My post today is a little different. It’s a pickle. I don’t paste a lot of pickles as most Indian pickles use oil as the preservative. On a no-oil diet, it’s difficult to prepare pickles with no oil. When I first turned WFPB vegan some years ago. the only pickle that I could consume was a lime pickle. That’s because this pickle does not necessarily need oil. Implying that lime juice is a good preservative. I tested this premise out and it was indeed true. My pickles lasted for ages. So, I formed a company called Burst of Taste and began marketing pickles. It was going well, but there were no repeat orders – even though most consumers claimed that the product quality was outstanding. I therefore decided to close the company. But continued making pickles for my own consumption.
I buy a special mango called vadu for one of my pickles. These are tender baby mangoes of a specific variety that is only available in Thamizhnadu and, to an extent, Kerala. I normally ask my classmates to procure and courier to me. This year, I checked online and was delighted to find that one supplier did have stock. But it was not the regular vadu mango but a variety called kili mooku (parrot;s beak). Since I did not have any choice, I bought them. The minimum quantity waw 3 kilos. When the consignment arrived, I discovered that the mangoes were of various sizes. As only the small ones could be used for the vadu manga pickle, I had to sort the batch out. And I used the larger ones to make this thokku.

Ingredients
300 gms raw mangoes, large variety (I used the mangoes weighing 40 – 50 grams from my consignment as I had ordered small mangoes. You can use large raw mangoes each weighing 150 -300 gms)
3 tbsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing, perunkayam)
Unrefined salt as needed
1/2 tsp fenugreek seed powder (methi powder, venthiya podi)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi, manjal podi)
1 tsp mustard seeds (sarson, kadugu)
Juice from 4 limes
Method
Wash and dry the mangoes (they must be thoroughly dried as even a bit of moisture can spoil the entire batch of pickle)
Once dry, grate the mangoes, discarding the seed
Set aside
Heat a wok and add the mustard seeds and asafoetida
When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the grated mangoes and mix well
Add the turmeric powder and give it another good mix
Cook for a minute
Add red chili powder and salt
Mix well
Keep the flame low and cook till the mangoes are soft and well mixed with the masala
Finally, add the fenugreek seeds powder and mix well
Switch off the flame and set aside to cool
Once cool, add the lime juice and mix well
Transfer to an air-tight bottle and store in the refrigerator
This pickle should easily last for about 6 months
Serve with idli, dosa and other breakfast dishes or with yogurt rice
Enjoy!