The
process of pickle making may seem tedious as it is time consuming, but
it is ridiculously simple. Yes, you do need patience to go through the
process of sun-drying the ingredients, soaking them in oil and spices,
and finally let them age in the sun for a few days to develop the
flavours. But like they say all good things come to those who wait, the
result is extremely rewarding.Salt and oil play very important role in pickle making. Salt adds to the flavour, draws moisture and inhibits bacterial growth. Oil on the other hand acts as a barrier to prevent the ingredients from becoming dry and keeps them moist. Different oils and spices render different characteristics to the pickles. Hence, a mango pickle made in north India which mainly uses mustard oil is very different from that made in the south, where sesame oil is most preferred in the pickle making process.
The perfect accompaniment to a full fledged Punjabi meal. This Punjabi style mango pickle is made with whole spices and stored in mustard oil.
cooking time 30 min
serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 kg mango, chopped into desired size
100 gm fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
50 gm coarsely ground red pepper
60 gm onion seeds (kalonji)
100 gm fennel seeds (saunf)
2 Tbsp black peppercorns
50 gm turmeric powder
300 gm salt
1 1/2 liters mustard oil
Method
Mix all the spices together and add half a cup of oil to the mix. Sprinkle a little of this mixture into the jar.
Take some mangoes and rub them well in the spice mixture. Put one layer of the mangoes in the jar and sprinkle some more spice mixture on top.
Keep repeating the layering process with a sprinkle of mixture till the mangoes are used up. Put all the remaining mixture on top of these layers.
Add the rest of the oil to the jar until its contents are covered. Keep in the sun for a week then store. The contents will be very tender in a month.
Serve with your favorite parantha!
Take some mangoes and rub them well in the spice mixture. Put one layer of the mangoes in the jar and sprinkle some more spice mixture on top.
Keep repeating the layering process with a sprinkle of mixture till the mangoes are used up. Put all the remaining mixture on top of these layers.
Add the rest of the oil to the jar until its contents are covered. Keep in the sun for a week then store. The contents will be very tender in a month.
Serve with your favorite parantha!