AVAKKAI PICKLE RECIPE

 

INGREDIENTS:

Mangoes cut into cubes with shell – 6
cups
Turmeric powder - 1/4 cup 
Chilli powder - 1 cup 

(I used 3/4 cup chilli powder and 1/4 cup  Kashmiri chilli powder)
Crystal salt (powdered) - 1 cup 
Mustard seeds powder - 1 cup 
Methi seeds - 1 tablespoon
Black chenna dhal - a handful 
Gingelly oil (Sesame Oil) - 2 to 3 cups

METHOD:

Select firm mangoes (preferably avakkai variety as it stands for a longer period). Wash and cut mangoes into slightly big cubes with the shell (this is an important step and slightly tough job) OR get it cut by the vendor. 

Remove the membrane sticking to the shell from all the cut pieces. Wipe each mango piece with a clean white cloth and allow it to dry completely.  

Powder crystal salt. Powder mustard seeds.  

In a wide vessel, put cut mangoes, add turmeric powder and oil, mix well until all the mangoes are coated. 

Take another wide vessel, add mustard powder, chilli powder, salt, fenugreek seeds, black channa, oil and mix well. Take a handful of cut mango, coat it in the above mixture and put in a glass bowl or jar. Repeat the process with all cut mangoes.

Transfer it to a clean porcelain jar OR sterile bottle, add some more oil, mix well and close tightly.  Mix well daily with a long wooden spatula for 5 or 6 days. Hot and spicy avakkai is ready. 

Another less spicy version and a quick version can be seen here. 

NOTE : Always use a dry spoon to take out the mangoes.

Palakkotai mangai aviyal recipe / Chakka kuru manga aviyal recipe

INGREDIENTS:

Jackfruit seeds (Chakka kuru) -  1 cup

Raw mango peeled and chopped - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp. 

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Green chillies - 2 or 3

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.

Thick curd - 1/4 cup

Salt - as per taste

Coconut oil - 2 tablespoons

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

METHOD:

Cut jackfruit seeds lengthwise.

Peel and chop raw mango.

Grind coconut, jeera, green chillies to a medium coarse paste.

In a pan, cook jackfruit seeds with salt, turmeric powder and little water. When cooked, add chopped raw mangoes. When done, add the ground coconut paste. Cook until the raw smell diffuses. In a pan, heat 1/2 tsp. coconut oil, and curry leaves. Add to the mixture. Switch off the heat. Add thick curd, coconut oil and mix well. Serve with rice.

Javvarisi vadam recipe/ Sago vadam recipe

INGREDIENTS:

Javvarisi (Sago/Sabudana) - 1/2 kg

Water - 5 1/2-6 ltr

Green chillies - 3 or 4 medium size 

Salt - to taste

Lemon juice of 1 key lime - (optional)

Hing - 1 tsp.

This vadam is a crunchy and delicious treat for our taste buds. This is very easy to make. It can be served as a side dish in South Indian thali or can be had as a snack.

METHOD:

Clean javvarisi (sago)  without mud and stones, wash gently two or three times and drain the water completely. Now pour water an inch above sago, soak overnight. (Use maavu  javvarisi, do not use nylon javvarisi).

Next day morning, grind green chillies with little salt, hing and lemon juice, strain and keep ready. If you grind it very fine, you need not strain. Measure water and keep ready. 

The sago would have absorbed all the water by now. Rake the sabudana gently with fork or hand. Add half a litre of water and gently mix without lumps.

Heat a heavy bottomed vessel, add remaining water, when it boils add the sago mixture. When half done, add green chilli water. (If the paste is very fine, you can add directly without straining). Add salt and mix well. Usually, for vadam, use little less salt, as the vadam turns salty when dried in sun. (You can taste and see. You should feel the salt is little less). Cook until the sago turns translucent.  

When slightly cool, spread a cotton cloth or quality plastic sheet in mottai maadi (open terrace) and pour the mixture with a spoon to a round shape. Dry in the hot sun for two to three days until bone dry and store in an air-tight container. Deep fry in hot oil when required. Serve with South Indian meals as side dish or can be had as snack.

You can add tomato puree or pudina puree when half done and cook as said above for pudina javvarisi vadam and tomato javvarisi vadam. I made tricolour vadam like this for our Independence day. 

Version 1 of NOT soaking javvarisi and making vadaam is here.

NOTE: 

1. Its always better to use clean white cloth to spread vadam, to prevent health hazards. Alternatively you can use a good quality plastic sheet.

2. Its better to add little lemon juice. If you add more lemon juice, vadam will turn red while frying.

3. Add little green chillies, just for taste. If you add more, the spicy, pungent aroma(நெடி) of the chilli goes straight to the nose while eating and will cause irritation in nose. 

4. Use little less salt than usual, as the vadam turns salty when dried in sun. (You can taste and see. You should feel the salt is little less).

5. If using the cloth for drying, the vadam sticks to the cloth and it will be difficult to peel the vadam. How to take vadam from cloth? 

When the vadam is dry completely, turn the cloth upside down, sprinkle water on the backside of the cloth, now turn the cloth and within few minutes, it will be easy to peel the vadam. Transfer to a  big plate, and sun dry again for a day or until completely dry.