Ingredients
Mango
- 4large green mangoes, hard and sour
- 1 tbspsalt
Seasoning
- 3 tbspamchar masala
- 4 clovesgarlic, crushed
- 2to 4 scotch bonnet peppers, chopped fine
- 1 tspsalt
- 150 mlmustard oil
To serve
- doubles
- roti and curry
- fried fish
Directions
- Peel the mangoes and grate them coarsely, stopping at the stone. They must be properly green and hard — a mango with any ripeness will not dry and turns the jar to sweet mush.
- Toss the grated mango with the tablespoon of salt and squeeze it out by the handful.
- Spread it thin on a tray and dry it in full sun for about six hours, turning it a few times, until it has lost most of its moisture and gone from bright green to dull khaki.
- The sun-drying is what makes kuchela keep. Undried, it is a fresh chutney to be eaten that week; dried, it sits in a cupboard for months.
- Heat the mustard oil until it just smokes, then take it off the heat and let it cool completely.
- Heating the mustard oil first is not optional — raw mustard oil is harsh and bitter, and smoking it drives that off.
- Mix the dried mango with the amchar masala, garlic, scotch bonnet and remaining salt, then work in the cooled oil until everything is dark and glistening.
- Pack tightly into a jar with a film of oil on top, and leave three days before eating.
- It keeps months at room temperature as long as the oil covers the surface. Always use a dry spoon.
- Eat a small spoonful at a time, with doubles, roti or fried fish. It is fiercely hot and sour and it is meant to be.
Technique
- Hard green mango only.
- Smoke the mustard oil and cool it before it goes in.
- Oil over the surface and a dry spoon. That is what keeps the jar.
Substitutions
- A low oven at 80°C (175°F) for two hours in place of sun.
- Any neutral oil, though mustard oil is the taste of Trinidadian kuchela.
- Green pommecythere or green papaya, both of which are done.
Variations
- Amchar, the wetter mango pickle in the same family.
- The Indian aam ka achar that indentured labourers brought is the direct ancestor.
History
An Indo-Trinidadian condiment brought by indentured labourers from India and sun-cured in jars.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kuchela?
Kuchela is a fermented & pickled from Trinidad and Tobago: shredded green mango cured with mustard oil, chilli and amchar masala. An Indo-Trinidadian condiment brought by indentured labourers from India and sun-cured in jars.
How long does Kuchela take to make?
Kuchela takes 30 min plus 6 hours sun-drying of preparation and 5 min of cooking. The recipe makes fills a 500 ml jar. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Kuchela?
Yes, within limits. A low oven at 80°C (175°F) for two hours in place of sun. Any neutral oil, though mustard oil is the taste of Trinidadian kuchela. Green pommecythere or green papaya, both of which are done.
What is the most important thing to get right in Kuchela?
Peel the mangoes and grate them coarsely, stopping at the stone. They must be properly green and hard — a mango with any ripeness will not dry and turns the jar to sweet mush.
