Sunday 24 May 2020

Aavakai


This a famous raw mango pickle from Andhra. It’s very commonly made in every household in Andhra during summer. It’s spicy and hot. It’s served with curd rice.

Ingredients
1 kg Raw Mangoes, washed, wiped and dried and then cut each mangoes into 6-8 pieces with kernel
10 to 12 Garlic cloves
1 tbsp Garlic coarsely ground
1 cup Mustard seeds sun dried and powdered
2 tbsp Fenugreek seeds sun dried and powdered
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1 cup Salt
1 cup Chilli powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1 tbsp Black Chana (optional)
1 1/2 cup Sesame seed oil

Method
Spread the mango pieces on a dry cloth and dry them for 4 hours. In a mixing bowl add salt, mustard powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, fenugreek powder and asafoetida, mix well. Now add the garlic cloves, garlic paste, fenugreek seeds, black chana and some sesame seeds oil and mix well. Add the mango pieces and mix the spices well with the mango pieces, it should coat the mango well. Add these spice coated mango pieces to the jar. Pour the remaining oil on the top and cover the jar and keep it in a dry area. After 3 days open the pickle and check. Take a dry ladle and mix the pickle. If need be adjust the salt or add more oil if required. The mango pieces should be covered in oil. Stir the pickle once every day with a clean ladle. It takes 15 days for the pickle to get ready.

Saturday 23 May 2020

Amer Jhal Aachar



This is a spicy raw mango pickle from Bengal. It’s made without cooking, The pickle is with wet paste,  dry spice powder and mustard oil. This pickle can be eaten by rice dal, paratha or luchi.

Wet Paste
Ingredients 
3 tbsp Mustard seeds
10 Green Chillies
2 inches of Ginger cut into pieces 
1/2 cup Vinegar 

Method 
Grind all the above ingredients into a paste.

Dry Spice Powder 
Ingredients 
2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 tsp Coriander seeds 
2 tsp Fennel seeds
1 tsp Nigella seeds
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
5 Dry Red Chillies

Method 
Dry roast all the ingredients, cool it and grind the ingredients into a powder. 

Jhal Achaar 
Ingredients 
1 kg Raw Mango washed, dried and cut into medium size pieces 
1 tsp Turmeric powder 
1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder 
2 tbsp grated Jaggery 
Wet paste
Dry spice powder 
1/2 tsp Dry Roasted Panch Phoran 
3 to 4 Roasted Dry Red Chillies 
Mustard Oil enough to soak the mango pieces

Method 
Take the mango pieces, add the turmeric and salt. Spread the mango pieces on a cloth and sun dry it for 3 to 4 hours. Heat the mustard oil and cool  the mustard oil down. Take the mango pieces in a bowl, add the salt, chilli powder, dry spice powder, jaggery and wet paste. Mix all the ingredients together very well. Add the mustard oil and transfer the pickle in a clean glass jar. Add the dry roasted panch phoran and roasted dry chillies. Keep it in the sun for few day. Keep a check, if required add more salt. Once ready the mangoes will become soft in oil. 







Chunda




It’s a popular Gujarati spicy sour and sweet pickle. It doesn’t require any cooking. It’s a very easy delicious pickle that goes will with Paratha and thepla. 

Spice Powder 
Ingredients 
1 tsp Cumin seeds 
4 Red Dry Chillies
2 Cardamom pods

Method 
Take a pan and roast the cumin seeds, let it cool down, coarsely grind the cumin seeds with red chilli and cardamom. 

Chunda 
Ingredients 
1 1/2 cup Mango washed, peel and grated 
1 1/2 cup Sugar
Spice powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
Few strands of Saffron (Optional)

Method 
Take the grated mango and add salt and turmeric powder. Keep it aside for 30 minutes. Squeeze the excess water out. Take a clean glass bottle, add the mango, sugar and spice powder and saffron (optional). Mix it. Leave it in the sun for few days. Keep a check. The sugar will dissolve and will cook up with the mango to a one string consistency. Enjoy the chunda with the paratha and thepla . 



Aam Ka Kucha


This is a Raw Mango pickle recipe from Bihar. As the mangoes are grated it’s called kucha. The spices and oil are added to the grated mango and  it’s kept in the sun to mature. 

For the Dry Spice Powder 
Ingredients 
    1 tsp Cumin seeds
    1 tsp Coriander seed
    1/2 tsp Carom seeds
    1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
    1 tbsp Yellow Mustard seeds
    1/4 tsp Nigella seeds
    Few Fenugreek seeds
    6 Red Dried Chilli 

    Method 
    Roast all the above ingredients, cool it and dry grind it. 

    For the Aam Ka Kucha 
    Ingredients
    1 1/2 cup Grated Mango 
     Salt to taste
    1 tsp Turmeric powder
    1 tsp Chilli powder 
    Dried spice powder 
    1/2 tsp Nigella seeds
    1 cup Mustard Oil

    Method 
    Take the grated mango, apply salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Keep the mango on a strainer for 15 to 30 minutes. Squeeze the water out from the mango. Take a bowl, add salt, turmeric, chilli, spice powder and  nigella seeds in the bowl. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the oil and mix it. Take a dry clean glass bottle. Pour the pickle in the bottle. Keep it in the sun for few days. Keep a check. Once the mangoes becomes soft and matured the pickle is ready to be eaten. 



    Aam Tel


    This is a mango and spiced flavoured oil, that is used in Bengali Cuisine. This oil is used for mashes vegetables that we call bhate or used to flavour puffed rice that is eaten for snack.

    Spice Powder
    Ingredients 
    1 tsp Panch Phoran
    1 tsp Mustard seeds
    1 tsp Coriander seeds
    2 Red Dry Chillies 

    Method
    Roast all the ingredients together and let it cool, dry grind the ingredients into powder.

     Aam Tel
    Ingredients 
    1 medium size Raw Mango washed, dried and cut into medium size cubes.
    1/2 tsp Panch Phoran Roasted
    4 Whole Red Dry Chillies Roasted
    Dry spice powder
    Salt to taste
    1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
    1 cup Mustard oil, heated and cooled down

    Method
    Take the mango pieces, add turmeric and 1 tsp salt, rub the mangoes well, spread the mango pieces on a clean cloth and dry it for 2 to 4 hours under the sun. Take all the ingredients and the mango pieces in a bottle. Keep it in the sun for few day. It’s ready to be used.