Instant Mango Pickle Recipe Kerala-Style
Making instant mango pickle is a quick and flavourful way to enjoy the tangy goodness of mangoes. Here is an easy recipe to help you make delicious instant mango pickle, Kerala-style
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw mango cut into small cubes, skin on
- 2 tbsp salt adjust to taste
- 1/4 cup oil any cooking oil will do
- 2.5 tsp black mustard seeds plus some extra
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds uluva, methi
- A few curry leaves
- 2-3 tsp chilli powder check notes, adjust to taste
- 2 tsp white vinegar optional, see notes
Instructions
- Add 2 tbsp salt to 2 cups raw mango cut into small pieces, mix well, and set aside for 30 minutes
- Powder 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds and 2.5 tsp black mustard seeds together coarsely.
- Heat 1/4 cup oil and add some mustard seeds. When they pop, add the powdered fenugreek-mustard powder and turn off the heat
- Quickly follow with 2-3 tsp chilli powder and A few curry leaves and stir vigorously for 5 seconds. This is to ensure that the spices don't burn.
- Tip in the salted mangoes and mix well. Add more salt as needed and 2 tsp white vinegar, if using.
- The entire mixture will come together in the residual heat of the pan. Ther's no need to cook it all further.
- That's it! Instant mango pickle for your Onam sadya or any meal is ready.
- Let it sit in the same pan until completely cooled and then transfer to a dry, airtight glass jar.
Notes
- Store instant mango pickle in the refrigerator and use up within 3-4 days.
- Always use a dry spoon to serve the pickle. Moisture will make it go bad pretty much immediately
- Sun-dry the pickle after 2-3 days for a lovely flavour. Also helps to extend the shelf life
- The vinegar is optional and I would only add some if your mangoes are not too sour, otherwise the mango pickle might get too tart
- The mangoes will soften in time and release more water so if the pickle seems dry immediately after preparing it, do not worry
- Don't skimp on oil or salt. Taste and adjust as you go.
- A small amount of jaggery or sugar will enhance the taste so add some if you prefer
- The chilli powder can be adjusted to your heat tolerance. For added colour I usually add 2 teaspoons chilli powder and 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
- There are some variations where the mango is almost minced to prepare this pickle. In our home, they are cut into very small squares. I have seen larger cubes too. My personal preference is to cut the mangoes into small pieces but not minced, so there's some texture when the mangoes have softened
- You can make other customisations to this instant mango pickle by adding a few garlic cloves, or slit green chillies instead of red chilli powder for heat (my favourite!)
- Take extra care not to burn the spices, that’s why we turn the heat off after initially heating the pan well with the oil