Instant Mango Pickle Recipe

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While there are plenty of places online that tell you how to make an Indian mango pickle recipe, very few of them tell you how to do it instantaneously and with ingredients you most likely have in your pantry already! 

Today, I will show you how easy it is to make this tangy and spicy mango pickle recipe using common ingredients from the pantry. You’ll never be stuck without Indian mango pickle again!

It is common for there to be a deluge of green mangos in the early season before the fruits have ripened. Many families will use this opportunity to prepare several jars, which can be kept and used throughout the year until the next mango season arrives. If you are accustomed to store-bought mango pickle, the luscious texture and spicy taste of this fresh mango pickle recipe will you introduce you to a whole new world of fresh Indian pickle.

No meal at my Paatti’s house was ever complete with a dollop of her mango pickle recipe mixed with a plate of hot tangy curd rice. Mango pickle can bring any food to life with its vibrant color and hot tangy flavors. It can be eaten with a side dish such as curd rice or as condiment with chutney, dosas, or parathas. Indian pickles make great accompaniments to any rice dish and curry.

This instant mango pickle recipe adds flavor to almost any dish without being too spicy. The pickling process makes it last up to three months in your refrigerator, or, if properly submersed in oil, much longer! Mango pickle is mostly prepared in season, but is enjoyed year-round with various preservation techniques.

Making this Mango Pickle Recipe

All you need is some peeled and diced mangoes, a spice blend, a little vinegar, and oil. By making your own instant mango pickle recipe at home, you not only save money, but you can customize the pickling spices to your taste and give your pickle that homemade touch. 

Ingredients

Mango

Raw mango (Green mangoes, kairi, achaar ka aam, or kaccha aam) contains a light green to light orange unripe pulp that is ideal for making a pickle. Never use fully-ripe mangoes for making pickles. Only unripe mangoes can soak up all the goodness of the pickle flavor. 

Mustard Oil

Mustard oil is irreplaceable when it comes to Indian pickles. Don’t substitute any other oil in place of this oil. But you use a mix of gingelly oil / sesame oil with mustard oil.

Green chilies

They are optional and impart a lovely spiciness to the pickle. You can control this spicy flavor by keeping or removing the seeds of these chilies while slitting. You can also make a more traditional looking mango pickle by using red chili powder. 

Spices

The spices complement well as they balance the tanginess and sourness of the mangoes in the pickle. You can also add few curry leaves to add aroma.

Other ingredients

You are at liberty to add other fruits and vegetables like lemon, carrot, cucumber, or cabbage.

Instructions

Rinse the raw mangoes thoroughly with water and set aside to air dry. You can use a kitchen towel for this purpose too. Slit the green chilies lengthwise into two halves in such a way that they remain attached a bit from the top.

Take a peeler or a knife and peel off the skin of mangoes.

Cut it into two halves to remove the stone. Now cube the mango into small pieces. 

Transfer the diced mangoes to a large bowl or tray. Now, sprinkle the salt and turmeric powder over the mangoes and mix well. Cover the glass bowl and let it rest for 3 hours for the fruit to release its juice/water. 

Take a pan and place it on the flame. Put the black mustard seeds, fennel seeds, yellow mustard seeds, and fenugreek seeds in the pan and dry roast them for a few seconds until they release a pleasant aroma.

Use a blender to make a coarse powder of these spices, and your homemade pickle masala is ready.

After 3 hours, use a colander to drain all the water from the mangoes. Shift the mangoes in the large pan again and add green chilies, red chili powder, homemade pickle masala, asafoetida, white vinegar, and mustard oil. You may need to add more salt here as most of the salt added before was lost in the drained water. 

Add all the ingredients, including the mustard oil to the mangos.

Use a gloved hands to coat each mango piece nicely with the oil and spices.

Now taste a bit of mango and add more salt as needed. The saltier it is, the longer it will last. Your instant mango pickle is ready to consume.

Take a clean and a sterilized glass jar with a lid. Use a kitchen towel to clean it again and ensure it is completely dry. Transfer the pickle to the dry glass jar and seal it with a lid.

Alternatively, you can add red chili powder with or without the green chilies to create a more traditional looking mango pickle. Be careful though, it gets really spicy, really fast!

Pro-tips

If you don’t have ingredients to make homemade pickle masala, you can use 4 tbsp of ready-made masala powder, known as Punjabi pickle masala, in your recipe.

You can serve mango pickle in combination with other Indian pickles like garlic pickle or lime pickles for variety. Enjoy your pickles with a traditional Indian meal like dal fry and gulp it down with mango lassi during mango season for a wholesome experience.

If you don’t have vinegar, you can also use lime juice (1:1) for preservation. 

Storing Mango Pickle

You can store your mango pickle jar in a dry place at room temperature for one month. These jars can be kept safe on the kitchen counter or in the pantry in an open-air environment. Keep in a place where the jar can get direct sunlight, at least for a short time in a day, as this will discourage potential mold growth.

If you want a longer shelf life, store it in the refrigerator and use it within three months. If you have no room for this jar in the refrigerator, make it in small quantities and consume it within one month.

After eating at meals, place the jar under the direct sun for 4-5 hours before placing in the cabinet or refrigerator. Doing this once a week will increase the shelf life of your mango pickle.

Make sure to shake the jar once in three days. You can also use a dry spoon to stir so that the oil spreads evenly.

Never use a wet spoon to take out a piece of mango pickle from the jar. Also, avoid water splashes or moisture from coming in contact with the pickle. Otherwise, the pickle can develop unwanted mold growth in the jar.

This mango pickle recipe should use enough mustard oil so that it remains submerged in oil. This allows for long term preservation as the environment remains anaerobic, allowing lactic acid forming bacteria rather than molds. My Paatti sometimes make sambar using mango pickle that she made years ago.

FAQs

Which oil is best for Mango pickles?

Mustard oil is the best oil to use when it comes to pickle formation. Despite imparting anti-microbial properties, it also acts as a perfect binding agent. The rich texture of this oil helps to infiltrate the spices into the mangoes and chilies. Various health benefits are also associated with its use.

What happens when I mix raw mango pickles with salt?

Salt is used to draw water from raw mangoes. It works through osmosis, in which water moves from low salt concentration toward high salt concentration. When you keep your mangoes in a concentrated salt solution, they lose their water via osmosis.

Why is vinegar used in pickling?

Vinegar contains acetic acid that act as a preservation aid in the pickling process. It kills the microorganisms that would otherwise damage the pickle. Thus, it extends the shelf life and maintains its flavor for a long time. 

Why does the color of mango pickle turn black?

You may prefer to make small batches of this mango pickle recipe, because mango pickles may turn dark over time. It would affect not only the appearance but also the flavor. The most common cause is the presence of too many minerals like iron. Using iodized salt and fine powder of ground spices rather than whole also causes color change. That’s not to say that black mango pickle is not delicious!