Mango Pickle or avakaya is a spicy and tangy pickle made with raw green mangoes. Sharing the detailed recipe with step by step pictures.

You can serve the mango pickle as part of a meal, with paratha or yogurt rice. But the best way of eating mango pickle is with hot white rice and ghee (clarified butter).

In India, pickling fruits and vegetables is an age old tradition. When it comes to the most popular pickle, mango pickle definitely stands in the first place. It is made during summer months when raw mangos are in season. Generally the mango pickle is made in large amount, which will last for the whole year.

Pickles are called achar in Hindi. In Andhra, mango pickle is called Avakaya. It’s very famous all around the country for its spicy and robust flavors.

Each region has there own version of making the mango pickle. The base recipe remains the same with ingredients like – red chilly powder, mustard seeds, fenugreek (methi seeds), salt and oil. You can add or subtract the ingredients as per your preference.

The ingredients list and the method of making this pickle is fairly easy. The challenge comes when we need to store the pickle for a year. To have a good shelf life, we need to control the moisture in the mangoes. Following these steps will help us make the pickle lasts long.

Today I will be sharing the mango pickle recipe for beginners. The reason I call this a beginners recipe because

we will be storing the pickle in the refrigerator ( to have a long shelf life)

we are going to tweak the recipe a bit to make it easy ( like discarding the shell )

What kind of mango should I use to make the mango pickle?

Choose mangoes which are unripe and green.

They should be firm to touch and have no bruises.

Avoid the mangoes which are little ripe.

Do I need to use the shell of the mango, if so how do I cut it?

Traditionally the shell is used in the pickle. Cutting the pickle through shell , needs good knife skills. If living in India, let the mango vendor do the job for you. There is nothing like sucking the shell which has the flavor of mango and spice mixture on it.

I live in U.S, and I get the green mangoes from Indian grocery stores. Being an very accidental prone, I didn’t take any chance of cutting through the shell. Just used all of the mango, except for the shell part.

Instructions to follow before making the mango pickle-

Pick unripe green mangoes. Wash them properly by rubbing on the mango. You can also soak the mango in some salted water for 30 mins. Rinse well. Use a kitchen towel and wipe clean.

Cut the mango to small pieces and wipe it dry with the kitchen towel. This will remove excess moisture from the mango. This step is very important to have fungus free mango pickle.

After mixing the mango pickle, do not taste the pickle immediately. Let it marinate for atleast 6 hours before you taste and adjust.

Salt and oil are preservatives for the pickle. So make sure, you add enough salt and oil.

What are the ingredients needed to make the mango pickle?

raw unripe green mango
red chili powder
mustard seeds
fenugreek seeds
garlic cloves
oil ( traditionally sesame oil is used, but if you don’t have it use vegetable oil)
salt ( rock salt or regular salt, what ever you have)

Here is another mango pickle recipe where the mango is grated – grated mango pickle.

How to make Mango Pickle ( step by step photos):

1) Before we proceed with the recipe, make sure all the utensils like cutting board, knife, bowls, spoon, mixer jar…. all are DRY. It is very important that all the utensils are moisture free.We don’t want to have any moisture in them. You can also keep the utensils in the sun for few minutes.

2) Pick green, firm raw mangoes. Wash the mango ( you can gently scrub it). Pat it dry using a kitchen towel.

3) Using a cut board and a good knife cut the mango. Do not peel the skin. You can also cut all the pieces which are around the shell, that will give gravy to the pickle.

4) Transfer the cut mango pieces in to a wide plate. Using a clean kitchen towel,wipe the mango dry. It is one of the most important steps in this recipe. We want to take away the excess moisture from the mangoes. After you wipe it, let the mangoes dry in the same plate for at least 2 more hours. This will help remove any extra moisture the mangoes have.

5) While the mango is drying, you can prep the other ingredients. Dry roast the methi in a pan, for two to three minutes. Cool and transfer to a mixer.

6) Also add the mustard seeds to the methi mixture.

7) Grind the methi and mustard seeds to a powder.

8) Measure red chilly powder and salt and set a side. Peel the garlic and thinly slice them.

Warm the oil (do not boil) and let it come to the room temperature.

9) After two hours transfer the mangoes in to a wide bowl.

10) Add the red chili powder, mustard methi powder, salt and garlic cloves.

11) Add ¾ cup oil.

12) Mix all the ingredients, making sure all the mango pieces are coated with spices and oil.

13) let rest for 15 hours ( mix two to three times in between). The mango pieces will become soft. Mix it again and taste the pickle.

Adjust the spices or salt and mix it well. Rest the pickle for one more hour. After an hour, mix well and the pickle is ready to be bottled.

14) Transfer the pickle in to a glass or ceramic jar. Pour rest of the oil on the pickle. Close the lid tightly and store in the refrigerator. I can guarantee that if you followed my way, the pickle should lasts atleast for 6 months.

15) Serve the mango pickle with mango dal // gujarati dal // broccoli dal //dill leaves dal // black eyed peas dal // ridge gourd dal

Mango Pickle or Avakaya Recipe