Manga Curry / Manga Arinjadu / Manga Achar (Mango Pickle)

I am being biased here but I couldn't resist adding a separate category for Kerala Sadya dishes. I am from Kerala, the southern most state of India and it boasts some of the best vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes of the country. But this category will highlight only the main Nadan Sadya preparations. So let me taste you through the Kerala Nadan Sadya.

A "Sadya" is a Banquet or a feast prepared for a special event such as Birthday, Weddings, or festivities like Vishu and Onam. It is an authentic vegetarian meal comprising of atleast 12 to 24 dishes served on a plantain/banana leaf (see the above picture) and people eat together sitting cross - legged on the floor. I will try to share the recipes of some of the main dishes made for a Sadya without which any Sadya is incomplete.

Today's Sadya special is the very simple yet appetizing "Manga arinjadu". It literally means sliced Mango. It is one of the simplest and an important dish in a Sadya. Important because, I think this pickle helps to increase the appetite of a person so that he /she can finish whatever is served in their plantain leaf. So when you are having a Sadya, lick on some Manga curry and have 2 mouth full of rice and gravy, lick on some manga curry again and go to another gravy and you just go on till you clean up the entire leaf. :)

Ingredients:

• 5-6 raw mangoes (washed)
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp asafoetida (heeng)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 8-10 curry leaves
• 1/4 cup gingely oil (idhayam)
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Finely cut the mangoes into small pieces with the skin on. Avoid the stone of the mango.
2. Heat the gingely oil in a kadai and put the mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Then add red chilli powder, heeng, curryleaves to the oil and stir for 2-3 minutes.
3. Now add the cut mango pieces to the kadai. Add some salt to it and mix well. The oil and the red chilli along with the mustards should coat well on the mangoes. Switch off the heat. Use a little more salt from your usual usage.
4. Let the pickle cool. Store it in an air-tight container and preserve for 7-8 days in fridge.

PS:- The colour of red chilli powder will make the pickle darker or lighter. My red chilli does not give out enough colour.