Mango Pickle - Gujarati khaatu Methiyu/Methia Athanu!!!

This is the pickle that i have grown up on!!! This goes perfectly well with my comfort foods of khichdi or daal chawal!! It is called Methiyu Athanu!! It just jazzes up any dull food and i love it for that :)

We used to get 2 vacations every year - summer and Diwali. And every vacation i would go to my grandmom's place and would return just a day before of school starting!! And at my grandmom's place i was pampered silly!! My grandfather would take me to Zoo, gardens, museums, arts class and loads of other places!! He would hire a cycle for me for a day, everyday!! My grandmom used make all my favorite foods!! So most of the days there would be Bhindi, Kadhi, Keri no Ras and dhokla!! My mamas used to give me ride on their back and used buy toys and crackers for me!!! And in case my maasi (who we call Naani -coz she is younger of the sister and Naani means small in Gujarati) then i would get extra special treatment!! I told you, i was pampered silly ;)

From summer vacations, I remember the freshly made mangoe pickles and chundo/murabbo!! My grandmom and the neighbouring aunties (maami as i used to call them) used to get together to make pickle for every family!! So under my grandmom's carefully eye, there used be the Project Pickle in the society every summer :) I also remember torturing everybody withh my poor jokes and crazy riddles during those pickle making sessions!! What i don't remember is how my grandmom used to make the pickle :(

Finally when mom visited me last week, i decided to get the recipe of THE pickle...I made it in small quantity as it was the 1st time. You can increase the amount of ingredients if you wish!!! But before that have a look at it :)

The Zingy Mango Pickle!!!

Ingredients:

1 Raw mango
1/2 cup methi dana (Fenugreek seeds)
1+ 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder (you can increase/decrease if you want to - i find this optimum)
3 + 1/2 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup Oil
1 pinch Hing (asofoetida)
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder

Method:

1) Grind the methi daana very coarsly in the mixer. Ensure that there are no whole seeds. Every seed should be broken.This broken methi daana is known as Methi na kuriya.
2) Now add salt, red chili poweder, hing and turmeric to the methi daana. Mix well.
3) Heat the oil in a kadai. Add the oil to the methi daana mixture. Mix well.
4) Let it cool down. Meanwhile proper wash, clean and pat dry the mango and cut it into small pieces (throw away the seed/ Gotlo/ Gutli).

Mango - About to get pickled!!

5) Now, mix the mango pieces with the prepared methi masala. Mix well.

Mango and masala mixed - all set to get pickled...

6) Keep this mixture in a glass bowl and cover. Mix it properly everyday for 3 days.
7) And on 4th day, your pickle is ready!!
8) If you want to store it for the year (which unlikely with this small amount, but still) then heat more oil and add it to the pickle. Mix well and store in a glass jar. If planning to finish off within few days, then don't add extra oil.

You can enjoy this pickle with Muthiya, Khakhara, Rice, Khichdi, dhokla, bhakhari or anything that comes to your mind!! I even add a little masala of this pickle to My Daal!!

Notes:
1) This is a bit modified recipe. Original recipe says use 5 kg mango, 500 gms methi, 1 kg salt. But that was too much for me...So i reduced the salt amount. You can go ahead and make it as per this.

Hey Priya, if it's ok, then can you used the mango wala pic for the Colour me green event?! If not then you can continue with the Karela pic :)
Linking this to Foodelicious Cook Like Mom Event...

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+techie ZM