Aam ka Achar or Raw Mango Pickle is a must-have pickle throughout the year on each table. It is a part of our Indian meals and forms an integral part of our repertoire. Mango Achar is perfectly tangy, sour, and spicy to lend that special kick to the meal.
Our mothers, aunts, and grandmothers – start making pickles as soon as raw mangoes appear in the market. Some make instant pickles, some make pickles that take longer to flavor and set.
One of the main reasons to encourage pickling is to preserve food for a longer duration and be able to enjoy the benefits of them throughout the year even when that food item is not in season.
Mangoes have great health benefits, especially for female reproductive organs. So regular to the occasional use of mango pickles is a great way to enjoy the goodness of mangoes all year round.
I have also recently started dabbling in the art of pickling. But Pune weather is not very conducive to it. There is not enough sun and not the real deal in sour mangoes.
In north India, the sour mangoes are different and are really sour. Here in Pune, I do not get them easily. Most people prefer using totapari mangoes for pickles but we don’t.
In north India, raw mango by the name of Ram kela is used for making pickles. It has perfect combination of tanginess and shelf-life to make achar tastier and stay fresh longer.
I digress, coming back to the pickle, I made this pickle just before lockdown hit in 2020. Life took over and couldn’t post it here before now.
I have used ready-to-use pickle masala as I find the pickle masala is a great help in today’s households and ensures the balance is just right.
Here is the perfect aam ka achar recipe to keep you happy with each meal.
Aam ka Achar or Raw Mango Pickle
Ingredients
- 1 kg aam ram kela variety
- 100 gram salt
- 125 gram achar masala ready-to-use pickle masala
- 200 gram mustard oil
Instructions
- Peel the mangoes and remove the pulp.
- Slice the pulp in any shape you like.
- Transfer the slices into a large glass bowl and sprinkle salt on top of them. Set aside for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, strain the water and spread the mango pieces on a fine muslin cloth. Do not throw away the water. It is important to set aside this water.
- Place the mango pieces with the muslin cloth in the strong sun to dry for 7-8 hours.
- When the mango slices are slightly dry (known as फरहरा in Hindi) move them inside from the sun. Do not dry the mangoes completely in sun. It is important that they should be only partially dry.
- In a large wok, bring mustard oil to a smoking-hot temperature.
- When the oil is boiling, add salt to split the oil (known as तेल को फाड़ना in Hindi) and turn off the gas.
- Allow the oil to cool down completely.
- Once the oil is completely cooled, add mango slices, strained salt water, and pickle masala. Mix vigorously.
- Transfer to a large glass jar or मर्तबान/ बरनी with an air-tight seal. Close the seal.
- Place the ready pickle in strong sunlight for 15-20 days. You can place the jar every day at the time of strong sun and remove them indoors at night time.
- After 15-20 days, aam ka achar (mango pickle) is ready to eat. Enjoy with mathris, poori or just like that.
Notes
- There are different ways to prepare mangoes for pickling and it all depends on your personal choice.
- You can peel mangoes, remove pulp or slit them with seeds.
- This time I made it without seeds and peel.
- Do not throw away the salt water. It is important to set aside this water.
- Do not dry the mangoes completely in sun. It is important that they should be only partially dry.
- तेल को फाड़ना means to clean the oil so that any form of impurity or rawness of the oil doesn’t spoil the pickle later.
