mixer jar. You can grind this powder in bulk and use it for all of your pickles

2. Rinse the mango nicely in water. Then pat it dry using a kitchen towel. Then cut the mango into small quarter inch pieces. You can remove the skin or keep it as per your wish. I always keep the skin and discard the seed. After cutting the mango into pieces, add required salt to it and mix well and keep aside in a clean and dry container. If you like, you can leave it like that for 3-4 days for the salt to nicely soak in. Else you can make the pickle instantly as well 

3. Take a pan and heat the gingelly oil (nallennai). Now reduce the flame. Splutter the mustard seeds

4. Then add asaoetida, don't go stingy here :) Add it liberally

5. Now add red chilly powder, turmeric powder and saute for a minute

6. Then add the mustard-fenugreek powder

7. Give a nice mix and then add the cut mango pieces and give a nice stir and switch off the flame 

8. Store the pickle in a clean, dry, glass container. You should be able to see oil floating on the top of the container else chances of the pickle getting spoilt are very high. Leave in a clean place for a day or two for the flavours to soak in and then refrigerate it

Notes:

• Store in a clean and dry glass container for longer shelf life
• Refrigerate if possible after a day of making the pickle for longer life
• Always use a clean dry spoon to take the pickle from the bottle
• Allow a layer of oil on top of the container for longer life and it prevents from mold formation on top of the pickle

Cheers,
Chitz

Chakkakuru Manga Curry | Kerala Style Chakkakuru Pacha Manga Curry | Jackfruit Seeds and Raw Mango Curry

Are you folks still getting raw mangoes at your place? I'm still able to see them in markets here but the quantity is getting lesser. I know some of these recipes should have been published last month but I got a little busy last month with the little one's Vidyarambham and other short trips and guests around. But if you have saved up some jackfruit seeds and can still get hold of some raw mangoes, this is a must try gravy for that Kerala red rice :) Tangy and crunchy and if you make some chicken ularthiyathu or mutton roast or mutton chukka, then all you need is that for a hearty meal and an afternoon siesta ;) I learned this recipe from my Mil. Every summer I look forward to having this yummy gravy for lunch at least once :) So let's see how this is made..

Other recipes with mango or jackfruit..

Raw Mango Rice

Uppilitta Manga | Raw Mangoes in Brine

Mampazha Pachadi | Pazhutha Manga Pachadi

Mambazha Pulissery | Mambazha Kaalan

Unakka Chemmeen Maanga Curry | Kerala Style Dried Shrimp Raw Mango Curry
Idichakka Thoran

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Recipe source : Mil

Serves : 3-4 persons

I Used:

Chakkakuru/Jackfruit seed	-	8 nos
Raw Mango	-	1 medium sized - chopped into 1 inch pieces
Red Chilly powder	-	1 tbsp
Turmeric powder	-	¼ tsp
Salt	-	As Needed

To Grind:

Grated Coconut	-	½ cup
Cumin seed	-	½ tsp

To Temper:

Coconut Oil	-	2 tbsp
Mustard  Fenugreek	- -	½ tsp ¼ tsp
Red Chilly	-	2 nos
Curry leaves	-	2 sprigs

The Way:

1. To clean the chakkakuru, first remove the white outer cover of the seed (forgot to take that pic). Then soak the seeds in water overnight. You can clean them without soaking also, but it's difficult and time consuming

2. Take the soaked chakkakuru and using a knife scrape off the brown skin of the seed. Then cut the seed vertically into two or three (as possible) pieces

3. Now take the cleaned chakkakuru in a pressure cooker. Add little salt and water (1/4 cup) and pressure cook it till done. I kept for 2 whistles in high flame and 3 whistles in low flame

4. Meanwhile wash the raw mango thoroughly and pat dry using a kitchen towel. Now cut the mango into 1 inch long pieces (with the skin)

5. Take the cut mango pieces along with red chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt and little water (¼ cup - just enough for the mango pieces to be immersed) in a pan and boil them. Keep the flame on high

6. When the water starts boiling, reduce the flame to low and cover the pan and cook till the mango pieces are done (will take around 8-10 minutes). Don't let the pieces turn mushy. They should be cooked as well as firm

7. While the mango gets cooked, take the grated coconut and cumin seeds in a blender jar. Add little water and grind them into a smooth paste and keep aside

8. When the mangoes are cooked, add the cooked jackfruit seeds to it and give a stir

9. Now add the ground coconut paste and stir. Allow it to get cooked in low flame for 3-4 minutes so that the flavours blend in. Check salt and add if needed. Then switch off the flame

10. In a tadka pan, heat coconut oil. Splutter mustard and fenugreek seeds

11. Add broken dry red chilly and curry leaves. Take care not to burn

12. Add this tempering to the gravy and give a gentle stir

Serve with red rice and a spicy side dish of your choice!

Notes:

• Adjust the quantity of the raw mango accordingly. Some mangoes may be too sour. Here we do not use curd or tamarind. The raw mango alone contributes to the sourness of the gravy. So adjust accordingly. Here I have used 1 full small sized raw mango 

• You can also add drumstick or kumbalanga (ash gourd) also to this gravy. You can cook them along with the raw mangoes or pressure cook them with the seeds (As per convenience)

Cheers,

Chitz