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Maavadu (tender mango pickle)

AI-drafted · awaiting admin review

Whole baby mangoes cured in salt, chilli and mustard, the tangy pickle eaten with curd rice.

Region: Tamil NaduOccasion: Made in spring when tiny mangoes appear; eaten all yearTime: 30 min + 2 weeks curingServes: About 1 kgVegan

Ingredients

  • 1 kg vadu maangai (tender baby mangoes) with a little stem
  • ¼ cup crystal salt
  • 2 tbsp castor oil or gingelly oil
  • ¼ cup red chilli powder
  • 2 tbsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp hing

Method

  1. Wash the mangoes and dry them completely on a cloth.
  2. Rub them with the oil and put them in a dry ceramic jar or glass bottle with the salt. Shake well.
  3. Close and keep for 3–4 days, shaking every day. The mangoes will shrink and let out brine.
  4. Grind the mustard seeds, chilli powder, turmeric and hing to a fine paste with some of the brine.
  5. Mix the paste into the jar, shake well and leave for 1–2 weeks before eating.

History

Pickling whole baby mangoes in brine is an old Tamil method of preserving the short spring crop for the whole year.

Significance

Maavadu with curd rice is a classic Tamil pairing and a staple of travel and lunch boxes.

Sources