Punjabi Raw Mango Pickle - Raw mango pieces smeared with Indian spices

This is my 100th post!!! I am too excited and wanted this to be very special. So I decided this post should be a recipe that had got me lots of kudos!. My Punjabi Mango pickle has been a favorite one for most of our family and friends…..So here I am gonna share this recipe with my readers. I hope you will surely love this Authentic Punjabi mango pickle.

As the summer season has already started and everyone is busy making pickles or should be!!! The yearly stock of mango pickle would be high on the to-do list for most of us.

I had already posted the Raw Mango pickle –Kerala style. So this year I want to share my specialty  Punjabi mango pickle, The spice blend in Punjabi mango pickle is slightly different from the regular mango pickle .The spices are slightly crushed, the addition of kalonji(nigella seeds) and ajwain gives it a wonderful taste and flavor.

Here you go….Do try it and share your comments….

Ingredients:

3 kgs Raw Mango

250 grams Fenugreek Seeds

150 grams Mustard Seeds

250 grams Fennel Seeds

4 tsp Nigella Seeds / Kalonji

3 tsp Carom Seeds / Ajwain

3 tbsp Peppercorns

8 tbsp Red Chilli powder

7 tsp Turmeric Powder

3 tsp Asafoetida

300 grams Salt

1 litre Mustard Oil

Method:

1. Dry the whole spices for a day in bright sunlight to remove the moisture.
2. Coarsely crush mustard, fennel and fenugreek seeds.
3. Kalonji and ajwain should be added whole, so no need to crush or grind them.
4. Wash and wipe mangoes with a cloth napkin.
5. Heat mustard oil to smoking point and then let it come to room temperature.
6. Chop raw mangoes into medium or small size pieces as per your liking.
7. In a big and wide bowl add the crushed spices and all the powdered spices along with the chopped mango pieces.
8. Mix well and keep it covered for a day.
9. Next day cover the bowl with a muslin cloth and keep in sunlight for few hours.
10. Also keep the storage jar in sunlight for a day and dry it completely, now transfer the mango pickle to this jar after a day.
11. Add the mustard oil in the jar, the oil should be at least 1 inch above the pickle level.
12. Cover the jar with the lid and let it mature for a week before start using.

This delicious Mango Pickle stays fresh till it lasts:)

Andhra Style Tomato Pickle / Instant Tomato Pickle Recipe

I am a big fan of pickles one of my favorite is Tomato pickle. I tasted this for the first at one of my friend’s house. That’s was her grandma’s specialty pickle. I fell in love with this pickle and was desperate to learn to cook that. I took the recipe from her grand mom and tried it out. I was quite simple and easy to make pickle. I make this quite often at home, my husband and his siblings love it.

Looking at the nutrition facts tomatoes contain the carotene lycopene, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants. In some studies, lycopene, especially in cooked tomatoes, has been found to help prevent prostate cancer. Lycopene has also been shown to improve the skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays.

So here you go a simple and instant tomato pickle recipe.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 2 kgs

Sesame Oil - 200 ml( can be adjusted as per your need)

Mustards seeds - 1 tspn(roasted and roughly crushed)

Curry leaves - 4-5 sprigs

Asafoetida - 1 heaped tspn

Red chili powder - 2 1/2 tbsps (can be increased as per your spice level)

Turmeric Powder – 1 tspn

Salt as per taste

Method:

Wash the tomatoes and chop them in small cubes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large vessel, add the tomatoes and cook on high flame for 2 mins. Reduce flame, add salt and cook for at least an hour or so. Mix the tomatoes once in a while. Continue to cook till the water is almost evaporated. Towards the end of the cooking process, keeping mashing the tomatoes lightly with a ladle. It should be like a thick yet slightly loose consistency chunky sauce.

At this stay you could see the oil oozes out, now add chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida and curry leaves. Stir well and cook the tomato mixture till the raw smell of the masala powder goes off and the oil floats on top. Now finally add the crushed mustard seeds, check for salt and add if required.

Turn off flame. Cool completely and transfer to a glass storage container.

Serve with idli, Dosa OR with rice.

Raw Mango Pickle - Kerala Style

The raw mango is so closely associated with the Indian cuisine.  In fact there are almost an array of recipes that employ this seasonal treasure. One among those is the Mango Pickle. Mango pickle is a spicy and tangy condiment. Almost every Indian household has their own favorite recipes for Mango Pickle. It is a popular condiment adds the extra “taste” to every meal.

          This one is from the Southern part of India – a Kerala style Mango Pickle, also known as “manga achar”. While Mangoes are on season, I always ensure that I stack up some homemade mango pickles. I learnt this recipe from my aunt. This pickle is on demand at our household; I hope my viewers would also enjoy it.

Ingredients:
Raw Mango, Chopped – 2 kgs

Sesame oil – 8 tbsp 

Garlic pods, chopped – 4 tbsps

Ginger, finely chopped – 3 tbsps
Green Chillies – 4
Curry Leaves - 5-6 sprigs
Turmeric powder – 1tsp
Red Chilli powder - 10 tbsp
Asafoetida/ Hing - ½ tsp
Mustard seeds - 3tsp
Fenugreek/ Methi - 1tsp
Vinegar - 1tbsp
Salt to taste
Water – 1½cups

Method: 

1. Chop the washed mangoes into small pieces. This might take some time. To this Add 1tsp salt to the chopped mango pieces and toss them well. Keep it aside for at least 8 to 10 hours minimum or maximum 24 hours. After which, drain water from the mango pieces using a colander. Now the mango is ready to use

2. Have the ginger, garlic and green chillies chopped.

3. Mix turmeric and red chilli powder in water to make a paste.

4. Heat the oil in a wok/pan, add mustard seeds, once it has spluttered add the fenugreek seeds and let them splutter too, then add curry leaves and stir for few seconds.

5. Now add the chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes or till the raw smell has gone. Now is the time to add the chilli powder and turmeric paste and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat and add asafoetida and mix well for a minute and then add the cut mango pieces. Mix well till all the mango pieces are coated with the masala. Now switch off the heat and add vinegar to the pickle. This step is optional.

6. Allow it to cool completely. Then store it in sterilized glass bottles.