Last December two of my colleagues excitedly informed me “Hey Munmun, we’ve got a new Indian grocery store in our locality”. I was working for a consulting company based out in Massachusetts, USA. Their only branch in India is located in Delhi and I was working for the Delhi branch. My colleague Kath and Tina, whenever had any questions related to India, they used to ask me on our regular calls. And when they got the new Indian grocery store in their locality, they asked me if there is anything interesting they should try. And the first thing that popped up in my mind was Raw Mango Pickle.
I remember, during my childhood days how I use to help my mom in peeling the raw mangoes and then mom had to dice them. After this, she had to apply salt and turmeric and then put those mangoes outside to sun-dry before it goes through other steps of becoming “aamer achar” as we call it in Bengali or “aam ka achar” as known in Hindi. My dad had the responsibility of bringing the best mangoes from the market. How good a mango is for making pickles, is judged by its smell and size. It needs patience and my dad is good at it. Mid-March to early May is a good time to find raw mangoes in the local market. When the spring season bids goodbye, the summer comes and so the flower turns into mangoes.
The sun-dried mangoes were mixed with different spice powders like fenugreek, dried chilies, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, etc and then roasted in mustard oil. The smell that emerges while roasting was enough to drool. This spicy mango pickle was then shifted into glass jars and kept under the sun for a week. Elders of the family always suggest, keeping the jar under the sun every day as long the pickle lasts which makes it more delicious.
Similarly, there is sweet pickle too. It has a separate fan base. Sweet pickle is mostly made up of jaggery. The best part is, nowadays homemade pickles are also available in local markets and online stores. But this summer I really wanted to make my own pickle at home. So I gathered all the courage and planned all the hard work and took my first step of making pickle. It was my first time. Like my dad, I picked the best mangoes from the nearby market and called my mom for the recipe. It took me a couple of hours but the result was amazing.
When you grow up, you wish to do things for your parents that your parents had done to make you happy. Like many Indian moms, my mom use to pack jars of sweet pickles and spicy pickles along with other homemade…ahhh! actually, mom-made savory, when I had to return to Delhi after spending a long weekend in my hometown in West Bengal. This time I gave my mom a jar of sweet pickles that I made. My mom was so happy and proud at the same time.
Raw mangoes are great to beat the heat during summer. In India, elders suggest taking sour foods to keep your body cool. Like pickles, raw mangoes are also used to make a tangy drink which is commonly known as Aam Panna. Mangoes are roasted and boiled to make Aam Panna. In India, it is mostly served as a welcome drink to the guests.
There are many such things made from raw mangoes. What do you make from the raw mangoes in your country? Ever tried eating raw mangoes with black salt? I bet you can’t hold your expressions when you try that tangy thing. I’m excited to read your comments.