AVAKAI OORUGAI

I am back in Hyderabad. It is very hot with

40 to 42degrees celcius.Came all the way from Moscow where it was 8 degrees when i left.

Happy to be back home to meet my father,

brother and sister and have the delicious BANGANAPALLI  mangoes.

Ofcourse neot to miss the AVAKAI SEASON i am

on time.

It is a ritual here when it comes to preparing

mango pickle which is preserved whole year

long.  The timing for making the pickle is also

important.Usually we make before the amavasya of tamil vaigasi month--which is

around 20th May.This is ensured to avoid

mangoes getting more ripe aftr May which is

not good for pickle.

We choose an auspicious day and make the

pickle. This requires some pre-arrangements assembling the ingredients and

also keeping the JAADI cleaned and kept ready.

Choosing the variety of mangoes is also

important.The mangoes should be white in

colour when cut and should be sour and with

fibre. The mangoes are picked washed

wiped and cut to pieces with TENKA MEANING OODU.

These pieces are further wiped with dry cloth and the white fibre like thin layer

removed from the TNAKA .By doing so the pickle will absorb less oil.

Ofcourse the required quantity as per measure will be used to keep the pickle

fresh year long and it will not allow the pickle to get spoiled.

Then comes making of masala for the pickle.

The main ingredients are mirchi powder,

mustard powder, salt, methi seeds and seasame oil.

There are many varieties of pickles like

plain avakai, vellamangai, uppumangai,

engimangai, kobera mangai and engipoondu

AVAKAI OORUGAI/PACHADI

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE INGEDIENTS FOR MAKING 10 MANGOES PICKLE

MEDIUM SIZED MANGOES    10 NOS

MIRCHI POWDER

(THREE MANGOES BRAND)    400 GRMS

MUSTARD POWDER                  480 GRMS

SALT                                               400 GRMS

METHI POWDER                           50 GRMS

METHI SEEDS                                2 TSP

LG POWDER                                  2 TSP

HALDI                                            2 TSP

SEASAME OIL                            500 ML    TO 600 ML

KEEP ALL THE INGRDIENTS READY DULY MEASURED AS REQUIRED.

METHI SEEDS SHOULD BE CLEANED AND KEP IN SUN LIGHT FOR SOME TIME.

ROAST THE SEEDS IN HOT KADAI TILL THEY TURN LIGHT BROWN AND AROMA

COMES. PUT OFF STOVE ADD HALDI POWDER WHILE IT IS HOT AND STIR WELL AND

TRANSFER TO A PLATE. COOL AND THEN POWDER.

LG(ASOFOTIDA) WHICH IS IN SOLID FORM SHOULD BE USED. BREAK THEM TO PIECES AND POWDER THE REQUIRED QUANTITY

AND KEEP READY. ONE SPOON OF THIS POWDER CAN BE FRIED IN SEASAME OIL AND COOLED AND KEPT READY.

 MANGOES SHOULD BE PICKED WASHED WIPED AND THEN CUT TO PIECES.

WHEN ONE MANGO IS CUT YOU GET 16 PIECES. WIPE THE PIECES AGAIN AND REMOVE THE WHITE THIN SKIN

FROM THE TENKA/OODU AND SPREAD THE PIECES ON A WIDE PLATE AND KEEP.

I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION  A FEW WORDS REGARDING MUSTARD POWDER HERE:

IF YOU ARE USING READYMADE MUSTARD POWDER THE MASALA FOR PICKLE CAN BE PREPARED DIRECT

BY ADDING ONE AFTER OTHER THE POWDERS IN A BIG BOWL. 

                                           ALTERNATIVELY

MUSTARD SEEDS CAN POWDERED AFTER SUNDRYING THE SEEDS IN A PLATE.

 TAKE THE REQUIRED QUANTITY AND ADD THE MIRCHI POWDER

AND SALT AS PER MEASURE AND POWDER TOGETHER IN THE MIXIE.THIS CAN BE DONE

IN TWO TO THREE TIMES IN SMALL QUANTIES AS THE MIXIE JAR MAY NOT HOLD THE

WHOLE QUANTITY TOGETHER AT A TIME.

 BY DOING SO THE POWDERS BLEND TOGETHER WELL AND ALSO MUSTARD WHEN POWDERED

 ALONG WITH OTHER INGREDIENTS WILL NOTLEAVE OIL WHILE POWDERING SEPERATE.

 THE FRESHNESS OF THE MUSTARD CAN ALSO BE DERIVED.THEY CALL THIS "AVAPINDI"

WHEN ONCE THE POWDERS ARE READY PUT THEM IN A BIG BOWL  ADD METHI POWDER ,METHI SEEDS AND THEN LG POWDER AND

ALSO THE LG FRIED IN OIL(ALONG WITH OIL SHOULD BE ADDED) AND MIX WELL.

 ADD OIL LITTLE BY LITTLE MIXING THE POWDER TILL THE DRY POWDER IS FULLY MIXED WITH

OIL AND GIVES A CONSISTENCY OF MIXED CURD RICE. BALANCE OIL CAN BE RETAINED TO BE POURED LATER.

TAKE HANDFUL  OF CUT MANGOES AND ADD TO THIS MIX IN THE BOWL. COAT THE PIECES WITH THE POWDER GENTLY

MIXING WITH THE HANDS AND REMOVE THE PEICES WITH SOME PODI AND PUT IN THE  JADI KEPT READY. A LITTLE OIL SHOULD

BE POURED IN THE EMPTY JADI FIRST TO KEEP THE BOTTOM GREESY. REPEAT THE PROCESS TILL ALL THE MANGO

PIECES ARE COMPLETED. THE PODI AND MANGOES WILL BE MIXED EVENLY TILL THE END.POUR THE REMAINING

OIL ON TOP AND CLOSE WITH THE LID AND TIE A WHITE CLOTH AND KEEP IT IN DRY PLACE. THE PICKLE SHOULD

BE GIVEN A STIR ON THE THIRD DAY- THAT IS- AFTER 48 HOURS. MORE OIL CAN BE ADDED TO COVER THE PICKLE

AND IT IS GOOD IF SOME OIL REMAINS  HALF TO ONE INCH ABOVE THE PICKLE LEVEL IN THE JADI.

TWO MORE STIRS ARE REQUIRED AFTER THIS ON ALERNATE DAYS. THEN THE PICKLE IS READY FOR USE.