FOOD
Mango Pickling, My Great Grandma’s Hundred-Year-Old Recipe
The story of mango pickle
( This story is revised and edited from my book The Tastes Of Classic Coconut Cuisine )
Recently, I visited a beautiful winery tucked away on the outskirts of Pune.
The wine was kept in stacks of wooden barrels for fermentation. The barrels were marked according to their age. And, of course, the older the wine, the better it is. The manager of the cellar was so liberal in allowing us to taste wines from different barrels.
Even though the raw material in all of the barrels was the same all of them tasted different!
No one can predict the flavor of the wine until we open the barrel after many years of fermenting. Some wines had chocolate flavor while some of them exuded the aroma of spices. This mystery in flavors was caused by the live, friendly, bacteria inside the barrels.
Knowing that wine is a live food made me look at it with greater respect. There was an alchemy process occurring inside the cold dark recesses of the wooden barrels.
The same is true for the age-old tradition of preserving salted mangoes, pickles, vintage Cambodge, and other preserves in large urns for years in the homes of our Grandparents. At least some of us have fond memories of pickling and preserving fresh produce in our childhood.
In my village, every household had a signature collection of pickles and preserves. The pickles tasted different in each home despite the ingredients being the same. Every homemaker had her intuitive composition of spices and other ingredients.
The ingredients were measured and mixed in different proportions which created an alchemy of tastes.
Cooking is an art as well as a science.
Now also we can learn the art and science of cooking, and personalize recipes that cater to our taste buds.
The Art Of Pickling
All seasons had their bounty, giving rise to the necessity of pickling and preserving. Some of the farm produce that needed preservation and pickling were mangoes, jackfruit, coconut, fish, Cambodge(a spice that is used as tamarind ), tamarind, and areca nuts.
My granny preserved all these items at home except fish. The drying and salting of fish were done by the fishermen on the salty beaches. We often bought the salted and dried fish and my granny cherished it.
The tedious process of smoking Cambodge was done by the granny’s helpers.
My Granny’s Mango Pickle
😍😋🥗❤️❤️👌
My granny was an expert in pickling mangoes. For this dish, a local mango variety called ‘’naattu manga’’ is used. Naattu manga is very sour and full of fiber, and hence, it is suitable for pickling. They are carefully plucked to prevent them from falling on the ground. The mangoes are then wiped clean to remove any kind of dust or small insects sticking to them. Mangoes will then be filled in huge earthen urns along with large quantities of rock salt and some water. The urns will then be sealed tightly shut with white muslin clothes and rope.
These are called ‘’Uppu Manga ‘’ or, mangoes in brine.
These salted mangoes are taken out and used after one or two years. Even after one or more years, there will be no fungal infestation on the mangoes. These mangoes are used in many curries, either along with kanji or as tasty pickles.
MANGO PICKLE
Spices & Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized raw mangoes
- 1½ tsp turmeric powder
- 3½ tsp red chilli powder
- ¼ tsp fenugreek powder
- ¼ tsp hing (asafoetida)
- Salt
- Mustard seeds
- Sesame oil
The Process
Clean and cut the mangoes into small thin pieces. Add the turmeric powder and salt and keep them aside for an hour.
Heat 3 to 4 tsp oil in a kadai or any thick-bottomed pan and add mustard seeds. Let them splutter. Switch off the flame.
Add chili powder, hing, and fenugreek powder.
Add a few sprigs of curry leaves.
Add mango slices to the spice mixture and mix well.
Check for salt.
Store in airtight jars.
In my Pune home, we have a sprawling mango tree in our backyard and it is a local fibrous variety. Here, I don’t preserve mangoes in urns for a year!
This year’s mango season, I just plucked two or three raw mangoes not allowing them to fall on the ground, and made pickles using the same steps.
Almost 8 months are over now, my mango pickle is getting tastier by the day!
Dedicated to all homemakers like me who want to relish fresh mango pickles without artificial preservatives.
Happy Cooking 👩🏻🍳🌿😍
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