Sweet Mango Pickle - Amma's Recipe

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.

Amma's Sweet Mango Pickle Recipe

Makes one small bottle

Ingredients:

Raw mangoes - 3 nos (orange sized ones, approx)

Onions - 3 big

Jaggery / raw sugar (or brown sugar) - 1/2 cup, grated or melted

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder - 6 tsp

Gingelly / Indian sesame oil - 1/2 cup

Fenugreek seeds / uluva / menthayam - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida / hing / kaayam - 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds / kaduku - 1/2tsp

A few curry leaves

Salt to taste

How Amma Makes It:

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 abount 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 am sending this post to 'Of Chalks and Chopsticks' hosted by Bong Mom this month and conceptualized by Aqua.

Chambakka Achaar Recipe / Pickled Water Rose Apple

This is my first pickle recipe but the thing is, I didn't make this! The fact is, ever since I moved out of Kottayam for job and later marriage, I have always been given jarfuls of pickles and podis. Neither TH nor I eat too much pickle and usually stick with having kozhambu with curd rice, rather than, say, mango pickle. Weird, but true.

When amma was here last month I told her this and said I need to get some of her pickle recipes. My favourite is the sweet mango pickle (which will be posted very soon) which she made for me when she was here.

Chambakka 

Thanks to Sig for letting me use this picture!

On to the chambakka achaar now. I did a search to see what chambakka is called in English. I used to call it rose apple after I checked with my Biology teacher when I was in school, but this was before the days of the Internet so I had to verify if she was right. Looks like the right term is water rose apple so she wasn't totally off!

This recipe is special for a couple of reasons. It came from amma (translated and emailed by my fave uncle, Radha Mama), which is reason enough, but she actually made it, put some in her 'pretty bowl', got my brother's dear friend Rajesh Anna to click pics and he then emailed it to me. There were about 8 pics, all in different angles, in true food blogger style!

Chambakka Achar Recipe : Pickled Water Rose Apple Recipe

What's Needed:


Chambakka - 250gm
Chilly powder - 3 tbsp
Asafoetida / Hing / Perungaayam - 1/4 tsp  
Fenugreek seeds / menthayam / uluba - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds / kaduku - 1/4 tsp
A few curry leaves
Salt to taste

How Its Made:

1. Wash the rose apples thoroughly. Cut into halves, de-seed and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once the seeds pop, add the fenugreek seeds and fry lightly until fragrant and the colour starts to change. (Make sure you don't over do this otherwise the pickle will turn too bitter. )

3. Add the rose apples next with some salt. Saute lightly until the colour starts to lighten and its cooked more than half way through (about 7-10 mins).

4. To this, add the chilly powder, hing, turmeric powder and the curry leaves and mix well, frying lightly for another 5 mins or so on low heat.

5. Store in a clean, dry jar and use after 2 days for best results.

This pickle doesn't keep for too long so refrigerate within 4 days and use within 2 weeks.

HUGE thanks to amma, radha mama and Rajesh anna for making this first pickle post on Edible Garden possible :)