Aam ka Achaar Recipe | Mango Pickle in Mustard Oil

Raw mango, coarsely ground rai and a generous bath of mustard oil — this is the pickle North Indian summers are built on.

Ingredients: 1 kg raw (kacha) mango cut into pieces; 100 g mustard seeds (rai), coarsely ground; 50 g fennel seeds; 25 g fenugreek seeds (methi); 50 g red chilli powder; 25 g turmeric; salt to taste; 300–400 ml cold-pressed mustard oil.

1. Wash and thoroughly dry the mango pieces — any moisture spoils the pickle.

2. Mix all the dry spices and salt with the mango.

3. Heat the mustard oil to smoking point, then let it cool completely.

4. Pour the cooled oil over the mango-spice mix so everything is submerged.

5. Pack into a clean, dry glass jar, cover the mouth with a cloth, and sun it for 4–7 days, stirring daily with a dry spoon.

6. The oil should always sit a finger above the mango — that's your preservative.