Meaning Of Avakaya Pachadi
‘Ava’=mustard (it is one of the main ingredients) and ‘kaya’=raw fruit (in this case raw mangoes). ‘Pachadi’=fresh pickle. Though pachadi term is also used for the yogurt-based dish similar to raita. In short, avakaya or avakai means the Andhra mango pickle.
❤️ You’ll Love This Andhra Mango Pickle
This avakaya recipe is super easy to make. Just take care of cleanliness and mix everything together and let it mature for 10 days. Avakaya pachadi can be stored for up to a year. Check the tips below to increase the shelf life of the avakaya pickle. Scalable: This recipe can be doubled, tripled, or even halved as required.
🧾 Ingredient Notes
Raw mangoes: Raw mangoes should have green to dark green skin and a firm surface. It should be tangy or sour. It should not be juicy. If it’s juicy then the andhra mango pickle will have less shelf life and spoil quickly. If mangoes are slightly juicy then you can sun-dry the cut pieces for a day or two or until the moisture dries out. Red chili powder: Depending on how spicy you prefer, use them according to the variety of chili powder. If you prefer less spicy then use a mixture of Kashmiri chili powder and regular. Mustard seeds & Fenugreek seeds: These two are typical pickle spices. Oil: Use cold press sesame oil or peanut oil. This kind of unrefined oil has an intense flavor and so it enhances the flavor of Andhra mango pickle aka avakaya.
👩🍳 How To Make Avakaya Pachadi? (Stepwise)
Preparation (A Day Before):
Wash the glass jar (mason jar or ceramic jar) in which you are going to store it.. Let it dry out completely. You can keep it under the sunlight for 1-2 hours. You need to make sure that there is no moisture in the jar. Also, wash and dry the grinder jar, mixing spoon and bowl. Keep them under the sunlight for an hour or two to dry out completely.
Preparation (Same Day):
- Wash the raw mangoes really well and wipe them dry. Place them on a kitchen towel and let them dry out completely for about 40-50 minutes.
- Cut them into 1-inch cubes, no need to peel but remove the seed. Keep it aside.
- Take mustard seeds into the grinder jar.
- Grind it into the powder. And measure to ¼ cup and keep it aside.
- Then take fenugreek seeds into the same grinder jar.
- Grind into the powder. And measure it to 2 tablespoons and keep it aside. Making Andhra Mango Pickle:
- Take the mustard powder, fenugreek powder, red chili powder and salt in a bowl.
- Mix well using a clean spoon.
- Add prepared mango pieces.
- Mix well so the masala is coated well.
- Transfer it to a jar.
- Add oil.
- Mix it really well and It looks dry right now (nothing like a pickle). NOTE: You can do this mixing part in the bowl itself and then transfer it to the glass jar.
- Let the pickle mature for 10 days at room temperature. Do mix once every day using a clean, dry spoon. After 10 days the oil will starts to float on top. If not and the pickle looks dry then you can add a little more oil on top to increase the shelf life of the pickle.
💭 Tips to preserve the avakaya for a year
Hygiene and cleanliness are very important while making avakaya. Always clean the work surface, utensils and storing jar. Make sure everything is moisture-free. It is also important to clean and dry your hands as well. If making a big batch of avakaya pickle then do not open that big jar frequently. Instead, remove the portion (1 week or two worth) in a small jar. This way the flavor, and color of the avakaya pachadi stays intact. Also, it helps to maintain/increase the shelf life. Always use a clean and dry spoon to remove the avakaya pachadi. Do not reduce the amount of salt and oil. Those two act as a preservative to keep it for a year. If there is not enough oil, the pickle may get spoilt and you may see fungus growing on top.
🍽 Serving Ideas
Avakaya pachadi is served as a side dish along with the meal. The best way to enjoy it – piping hot steamed rice, mixed with a spoonful of avakaya and a dollop of ghee. This avakaya pickle tastes good with curd rice too
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