Aam ka Achar

Ingredients

Mango

• 1 kgfirm unripe green mango, cut in 2 cm pieces with stone
• 3 tbspsalt, for the first salting

Spice

• 4 tbspfenugreek seed, roasted and coarsely ground
• 4 tbspmustard seed, coarsely ground
• 3 tbspchilli powder
• 2 tbspground turmeric
• 2 tbspfennel seed
• 1 tbspnigella seed
• 1 tspasafoetida
• 3 tbspsalt

Oil

• 400 mlmustard oil

Directions

1. Wash the mangoes and dry them completely, then dry the board and the knife too. Water is the only thing that reliably ruins an achar, and every stage of this recipe is about keeping it out.
2. Cut the mango into pieces with a bit of the stone still attached to each — the stone holds the flesh together through the year and adds flavour.
3. Toss with the 3 tablespoons of salt and leave in a bowl for 24 hours, then drain off the liquid that collects and spread the pieces on a tray in the sun for a few hours until the surfaces are dry.
4. Heat the mustard oil until it just smokes, then take it off the heat and cool it completely. Heating drives off the harsh raw pungency; pouring it hot over the spices would burn them.
5. Mix the mango with all the ground spices and the remaining 3 tablespoons of salt until every piece is coated.
6. Pack into a clean, bone-dry glass or ceramic jar, pressing down hard, and pour over the cooled oil so the mango sits under a 2 cm layer of it.
7. Cover the mouth with muslin and stand the jar in direct sun for 10 to 14 days, shaking it daily. This daily sunning is the maturing, and it is what turns raw spice and hard fruit into achar.
8. After that, seal it and keep somewhere cool. It keeps a year and improves for the first several months. Always use a dry spoon.

Technique

• Everything bone dry — the fruit, the jar, the spoon, your hands. One drop of water starts a mould that takes the whole jar.
• Keep the mango submerged under oil at all times. Top up with more cooled mustard oil if the level drops.
• Heat and cool the mustard oil. Raw, it is harsh and bitter; smoking hot on the spices, it is worse.

Substitutions

• Sesame or groundnut oil where mustard oil is unavailable, though the flavour is noticeably flatter.
• A warm windowsill or a low oven at 50°C (122°F) in place of sun.
• Jaggery for a sweet-sour version, added with the spices.

Variations

• Avakaya is the Andhra version, much hotter and heavier on mustard.
• A Punjabi version uses whole small mangoes rather than pieces.

History

Household preserving ritual timed to the pre-monsoon green mango crop; jars are sunned daily for weeks before being sealed for the year.

Frequently asked questions

What is Aam ka Achar?

Aam ka Achar is a fermented & pickled from India: unripe mango salted and matured in mustard oil with fenugreek and chilli. Household preserving ritual timed to the pre-monsoon green mango crop; jars are sunned daily for weeks before being sealed for the year.

How long does Aam ka Achar take to make?

Aam ka Achar takes 45 min plus 1 day salting and 2 weeks sunning of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes fills a 1.5-litre jar. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Aam ka Achar?

Yes, within limits. Sesame or groundnut oil where mustard oil is unavailable, though the flavour is noticeably flatter. A warm windowsill or a low oven at 50°C (122°F) in place of sun. Jaggery for a sweet-sour version, added with the spices.

What is the most important thing to get right in Aam ka Achar?

Wash the mangoes and dry them completely, then dry the board and the knife too. Water is the only thing that reliably ruins an achar, and every stage of this recipe is about keeping it out.