Bambangan

Ingredients

Pickle

• 1 kgunripe bambangan or firm green mango
• 60 gcoarse non-iodised salt — 6% of the fruit’s weight
• the seed of one bambangan, husk removed and grated
• 2hot red chillies, sliced

To serve

• hot rice
• grilled or fried fish

Directions

1. Peel the fruit and cut the flesh from the stone in thick slices or chunks. Keep one seed back.
2. Weigh the prepared flesh and use 6% of that weight in salt. Weighing rather than guessing is what makes this safe and keeps it from going soft, and it is the only number in the recipe that matters.
3. Toss the fruit thoroughly with the salt in a bowl and leave for an hour. It will draw out a surprising amount of liquid.
4. Strip the fibrous husk from the reserved seed and grate the soft kernel inside. This is what thickens the pickle and gives it the particular fibrous texture it is known for.
5. Pack the fruit, its liquid, the grated seed and the chilli into a clean jar, pressing down hard so the brine rises over the top of the fruit. Weight it down if anything floats.
6. Cover loosely and leave at cool room temperature for one to two weeks, until it smells sharply sour and the fruit has softened but still has body.
7. Move to the fridge, where it keeps for months. Serve a spoonful at a time with rice and fish.

Technique

• Everything must stay under the brine. Fruit above the surface grows mould, and that is the only way this goes wrong.
• Use fruit that is genuinely unripe and hard. Anything approaching ripe collapses into a sweet mush within days.
• The grated seed is not optional if you want the real thing — it is what separates bambangan from any other salted mango.

Substitutions

• Firm green mango where bambangan is not available; the flavour is milder but the method is identical.
• Bird’s eye chillies for the red chillies, added whole so the heat is gentler.

Variations

• Some Sabahan households add a little cooked rice, which speeds the souring considerably.
• A version with sliced shallot stirred in at the end is eaten as a relish rather than a condiment.

History

Made in Brunei and neighbouring Borneo from the huge brown-skinned forest mango of the same name.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bambangan?

Bambangan is a fermented & pickled from Brunei: wild mango pickled with salt and grated seed until sour and fibrous. Made in Brunei and neighbouring Borneo from the huge brown-skinned forest mango of the same name.

How long does Bambangan take to make?

Bambangan takes 30 min plus 1 to 2 weeks souring of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes fills a 1-litre jar. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Bambangan?

Yes, within limits. Firm green mango where bambangan is not available; the flavour is milder but the method is identical. Bird’s eye chillies for the red chillies, added whole so the heat is gentler.

What is the most important thing to get right in Bambangan?

Weigh the prepared flesh and use 6% of that weight in salt. Weighing rather than guessing is what makes this safe and keeps it from going soft, and it is the only number in the recipe that matters.