Andhra Mango Pickle - Avakaya/ Avakay / Avakai

Avakai literally means raw fruit with mustard (Ava- mustard, kai - raw fruit). I don't understand why people talk more about andhra biryani but according to me, avakaya is the most famous Andhra's recipe.  When the mango season starts in Andhra you can see all the ladies cleaning jars and getting ready to prepare avakaya.  Though we prepare many other varieties of pickles Avakaya/ Avakay (Raw Mango pickle) is the most prepared and the tastiest pickle. This is the king of pickles. 

 Every step in making this pickle needs to be done carefully. As kids we used to have so much fun during our summer holidays watching elders do all the work. Cutting mangoes is an art. You must cut it till the core. You need a sharp knife for this and need to cut the pieces along with the kernel (dippa in telugu). This gives a long shell life to the pickle. Make sure every piece of mango has a kernel.  You can use til oil or sesame oil for this pickle which enhances the taste.

All of us in our family including kids are big fans of pickles. So, pickles are must haves at home. Make this tempting avakaya.

6 Medium sized Mangoes

3/4 cup Mustard seed Powder

3/4 Red chilli Powder

1 tablespoon Fenugreek Seeds

3/4 cup Salt

1 cup Oil

1. Wash and wipe mangoes with a dry cloth. All the utensils, jars used to make pickles must be completely moist free. Keep the jars in sun a day before making pickles. Cut mangoes into two halves. Take the seed out and clean the inside portion with a dry cloth. Cut them into 1 inch size pieces. Dry them on a dry towel till you prepare spices for the pickle.

2. Grind mustard seeds and fenugeek seeds to a fine powder.

3. In a big bowl, mix mustard powder, red chilli powder and salt. Add oil and then add cut mangoes.

4. Apply the mixture all over the mango pieces with your hands. Mix these well.Transfer this into jars, cover it and keep it aside for 2-3 days. After a day mix everything well again and taste the pickle for salt and spice. Add more salt, red chilli powder if needed.

5. Mix the pickle everyday for 2-3 days. You can start eating the pickle from the third day. 
6. Serve with curd rice or with hot rice and ghee or with dal . Mudda pappu (cooked and mashed tuar dal) and avakaya is a wonderful combination.

Usiri Avakaya / Usiravakaya / Amla Pickle / Gooseberry Pickle

Pickles are our all time favourites. I bring many pickles from India mostly mango pickles. When these pickle get over I will make some pickles with some fresh vegetables like carrot, cauliflower. 

Gooseberry has a special tangy taste and the people who like that taste just love this pickle. hen I saw Gooseberries here tried Gooseberry pickle for the first time and took snaps immediately. Pickle thickens and the gosseberry becomes soft after a day. 

Lemon juice can be added to this to enhance the taste.  Have this with curd rice.

20 Gooseberries

1 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds

2 + 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

3/4 cup Red Chilli Powder

1/2 cup Salt

1 1/4 cup Oil

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1. Clean Gooseberry and wipe the water with a kitchen towel. Leave them in a dry kitchen towel to dry for 1-2 hours. Dry roast fenugreek seeds and mustard separately till they splatter. Grind that into a fine powder.


2. Heat a heavy bottomed pan with 1/4 cup of oil add gooseberries, cook them for 15- 20 mins. You can see the change in colour of gooseberries Transfer this in to a bowl, add salt, red chilli powder, fenugreek and mustard powder.

3. Heat the pan again, add mustard seeds and let splatter . Add this to gooseberries.

4. Now heat the pan again with 1 cup oil and add with oil on top of gooseberries . Add 1/4 cup of Lemon juice. 

5. Enjoy this with Curd Rice.

Yellow Cucumber Pickle / Dosa Avakai (Avakaya)

 

 

 Pickles!!!!!! My family just can't live without pickles. If it is a homemade pickle we will include it in almost all our meals. 

Dosa Avakai is a traditional andhra pickle like mango pickle but this is much easier than mango pickle. The skin of Yellow Cucumber is thin so it takes much less time to make this pickle compared to other pickles. You can start eating just after a day of preparation but should be consumed within 10 -12 days.

Ingredients

2 medium Yellow Cucumber
1 cup of Oil
1/2 cup Mustard
1/2 cup Salt
1/2 cup Red Chilli Powder
1 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
3 pinches Hing/ Asafoetida

1. Clean yellow cucumber. There should be no moisture on any of the things used to make it. Cut Yellow Cucumber into 8 pieces. Don't peel the skin but de-seed it and cut into small pieces. Take these pieces into a big bowl, add salt and red chilli powder.

2. Dry roast mustard seeds until the colour changes to dark grey and then powder it. Throw mustard powder into the bowl on yellow cucumber pieces. Add 1/2 cup of oil and mix it.


3. Heat the remaining oil in a small pan, add fenugreek seeds and asafoetida. Fry till fenugreek seeds changes to dark brown colour. Add this to bowl. Mix the pieces in the bowl well. Place a lid and leave it for 24 hours.

4. Transfer this into a moisture free jar.

Lemon Pickle / Nimma Avakaya

 

I never thought I will even learn to make pickles but the Lemon Tree in my garden made me learn this too. 

 Thanks to my friend who made this pickle for us last year and who gave tips to me when I made this.

Thanks to the Lemon Tree too.

My family likes pickles a lot and we always need some pickle to eat with curd rice.

I have used big Lemon so the qunatities of the ingredients are also according to that. Quantity of the ingredients may change for small size lemon. 

Ingredients

12 Big Lemon

3/4 cup Salt

1 tablespoon Fenugreek Seeds

1+1 tablespoon Mustard Seeds

1 cup Chilli Powder

2 tablespoon Oil

1. Clean all the Lemon and remove water using a cloth.There shouldn't any moisture on Lemon. Cut Lemon into 2 halves.Remove all seeds. Squeeze each one 2-3 times to extarct juice from it.Cut each half Lemon into 8 pieces (If you are using small lemons cut each half into 4 pieces).


2. Take the lemon pieces into a bowl and the pieces into another big bowl. Measure 3/4 cup Salt and keep it ready.Salt should be added to Lemon pieces immediately after cutting.Mix them well. Dry lemon pieces and lemon juice seperately under sun for 3 days. Mix the pieces well before drying it under sun everyday....


3. After 3 days  of drying , add lemon juice to the pieces and mix them well. Add Chilli Powder. Don't mix it now. 

4. In a small pan dry roast Fenugreek seeeds to golden brown and let it cool. Dry roast a tablespoon of Mustard seeds seperately in the same pan.Leave it to cool.


5. In the same pan heat 2 tablespoons of Oil and add Mustard seeds. When Mustard seeds crackle pour it on Chilli Powder. This hot Oil on Chilli Powder gives a nice maroon colour to the Pickle(Tip from my friend). Mix it well.


6. Grind both roasted Mustard seeds and Fenugreek seeds to a fine powder. Add this powder to lemon pieces and mix well.

7. Store in a air tight container. You can start eating the pickle after 3 days. This pickle will last for an year.