Instant Mango Pickle - Spicy Kerala Mango Pickle Recipe

This Kerala-style instant mango pickle is super easy to prepare, spicy, and uses sour raw mangoes which give it an amazing flavour. This mango pickle or manga curry is an important condiment addition to the Onam sadya or Kerala wedding sadya along with the lime pickle or naranga curry. While different parts of Kerala and different communities prepare this simple mango pickle differently, the base recipe remains the same and you can add or subtract ingredients to your preference. While I love the sweet mango pickle that amma makes, this instant spicy mango pickle does hold a special place in my heart.

I made this mango pickle a few months ago when raw mangoes were in season in Singapore and distributed it to a few friends who loved it! I don't make pickles at home often since I have a few favourite brands of pickles I buy from the stores and amma makes some for me when I visit her. Since our consumption is so low, making pickles at home in bulk is hardly necessary.

However, after making this mango pickle with just one mango, I regretted not making more since it came out so nice and flavourful. Use the ingredient and amounts as guidelines and check the notes for some additional customizations you can make to suit your palates. Check out the Onam Sadya Menu here and also notes on how to serve an Onam Sadya.

KERALA-STYLE INSTANT MANGO PICKLE RECIPE

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Makes 2 cups
Recipe source: Amma

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of raw mangoes, with skin, cut into cubes
2 tbsp of salt (you may need to adjust this)
1/4 cup of oil
2.5 tsp of black mustard seeds (kaduku)
1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds (uluva)
2 strands of curry leaves
2-3 tsp of red chilli powder
2 tsp of vinegar (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add salt to the cut mango pieces and set aside for 20-30 mins.

2. Combine 2 tsp mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds together...

... and powder it together. You can make it a finer powder or leave it a bot coarse like I did.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, turn off the flame and add the powdered mustard+fenugreek.

4. Quickly follow with the chilli powder and curry leaves and stir vigorously for 5 seconds.

5. Tip in the salted mangoes and mix well, adding salt and vinegar (if using).

The entire mixture will come together in the residual heat of the pan. That's it! The mango pickle is ready.

Let it sit in the same pan until completely cooled and then transfer to a dry glass jar. Store refrigerated and use up within a week. Always use a dry spoon to serve the pickle.

Notes:

1. You can make customizations to this pickle by adding 1/2 powdered jaggery, a few garlic cloves, green chillies instead of red chilli powder (my favourite!), etc
2. I generally add the vinegar if the mangoes are not sour enough. It also helps to preserve the pickle longer. I didn't add any for this batch
3. Leave the skin of the mangoes on, especially if they are too sour, otherwise the pickle will become mushy and too sour
4. Adjust chilli powder and salt to your preference. Don't be stingy on the salt though, it acts as a preservative. Also, if you like a fiery red pickle but not the heat, add Kashmiri chilli powder like I did
5. Take care not to burn the spices, that's why we turn the heat off adter initially heating the pan well

No-Oil Lime Pickle Recipe - Easy Indian Pickle (Onam Sadya Recipes)

Lime pickle is one of those things I choose as an afterthought, although amma makes this lovely no-oil no-cook lime pickle with green chillies for flavour, often with homegrown limes from generous friends and family. Mango pickle or mango ginger is my first choice and while I don't like the ever-popular kannimaanga or mavudu pickle, a good lime pickle I am game for almost always. In fact, no other pickle complements vegetable biryani like a lime pickle can. My aunt used to make a lovely green chilli lime pickle that was pale yellow in colour and absolutely delicious. I used to eat that with everything as a child and demand my mom to make the same. She rarely listened though, always defaulting to the gorgeous red counterpart of my favourite lime pickle.

Indian Pickles are easy to make if you know the right proportions of all your ingredients and use abundant patience and care. I don't possess much patience so I just bring back bottles of homemade pickle from anyone who'd care to share a bottle from their share. In fact, the only pickle I buy is the Priya mango ginger pickle, which you must try if you haven't already.

Lime Pickles are a standard addition to Onam Sadya and since we have Onam fast approaching, it's time to make a batch of lime pickle and let it soften in the pickling juices, right in time for Onam. If you are making Indian pickles for the first time. this lime pickle using no oil and requiring no cooking is a great one to start with.

Amma usually uses 25 limes which she says yields one Horlicks bottle full of pickle. I have to tried to quantity this more accurately but please note that it depends on the size of your limes and the pickling jar you use. If you are looking for more pickle recipes, check this water apple pickle, and sweet mango pickle.

