Say hello to Kadumanga Achar or Nurukku Manga Achar! Don’t be intimidated by the names. It’s simply a Kerala Style Instant Mango Pickle which is common during festivals and celebrations as a part of the traditional vegetarian food platter called ‘Sadya.’ This is a quick, 15-minute Instant Pickle from my mother and has been a regular at our home.
About Manga Achar
I really love this pickle as it can be made real quick, without any hassle. Here’s an interesting breakdown of the know-how of the Nurukku Manga Achar or the Kerala Style Instant Mango Pickle:
Name: In Malayalam language,
‘Nurukku‘ is chopped small or cut pieces
‘Manga‘ is a mango
‘Achar‘ is a pickle
Name: In Malayalam language,
‘Kadugu’ means mustard seeds
‘Manga‘ is a mango
‘Achar‘ is a pickle
Ingredients: This Pickle uses unripe mangoes, mustard seeds, curry leaves and some spices in its preparation. It also does not require sun-drying, neither does it need much of cooking.
Time taken: The best part of this pickle recipe is that it can be made in less than 15 minutes.
On Weight: As seen in the step-by-step pictures, I have used 4 small unripe mangoes which together weighed 300 grams. In the video, I have used one large mango weighing about 300 grams. The weight and size of the mangoes will decide this number. Ensure that after chopping the mangoes into cubes, you should have about 1 to 1.25 cups.
Scaling: You may decrease or increase the quantity of ingredients of this Pickle by halving or doubling them.
Storing and Serving Manga Achar
Prepare this pickle preferably during the mango season. As soon as you make the pickle, if not serving immediately, keep it in the refrigerator. It stays good for about a week in the fridge.
Remember to always refrigerate this instant pickle. Keeping the manga achar outside will spoil it. If after a few days of refrigeration, the pickle has an odd taste or a weird smell, then trash it.
Apart from being an important part of the Sadya meals, you can serve this Manga Achar with any other South Indian meal of your choice. For example, with sambar-sadam (sambar with steamed rice), curd rice or a simple dal-rice.
In addition to these, this pickle is good with your regular veggie preparations, pulao, roti, thepla and even paratha.
How to make Manga Achar
Preparation
1. Keep all the ingredients ready. I prefer to keep everything handy as this fastens the cooking process.
2. Rinse 4 small (300 grams) green mangoes and then dry them with a clean kitchen towel. There should be no trace of moisture on them.
In the video, I have used 1 large mango which weighed about 300 grams. Whereas in the step-by-step pictures, I have used 4 small mangoes and they weighed 300 grams in total.
3. Peel the skin of the mangoes. This is an optional step, but if the mangoes have thicker skins, then do peel them.
4. Chop the mangoes into small bite-sized pieces or cubes. Chopping is a bit tough, so use a good knife and be careful of your hands.
Place them in a mixing bowl or a wide dish. After chopping, you should get about 1 to 1.25 cups of chopped mango cubes.
5. Sprinkle the following spices and seasonings on the chopped mangoes:
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder – if you prefer, you can reduce the Kashmiri red chili powder for less spiciness.
- 1 teaspoon salt
6. Mix everything nicely with a spoon.
7. The spices should nicely coat the cubes. Take the spices coated mangoes in a heat proof bowl.
Temper Manga Achar
8. Heat 4 tablespoons sesame oil (gingelly oil – made with raw sesame seeds) in a small frying pan or a small vessel. You can also use mustard oil or sunflower oil.
9. Keep heat to a low and add the spices listed below:
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
10. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add 8 to 10 curry leaves. Fry for 1 to 2 seconds and then turn off the heat.
11. Pour this hot tempering over the masala mixed mangoes.
12. Mix everything well with a spoon.
13. Allow the Manga Achar to cool and store in a clean, sterilized glass bottle. The pickle is ready to serve.
Serve the Manga Achar as a condiment with your favorite meal like Curd Rice, khichdi, sambar rice, vegetable pulao or Vegetable Biryani. Refrigerate the pickle for later use.
FAQs
You can use mustard oil or sunflower oil in place of sesame oil.
Raw fenugreek seeds are hard. But when you fry them, they become brittle and can be consumed. Similarly, when you cook these seeds in a dal or gravy, they soften.
You can refrigerate this pickle for a week.
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Kadumanga Achar | Kerala Manga Achar
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 300 gram mangoes – unripe & green or 4 small green unripe mangoes – peeled and chopped or 1 to 1.25 cups chopped and peeled green mangoes (manga, keri, kairi or kachcha aam)
- 3 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or add as per taste
For tempering the pickle
- 4 tablespoons sesame oil about ¼ cup, add more if required, can use sunflower oil or mustard oil too
- 2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½ teaspoon asafoetida
- 8 to 10 curry leaves
Instructions
Preparing the pickle
- Rinse the mangoes and dry them with a clean kitchen towel. There should be no trace of moisture on them. Peel their skin. To peel is optional.
- Chop them into small bite-sized pieces or cubes. Chopping is a bit tough, so use a good knife and be careful of your hands.
- The chopped mango cubes should be about 1 to 1.25 cups.
- Place them in a heat proof mixing bowl or wide dish.
- Sprinkle turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt on the mango cubes.
- Mix everything nicely with a spoon.
- The masala should nicely coat the mango cubes.
Tempering the pickle
- Heat sesame oil in a small vessel or tadka pan or small frying pan. Keep heat to a low.
- Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida.
- Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add the curry leaves.
- Fry for 1 to 2 seconds and then turn off the heat.
- Pour this hot tempering over the masala coated raw mango cubes.
- Mix everything with a spoon.
- Allow to cool and store the pickle in clean, sterilized glass bottles.
- The Manga Achar is ready. Serve as a side dish in Sadya meals or any of your favorite meals.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Manga Achar from the archives, originally published in June 2016 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
It was good just now tried but the turmeric’s flavour was a little disappointing and mustard oil too
mustard oil will give a different taste and flavor and may not go well with everyone. mustard oil can be used when sesame oil is not there. this pickle also tastes good in sunflower oil. when cooking with mustard oil, it should be heated till it begins to smoke and then the tempering ingredients should be added. this reduces the pungency of the mustard oil. for turmeric, its flavor and taste is there, but i hope you added the amount as mentioned in the recipe.
Hello Dasana,
thank you so much for your recipe, I just made it, had to tweak it a little, but its awesome, keep up with sharing the love!
thanks tilly and glad that you liked the recipe. happy cooking.
I am from kerala.we made this pickle for sadhya
thanks. yes i know.
Namaste, I just tried to make it and I have a question do these fenugreek seeds are supposed to be so hard on teeth? Or I bought not good ones? Because they crackle as if my tooth broke 🙂
fenugreek seeds when raw are hard. but when you fry them, they become brittle and can be eaten. same is when you cook them in a dal or gravy, they soften. i guess they needed to be fried for some seconds in the oil. you wouldn’t have felt them to be hard. hope this helps.
Thanks Dassana for this simple yet tasty pickle.
Welcome Bindu
I have made this today. Super yummy. Thanks for the easy receipe!
welcome chaaru and thankyou, glad you liked the instant pickle 🙂
How long can we store this? Can it be refrigerated?
its stays well for a week or about 10 days in the fridge.
I love to make foood
This is awsm
Pleasee update new ones
thanks pranjay
I made this! super easy and delicious. I am so proud of me today.Thank you so much. I love your recipes.
welcome rinku. thanks for sharing positive feedback.
This is such a mouth watering recipe, will make this first thing tomorrow morning Canada time. I am a huge fan of your recipes as always!
Mala
surely try mala and let us know how the pickle was? thankyou.