This sweet mango pickle takes me places. It takes me to places that I lived as a 12-year old, in a house that had a huge kitchen, the time that we had the hottest summers in Kottayam and the baths we used to take under the backyard tap in the dusky evening light. The hot dosas for dinner and this sweet and slightly sour pickle that complemented the dosas like not even coconut chutney could. The bottle was brought out when there were chapatis and parathas on the table too.
Easily, the best part of this recipe is that fact that amma came up with it just like that one hot, sweaty Kerala summer day. She was slicing onions, oh so fine like she normally does, and then randomly took a couple of raw mangoes from the counter-top and starting putting together this condiment that would later be made again and again and filled in many many bottles, devoured by her youngest daughter with practically anything, and sent to relatives and friends who were near and far.
The sesame oil and the near-burnt fengreek seeds create a symphony with the chopped onions and mangoes that’s hard to describe. It gels with anything you spread it on, making the meal magically taste better. Just like mothers spread their love and support on everything and magically make your life better. This is my soul-food, my comfort, amma’s love. Also check out her instant mango pickle recipe here. It’s a spicy version and a popular addition to Kerala Onam sadya or meals.
Amma’s Sweet Mango Pickle RecipeMakes one small bottleIngredients:Raw mangoes – 3 nos (orange sized ones, approx)Onions – 3 bigJaggery / raw sugar (or brown sugar) – 1/2 cup, grated or meltedTurmeric powder – 1/2 tspChilly powder – 6 tspGingelly / Indian sesame oil – 1/2 cupFenugreek seeds / uluva / menthayam – 1/2 tspAsafoetida / hing / kaayam – 1/4 tspMustard seeds / kaduku – 1/2tspA few curry leavesSalt to tasteINSTRUCTIONS:1. Slice the mangoes and onions into thin pieces.2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they pop, add the fenugreek seeds. When they turn a nice brown, add the onions. Take care not to burn the seeds otherwise they turn very bitter. Let the onions brown well.3. Now add the chilly powder, turmeric powder, hing and curry leaves. Stir around for a minute and then add the sliced mangoes and salt. Add 1/2 cup water to this and cook covered on a low flame (on sim, preferably).4. After about 10 mins, add the jaggery, mix well and let the mixture come to a boil. Remove, cool and store in air-tight bottles. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to a month.
i tried this and my amma loved it ! thankyou for the wonderful recipe 🙂
gonna make it for Onam, rgt now. will share my experience and how it will come….!!! but confused whether to add jaggery or sugar..
Sliced mangoes into very thin pieces (like potato chip)and eat with Sweet chili sauce is Simply but very good taste ><"
the recipe is good..but missed the fiction part
The event was to write about an incident (fictitious or otherwise) and associate a recipe with it. That's what I did. Sorry if you expected fiction, my writing skills are a bit rusty!
Wow – the onions are new to me and must definitely add a little extra something – must try!
Thought I'd tell you Nags, that I saved the recipe as Vasanthi's sweet mango pickle:-)
I would love to make that but we don't get raw mangoes here(by that do you mean unripe? I am going by the colour of the skins)
Onion in pickle is new to me…looks gud
Love the tale and the pickle is on top!
Drooollll..How I wish I could get some sour mangoes here..:(
Looks lovely…..and the addition of onions is something new for me , also keeping the skins on in a sweet pickle is something i never thought of , doesn't it get bitter? for sour pickle it's ok but if it's good for this cooked sweet pickle it'll be a lot more convenient for me….i make many batches of my version of sweet sour pickle n that gets distributed to many people..check out my banaras blog if you wish.
It's wonderfully written n i enjoyed reading it.
WOww i never had this sweet mango pickle, looks irresistible Nags..
Mango pickle with onions .. I am surprised
Your description itself made me drool. Ok, now where is your Food Fiction, you promised, remember !!!
I love this pickle.. Looks so yummy. We make a slightly different version. This one looks fantastic too 🙂
how wonderfully written..Have never added onions though with the mango pickle..
got back from Kottayam a week back.. love the churuttu the most!
Wonderful description 🙂 And mangoes – the only reason I'm glad I'm going down again 😛
Its quite a surprise you add onions!
Thta;s really a unique Mango pickle recipe nags, never even thought of onions in Mango pickle although I have Pearl Onion pickle. Looks mouthwatering. Must try recipe but can't get raw Mangoes here. Thanks for recipe though, will give it to my mom in India.
that looks sinfully good…
very nicely written too…
Quick question – when you say raw mango, do you mean green/under-ripe mango? Because I have not seen mangoes that look like what's in your picture.
Adding onions to mango pickle is new to me… pickle looks so tempting Nags
Great read Nags, very well written… And the pickle looks yummy too..
yummy superb mouthwatering pickle
Wonderful story! It reminds me of Midnight's Children where the narrator finds his nanny(?) by eating the pickles & he knows right away that she made them. It's hard to make the exact same dishes the exact same way, isn't it?
looks very tempting..should give a try.
Loved reading this post – very nicely written!
Sweet Mango pickle..sounds so good.Loved the write-up:)
Just looking to the first pic itself i am drooling here.
Naags this is completely new to me nd i can eat mangoes in any form…. may be it raw or ripe 🙂
Its 1:00 in the night – I really should not be drooling over pickle like this. But hey what the heck – this is so drool worthy – love the onions in it. Haven't had this version before!
wow naags, lovely recipe, my mom has a sweet mango pickle too sans onions.
Wow this pickle looks devine so easy to make too.Wonderful click too.
Fern, that's right. Raw mangoes are unripe mangoes and are sour and firm. They work best in Indian pickles 🙂
Very new to me,I just make mango thokku,sounds simple and delicious!