Andhra Avakaya - Mango pickle recipe

We all know that Andhra pradesh is very much famous for Avakaya or the Mango Pickle.  The Andhra mango pickle goes with the name Avakaya.  'Ava' means mustard and 'Kaya' means raw fruit.  There are many varieties of Avakai but the king of pickles is the mango pickle.  The mango pickle is one of the best traditional culinary items of Indian food.

There is a saying that no Andhra meal is complete without Avakaya.  Where ever place you go in Andhra Pradesh, the Telugu people take pride in serving the guests with a comfortable andhra meals consisting of steamed white rice, mudda pappu ( mashed tur dal ), Kotha Avakaya ( new freshly made mango pickle ) with a dollop of ghee along with some vegetable fry or curry, rasam, appadam and perugu ( curd ).

Normally mangoes arrive in the summer season and telugu people start preparing the Avakaya during the summer season.  It is a fun process where all family members are involved into making the Avakaya and fill large Jaadis ( ceramic pickle jars ) with prepared Avakaya.    Now let us see how to prepare Avakaya or the Mango pickle.

The mangoes are to be plucked on the same day to prepare the Avakaya.  We should not use the mango which falls off the tree. The fresh raw mangoes are soaked in water for an hour, wiped dry and carefully cut with a special knife into uniform pieces.

Main ingredients required :

• Raw mangoes
• Red chilli powder
• Mustard powder

Ingredients required :

• Raw green mangoes -  3 medium sized each one cut into 8 pieces ( approx 4 cups )
• Mustard seeds powder - 1 cup
• Red chilli powder  -  1 Cup ( 3 mangoes brand can be used )
• Salt -  3/4 cup powdered white crystal salt ( Kallu uppu )
• Gingelly oil -  1 1/4 cups
• Garlic cloves -  1/3 cup
• Methi seeds -  1 1/2 tsps

Method of preparation of Andhra Avakaya:

• Wash the mangoes in water for one hour.  Wash the pickle jars nice and dry them in sun light and see that there is no moisture
• Wipe the mangoes with a cloth and cut them into uniform pieces with the kernel intact
• Clean the pieces with soft cloth and spread them over a dry cloth 
• Grind the sun dried mustard seeds to a fine powder and keep it aside
• Grind the crystal salt to fine and keep it aside
• Now peel the garlic and set aside
• Now take a large vessel or bowl and add the red chilli powder, mustard powder and salt and mix well with dry hands.  Add methi seeds, garlic cloves and 3/4 cup of oil and mix well.  
• Add the mango pieces and mix well with the hands such that the mixture coats the mango pieces
• Now take the spice coated mango pieces along with some of the spice mixture and add to the jar.  Any remaining spice powder should be added to the jar.  Now pour 1/4 cup of oil on top and cover the pickle jar with the lid.  Tie a cloth cover over the lid and keep it in a moisture free area
• Open the pickle jar on 4th day and mix the contents carefully.  Taste the mixture and check if it is salty.  If required add 1 to 2 tbsps.  Pour 1/4 cup of oil on top and again cover the jar with lid and tie a clothe cover over it.  Wait for another 4 days
• After another 4 days mix the pickle carefully with a clean and dry ladle.  The mango pickle is now ready for use 

  Remove a small quantity of the Avakaya into a small bowl for daily use.  Serve the kotha avakaya with hot steamed rice and ghee.      We can also make the famous Mamidikaya pappu ( mango dal ) which is a favourite dish of telugu people using the mangoes.  To know more about Mamidikaya pappu,  please read my article on how to make Mamidikaya pappu...


If you want to know about more Indian recipes,  you can visit my other blog on Indian Recipes.