Aam aur Chane ka Achaar

Aam aur Chane ka Achaar

The summers in India are quite unbearable, but they have a saving grace - the mango season. Everyone looks forward to the yearly mango crop and housewives get busy blending the myriad spices needed for a whole year's supply of mango pickles. As pickles are an essential feature of the Indian menu, new and more innovative varieties come up from time to time. This recipe is of a tongue tickling grated mango and chick pea pickle combined judiciously with whole and powdered spices. The chick peas in this recipe take on a sour salty flavour as they are soaked in raw mango juice. Like all oil pickles, this has a shelf life of upto one year but I am sure it will be eaten up much before that.

Store in cool dry place for:  1year.
Preparation Time : 24 hours.
Maturing Time: 3 to 4 days.
Makes 2 cups.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup kabuli chana (white chick peas)
1 1/2 cups grated raw mango
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tbsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds (methi) powder
1 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
14 whole dry kashmiri red chillies
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 1/4 cups mustard (rai / sarson) oil
1 tbsp salt


Preparation Method:

Combine the grated mango, turmeric powder and salt and leave aside for 30 minutes.
   
Squeeze out all the mango water using a muslim cloth and keep aside. Keep the grated mango aside separately.
   
Soak the Kabuli chana and fenugreek seeds in the mango water overnight.
   
Refrigerate the grated mango.
   
Combine the fenugreek seeds powder, fennel seeds, asafoetida, nigella seeds, whole red chillies, chilli powder and soaked Kabuli chana mixture with the grated mango. Mix well.
   
Heat the mustard oil. Cool it and add to the prepared mixture.
   
Bottle the pickle in a sterilised glass jar.
   
The pickle is ready to eat after 3 to 4 days.
   
Store it a cool dry place for upto 1 year.