Sweet and Sour Mango Pickle | Corn Flour ka Achar

It's that time of the year again when we koknis are busy making and preserving delicacies out of mangoes. Pickles, marmalades, chutney, khatayi (amchur), pulp and squash are the popular mango preparations across the Kokan coast. There are so many varieties of pickles though but the cracked mustard tarka achar is quite popular and considered traditional but during last few years this sweet and sour mango pickle has took over it for its comparatively less oil content and more flavours. Plus this one is easier to prepare, takes less time as you don't have to keep mango pieces in salt for hours and hours plus there's no need to prepare any special masala as almost the powdered spices used are already found in the pantry. So here goes the recipe
for this flavorful achaar that can be stored in fridge for 10-12 months.

Step I:

 Cut mango into small pieces and apply masala. Give it a good mix so that the masala coats all the pieces.

Step II:

Prepare garlic mustard tempering for the pickle. Let it cool down completely.

Step III:

Add the tempering to the masala coated mango pieces when it has cooled down completely.

Step IV:

Prepare tangy corn flour sauce. (this pickle is commonly known as "corn flour ka achar" or sometimes even called as "Chinese achar" for we desis associate corn flour with Chinese cuisine for the reasons unknown lol).

Step V:

Add the prepared sauce to the mango pieces and mix well to get all the ingredients incorporated.

Step VI:

Ta da! Your pickle is ready! Now fill it in the jar and store in the fridge. As the masala gets into the mango the colour gets brighter and the texture changes as the mango tends to be softer.

Sweet and Sour Mango Pickle Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 kg raw mango (weigh after cutting into pieces)

For masala:

• 5 tbsp red chili powder
• 5 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp fenugreek seed powder
• 2 tbsp cumin seed powder
• 1 tbsp coriander seed powder

For corn flour sauce:

• 3/4 cup corn flour
• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups white vinegar

For tempering:

• 2 large heads of garlic
• 1 cup cooking oil (preferably sunflower)
• 2-4 green chillies
• A handful of curry leaves
• 1 teaspoonful mustard seeds

Method: 

1. Wash and wipe dry the mangoes and cut into 1 inch cube pieces.

2. Mix red chili powder, fenugreek powder, cumin powder and coriander powder and dry roast lightly. You can skip roasting the masala but it gives good fragrance.

3. Now apply all the dry masala and salt on the mango pieces and keep in a wide vessel.

4. Heat oil to prepare tempering. Peel and crush garlic cloves finely. When the oil is smoking hot, add mustard seeds, crushed garlic, curry leaves and slit green chilies. Keep it on high flame for a few seconds then turn off the stove and let it cool down. Keep stirring so that the garlic doesn't burn.

5. Pour the tempering over prepared mango pieces.

6. Take corn flour in a saucepan and slowly add in the vinegar and keep mixing to avoid any lumps then add sugar and cook on low to medium flame till it thickens. (Tip: Avoid inhaling the steam as the vinegar might cause irritation in throat.)

7. Let the sauces come to room temperature and then add to the mango pieces and stir well. The pickle is ready!