Mango Pickle

Mango pickle is made from unripe green mangoes, cut with the stone or grated, salted, and packed with chilli, fenugreek, mustard and oil to mature. In Punjab and across the north it is aam ka achar, heady with fennel, nigella and mustard oil. In Andhra it is avakaya, cut into large pieces with the shell, red with chilli and mustard powder. Tamil homes make mangai oorugai and grated mango thokku, while tender baby mangoes brined whole become vadu mangai. It is the best loved jar in our pickles range.

Choose by heat and texture. Hot styles carry more chilli and are meant to be eaten a piece at a time; mild styles are gentler and suit children and newcomers; mango and lime together give extra sharpness, and mango with ginger adds a fresh, aromatic bite. Cut mango keeps its chew, while thokku is soft enough to mix straight into rice.

Serve mango pickle with stuffed parathas and yoghurt, with khichdi, with dal and rice, or alongside a Sunday biryani. Oil based mango pickles keep for a year or more in the cupboard as long as the fruit stays under the oil. For a sharper citrus jar, try lime pickle, for a fiercer Telugu style, Andhra pickles, and for a jar with a bit of everything, mixed pickle.