In her kitchen, my grandmother stocked a variety of pickles that changed with the seasons. She would pickle root vegetables during winter months (gajar gobhi shalgam achaar), spring time was for green and red chili pickle (lal mirch ka achar) along with garlic achar, while sumer months were reserved for for limes (nimbu ka achar) and, of course, raw mangoes!
About Mango Pickle
Mango pickle, also known as “aam ka achaar” in Hindi is made with chopped unripe mangoes (kacche aam), mustard oil and spices such as nigella seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. It has a unique taste with sour, savory and spicy notes and pairs wonderfully with all sorts of indian meals. Kairi or unripe raw magoes hit the indian markets at the start of mango season. These unripe mangoes are green skinned, small in size & immensely tart. They are cut into small pieces or strips before preserving with spices and most commonly, mustard oil. I found aam kairi (small tart, indian variety green mangoes) a couple of weeks back at our local indian store. It’s the first time in years of living here and I cannot describe my happiness! I reserved a few to make aam panna and with the rest, a batch of mango achar happened. My grandmother used to make kilos and kilo of achar. After sun drying the salted mango pieces in sun for a few days, she would prepare achar masala (pickle spice blend) which was added to semi dry mangoes along with oil. She would use large glass jars with lid (called “bot” in Hindi) during the sun fermentation process and then preserve the achar year long in barni (tall, opaque ceramic jar meant to store pickles). This mango achar has a long shelf life and if you double or triple the recipe, it could last for upto a year. Quite obviously, the mangoes become soft as months progress, however the flavor of the masala and oil just intensifies.
My Recipe
Ingredients
Unripe Mangoes - You can easily find green raw mangoes in indian grocery stores. Pick ones that are firm to touch(not pulpy) and have shiny, spot free skins. Usually smaller the mangoes, the seed is softer and hence they are easy to chop. Here in US, I dont have any choice available, however, if you can find “ladwa” variety of raw mangoes, those are the best for making this pickle. Oil - Mustard Oil is a must. I haven’t tested this recipe with any other kind of oil so cannot say how the taste is in absence of mustard oil.
Pickle Spices (Achar ke Masale)
Mustard Seeds - I use brown mustard seeds(rai). If you have black mustard seeds at home, you can use those. Grind the mustard seeds to a fine powder. Fennel Seeds (Saunf) - Coarsely grind the fennel seeds in a dry spice grinder. Nigella Seeds (Kalonji) - Nigella seeds or kalonji lend a unique flavor to the achar. A must spice if you ask me. Unfortunately, there is no substitute. Leave them whole else your achar will acquire a black color. Fenugreek Seeds (Methidana) - Leave them whole for intense flavor and mild piquancy post fermentation. If you grind, they will make the achar quite bitter. Ground Spices - red chili powder (I use hot variety for taste),kashmiri chili powder (for color, skip if you do not have), turmeric powder, hing (asafoetida), salt
These days premixed achar masala or pickle masala is also available in indian stores,if you don’t feel like gatherinh different spices and grinding them, you can give it a try.
How To Make Mango Pickle
Prepare Mangoes
Make Mango Achar
Storing Mango Pickle
Store mango pickle at room temperature for up to 10-12 months in a dark, cool dry place . The concentration of salt, oil and spices act as a natural preservative and you don’t need anything else to enhance its shelf life post fermentation. It is perfectly fine to store mango achar at room temperature. Always use a clean spoon to serve the pickle.
How To Serve Mango Pickle
Mango pickle pairs deliciously with indian flatbreads such as plain parathas, stuffed aloo methi paratha or paneer paratha, deep fried aloo kachori or soft naan. Serve it with dal rice or dal khichdi and rice pulao dishes like methi pulao or soya pulao. You can use the pickle masala in marinades for dishes such as achari paneer tikka. I love to serve it alongside indian style breakfasts such a besan toast or bedmi poori or aloo puri. Indian snacks like atta mathri and methi puri are extra delicous with mango achar.
Recipe Tips
Never under salt the pickle. Salt draws out moisture of raw mangoes that evaporates during the fermentation process. If salt is less, mold formation can occur because there will be moisture build up in the pickle. Do not use less oil while making mango pickle, or in fact any kind of pickle. If you do not like the strong aroma of mustard oil, heat it up to smoky to do away the smell, let cool slightly and then use. I prefer to make a small batch and finish off in a few months since we do not like very soft mangoes. You could double this recipe for a larger batch.
I originally published this recipe in May 2014 and updated the post from archives in April 2024 by adding new images, detailed instructions and step pictures.
