Raw Mango pickle

Raw Mango pickle or Midi Kukkuda uppad (in Tulu) is one of the mandatory pickles found in every Tulunadu home. It is common to see raw mangoes piled up in the markets during its season in summer. They are purchased mainly for preparing pickles either in whole form or cut pieces. These homemade pickles form a great add-on throughout the year.

It is important to note that while preparing pickles all the utensils like spoon, knife, container, cutting board should be maintained fully dry and moisture free. Even a little bit of moisture can spoil the pickle and inhibit the preservation process. 

Ingredients for Raw Mango pickle

Raw mangoes – 100 nos approx.

Crystal Salt- 1 kg

Red chillies (byadagi) – 1/4 kg

Mustard seeds- 300 gm

Turmeric root (dry) – 1 piece

Asafoetida- 1 tsp

Alternatively readily available red chilly powder and turmeric powder may be used as well.

Process of preparation

1. The Raw Mango pickle preparation process starts with cleaning the raw mangoes and wiping them dry with a cloth. Do not break off the stalk completely. If the stalk is long, retain about a centimeter of it. 
2. In a wide vessel, put a layer of salt and a layer of mangoes over it. Continue this layering process till all salt and mangoes are done. 
3. Cover it with a lid and use a clean muslin cloth to tie around the vessel. This air tight packing helps the mangoes to shrink. Let this rest for 5 days or until all the mangoes get shrunk and reduced.
4. Meanwhile sun-dry the other spices like chillies, mustard seeds and turmeric root for 4 to 5 days. 
5. The mangoes that are in brine should be opened once every day and stirred so that all mangoes evenly get shrunk. After 5 to 6 days, you would find all wrinkled mangoes in salt water.
6. Using a dry ladle, remove all the shrivelled mangoes out from the brine and spread over a dry cotton cloth. Let them dry completely. 
7. Take the salt water into a vessel and boil over medium heat. Let this brine water boil well into a concentrate  for 4-5 mins.
8. Powder the chillies, mustard seeds, asafoetida and turmeric root in a blender mixer. 
9. As it gets powdered, add some cooled down brine and grind it to fine paste. Continue the process with all the spices and transfer the pickle paste in a wide vessel. You may or may not end up using all the prepared brine. Just use enough salt water to obtain the thick paste.
10. Finally put all the wrinkled mangoes into this pickle paste. Mix well and store it in an airtight container or traditional ceramic jar. Keep it in a warm place and it will be ready to consume after 2 months.
11. The raw mango pickle lasts for a year or more if handled well. 

See this video below to make help the preparation process.

Check out other interesting recipes from Tulunadu region here.