VADUMAANGAAI / MAAVADU

Summer always brings back fond memories of "THOSE CHILDHOOD DAYS" and are beautiful moments herbariumed inside me. I lived in Hyderabad with my Parents when i was a child and looked forward to visit my Grandparents, Aunt and Uncle at Salem every summer. Throughout the 32 hr train journey I would keep on asking my mom every now and then as to when we would reach  and she would untiringly answer my questions. I also remember my Grandmother ( Radha Paati) would greet us and would be ready to serve us Curd Rice and Vadu Maangaai to beat the heat off the long train journey. Used to love those Vadu Maangaais that Paati used to prepare and store it for an year in large ceramic pots ( Peengan Jaadi) . I am not sure if those huge ceramic ones are even available these days.

                    

I was never a fan of Thayir Saadham as a child but would always have it when i am offered any kind of Mango pickle as an accompaniment. So the same love for mangoes drove me to execute this mini project. Sri ( My dear husband) surprised me last week by bringing home few baby mangoes as he happened to pick them from somewhere nearby. He also has a hand in pickling and was the one who motivated me to try this as i have never tried preparing Vadumaangaai in the past except to taste. I owe a special thanks to him.

Preparation and Cooking time together : 15 to 20 minutes 

Recipe Source: Sri 

Ingredients:

Raw Tender Mangoes ............................... 250gms

Rock Salt................................................ 1 and a 1/2 tbsp

Red Chillies.............................................15 to 18

Mustard Seeds........................................ 1 tbsp heaped
Turmeric Powder.................................... 1 and a 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida............................................... 2 to 3 pinches

Castor Oil...............................................  2 tsp

Water.....................................................  1 glass and a little

Tall, Clean glass bottle............................. 1 

Method:

• Break the stalk from the Baby mangoes, wash and set aside to dry. Wipe them individually or in batches of two to three in small 

• Pour a teaspoon of castor oil on a stainless steel plate and spread the mangoes on the plate. Pour another spoon of castor oil over the mangoes and rotate the plate in such a way so that the mangoes are smeared and coated well with the oil. Leave it aside for a couple of minutes and again wipe them all clean off the oil using a cloth or a kitchen towel.

• Grind coarsely together in a mixer Mustard Seeds, Rock Salt, Turmeric powder, Asafoetida and Red Chillies. Pour a glass and a half of water into it and swirl one more time. The magic potion is now ready.

• Wash and sun dry a nice tall glass bottle with lid the previous day itself. Drop the mangoes into the bottle one by one using a spatula. Never use your finger. And finally pour the spiced water into it and close tight with the lid and store in a cool, dry place. You can also use a ceramic pot if you have one handy. But ensure to close it tight with a clean cloth.

ENJOY!!!!!!!! AND HAPPY PICKLING

Notes

• Stir with a clean spatula or shake the bottle daily. This helps even suspension of the mangoes inside the potion. It will take a month or two for the mangoes to shrink and settle.
• Ensure that you do execute the process only after your shower. Otherwise the chances of contamination is very high. The same implies for the preparation process also.