ANDHRA AVAKKAI PICKLE
Avakkai pickle or avakaya is a traditional and a popular dish of Andhra Pradesh. It is made using a specific kind of raw mango, mixed with various spices like mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and chilly powder. It is a tangy and, a spicy dish that goes really well with almost every kind of rice or, even for breakfast like upma and pongal.
Avakkai pickle is generally made in the month of April or May, Since these months are the season for mangoes in India. It can be made in a bulk quantity and can be stored for years. It has a longer shelf life, without any kind of preservatives added.
ABOUT THE RECIPE:
I’ve made this recipe a lot of times. I make this pickle with 2 kgs of mangoes every year, which is sufficient for my family. In this avakkai pickle recipe I’ve added garlic, which is one of the most popular method of making avakkai pickle. We usually finish it within an year, but it can also be stored for more than an year.
INGREDIENTS FOR AVAKKAI PICKLE:
- RAW AVAKKAI MANGO – 2 KG
- GARLIC (PEELED) – 250 GMS
- CHILLY POWDER – 300 GMS (1.5 CUPS)
- MUSTARD SEEDS (POWDERED) – 200 GMS (1 CUP)
- FENUGREEK SEEDS (POWDERED) – 3 TBSP
- TURMERIC POWDER – 1 TBSP
- ROCK SALT – 200 GMS ( 1 CUP)
- SESAME OIL – 750 ML
HOW TO MAKE ANDHRA AVAKKAI PICKLE:
- Dice the mangoes into small pieces. Dicing can be either done, in home or, mostly the shopkeeper might do it, when you buy the mangoes.
- If you get it done by the shopkeeper, then wash the diced mangoes thoroughly with water, removing the seed, and then dry them on a clean cloth.
- If you dice the mangoes at home, then wash the mangoes, dry it with a cloth and, then cut them.
- Meanwhile, add the rock salt to a blender, and blend it to a fine powder.
- Transfer the ground salt to a mixing bowl and, to the same blender add 1 cup of mustard seeds and 3 tbsp of fenugreek seeds and, blend them to a fine powder.
- Transfer this ground mixture to the same mixing bowl, that had salt in it.
- Also add 1.5 cups of chilly powder and 1 tbsp of turmeric powder to the same mixing bowl.
- Mix everything well and keep it aside.
- Once the diced mango pieces are completely dry, transfer them to a large container. The container can be glass, ceramic or food grade plastic. Do not use steel or any other containers made of metal, since salt reacts with metal, and make the container to crack.
- Add 2 tbsp of sesame oil to the mangoes, and mix them well. All the mangoes have to be coated in the oil. This step helps the mangoes to hold the masala onto them.
- Then add half the amount of spice mixture to the mangoes. Mix well, until all the mangoes are well coated in the masala.
- Then add the remaining masala, and mix everything well.
- Then add the remaining sesame oil to it, and mix well.
- Also add the peeled, washed and dried garlic to the pickle, and give it a mix.
- Close the container with an airtight lid, and let it rest for 3 days. After 3 days, little oil would have separated, which is the indication that the pickle is almost ready.
- After 10 days, the oil would have released completely. At this stage the mangoes are completely soaked in the spice mixture, and the pickle is ready to consume. It is also ready to be stored.
YUMMY AND DELICIOUS ANDHRA AVAKKAI PICKLE IS READY.
SERVE IT WITH YOUR FAVOURITE RICE OR BREAKFAST.
I HAD MINE WITH PARUPPU SADAM AND PAKKODA VATHAL.
PRO TIPS:
- Only avakkai mango has to be used for this recipe. This recipe doesn’t work for other kind of mangoes.
- All the ingredients, the container and the blender has to be completely dry before using it to make this pickle.
- The garlic has to be peeled completely. It shouldn’t have any peel to it.
- Once the pickle is ready, transfer a small portion to a clean airtight container, and use it for serving. The remaining can be stored in another airtight container. This helps the pickle to stay good for a long time.
- Always make sure, the pickle is completely submerged in the oil. Orelse it might get spoiled.
- While taking the pickle for serving, try to take only the mangoes or garlic with thokku, filtering the oil. Removing the oil from the pickle might spoil it.