OIL-FREE NO-COOK INDIAN LIME PICKLE RECIPE

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Pickling time: up to 1 month
Makes ~ 800 gm of pickle
Recipe source: My Mom

INGREDIENTS:

• 25 limes
• 250 gm of rock salt (see notes)
• 1/2 tsp of hing, perungaayam, kaayam
• 4 tbsp of Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 15 Indian green chillies (add more or less depending on the heat of the chillies you are using)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Take out a glass or plastic jar that can hold about 1 kilo of pickle. Make sure it's clean and completely dry.

2. Wash and pat dry the limes. Quarter them (or cut each into 6 wedges if you prefer smaller pieces), seeds and all.

3. Transfer lime pieces into the jar along with the salt, chilli powder, and hing. Mix well.

4. You need to keep this mixture covered for 4 days on your kitchen coutertop, mixing it thoroughly once every day with a clean, dry spoon. The lime will give out a lot of water during this time and settle in the bottle quite a bit.

5. On the fourth day, slit the green chillies and add to the lime pickle. Make sure the chillies are washed and dried before you do this.

6. Keep this mixture for another 4 days on your kitchen countertop, mixing once a day as before.

The lime pickle is ready for use after 8 days but if you want the skin of the lime to be soft, then it will take about a month. The lime pickle rarely lasts that long in our house though.

Notes:

• Always use dry everything - jar, spoons, lime. chillies
• You need to use rock salt or sea salt that doesn't have iodine in it. Amma is not sure why but iodized salt doesn't work well for this pickle
• I recommend a glass jar for the pickle, or an old-fashioned bharani if you have one lying around
• You can add whole garlic pieces along with the chillies and omit the red chilli powder to make a "white lemon pickle" which I personally love

Tomato Thokku Recipe - Thakkali Thokku - Step by Step Recipe

Tomato Thokku is one of those condiments I make often and store in the refrigerator to serve with dosa, idli, chapati, rice, pretty much anything, on a busy weekday. A good tomato thokku is probably the easiest thing to make since most of the cooking time is passive and you can go about your other work while the thokku gets cooked on the stove. While not as quick to prepare as the tomato onion chutney, this tomato thokku has a longer shelf life and so I make it in larger batches.

Tomato thokku is probably the most flexible thing you'll make. You can add and subtract ingredients as you please and it lends itself really well to all variations. I add garlic sometimes, blend the tomatoes or add them chopped, throw in some minced bell pepper, the choices are endless. The version of thakkali thokku I am sharing today is the simplest and uses no onion or garlic.

I also find that adding a pinch of jaggery to tomato thokku really enhances the flavour. A pinch of sugar would work great too. Also, while adding whole pieces of tomatoes to the thokku gives it a nice bite, some may prefer a smooth tomato thokku to a chunky one. Now, a word about how I get the deep red colour in most of my dishes (in the recent past anyway).

During my last trip to Bombay, I brought back a packet of fiery red Resham Patti chilli powder from Food Spot (if you live in or visit Bombay, I highly recommend that store, it's a treasure trove full deliciousness, and no, they are not paying me to say this). Although the bright red resham patti chilli powder is meant mainly for pickles, I have been using it in pretty much everything and enjoying the lovely deep dark red colour it gives to dishes naturally. This chilli powder is stronger than the regular kind so a little goes a long way. If you are unable to find resham patti chillies, substitute Kashmiri chilli powder but remember that it's much milder and you'll have to adjust quantities accordingly.

Check out a list of chutney recipes here. The chutneys I keep making regularly are the Onion Tomato Chutney, Coconut Coriander Chutney, and Basic South Indian Coconut Chutney. They go great with breakfast dishes like dosa, idli, etc. 

TOMATO THOKKU RECIPE

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes ~ 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of ripe tomatoes (about 8-10 orange-sized ones)
• 1 tsp of red chilli powder
• 1 small piece of jaggery (or 3/4 tsp sugar)
• 1 strand of curry leaves
• 2 tbsp of oil
• 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds / methi / uluva

How to Make Tomato Thokku:

1. Cube or puree the tomatoes and set aside. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the fenugreek seeds and within 5 seconds (otherwise they'll burn), add the tomatoes.

2. Mix well and add the chilli powder, jaggery/sugar and some salt. Wash and throw in the curry leaves too.

3. Keeping the heat on medium, stir well and let the tomatoes let out water. Soon the mixture will become very watery. At this point, lower the heat to a simmer.

4. Continue to cook and stir occasionally until the tomato thokku cooks and becomes thicker.

5. After about 30 mins, it will be quite thick and most of the water would have left the thokku. Check for salt and spice level at this time and add more of either if required.

6. Cool completely and store in the refrigerator. Use as required always using a dry spoon. This thokku, if properly handled, will stay fresh for up to a week.

Serve Tomato Thokku with dosa, idli, uthappam, paniyaram, vada, upma, chapati, roti, rice, curd rice, parathas, nan, pretty much anything you want!