Say hello to Kadumanga Achar or Nurukku Manga Achar! Don’t be intimidated by the names. It’s simply a Kerala Style Instant Mango Pickle which is common during festivals and celebrations as a part of the traditional vegetarian food platter called ‘Sadya.’ This is a quick, 15-minute Instant Mango Pickle from my mother and has been a regular at our home.
About Manga Achar
I really love this pickle as it can be made real quick, without any hassle. Here’s an interesting breakdown of the know-how of the Nurukku Manga Achar or the Kerala Style Instant Mango Pickle:
Name: In Malayalam language,
‘Nurukku‘ is chopped small or cut pieces
‘Manga‘ is a mango
‘Achar‘ is a pickle
Name: In Malayalam language,
‘Kadugu’ means mustard seeds
‘Manga‘ is a mango
‘Achar‘ is a pickle
Ingredients: This Instant Mango Pickle uses unripe mangoes, mustard seeds, curry leaves and some spices in its preparation. It also does not require sun-drying, neither does it need much of cooking.
Time taken: The best part of this pickle recipe is that it can be made in less than 15 minutes.
On Weight: As seen in the step-by-step pictures, I have used 4 small unripe mangoes which together weighed 300 grams. In the video, I have used one large mango weighing about 300 grams. The weight and size of the mangoes will decide this number. Ensure that after chopping the mangoes into cubes, you should have about 1 to 1.25 cups.
Scaling: You may decrease or increase the quantity of ingredients of this Kerala Style Instant Mango Pickle by halving or doubling them.
Storing and Serving Manga Achar
Prepare this Kerala Style Instant Mango Pickle preferably during the mango season. As soon as you make the pickle, if not serving immediately, keep it in the refrigerator. It stays good for about a week in the fridge.
Remember to always refrigerate this instant pickle. Keeping the manga achar outside will spoil it. If after a few days of refrigeration, the pickle has an odd taste or a weird smell, then trash it.
Apart from being an important part of the Sadya meals, you can serve this Manga Achar with any other South Indian meal of your choice. For example, with sambar-sadam (sambar with steamed rice), curd rice or a simple dal-rice.
In addition to these, this Instant Mango Pickle is good with your regular veggie preparations, pulao, roti, thepla and even paratha.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make Manga Achar
Preparation
1. Keep all the ingredients ready. I prefer to keep everything handy as this fastens the cooking process.
2. Rinse 4 small (300 grams) green mangoes and then dry them with a clean kitchen towel. There should be no trace of moisture on them.
In the video, I have used 1 large mango which weighed about 300 grams. Whereas in the step-by-step pictures, I have used 4 small mangoes and they weighed 300 grams in total.
3. Peel the skin of the mangoes. This is an optional step, but if the mangoes have thicker skins, then do peel them.
4. Chop the mangoes into small bite-sized pieces or cubes. Chopping is a bit tough, so use a good knife and be careful of your hands.
Place them in a mixing bowl or a wide dish. After chopping, you should get about 1 to 1.25 cups of chopped mango cubes.
5. Sprinkle the following spices and seasonings on the chopped mangoes:
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder – if you prefer, you can reduce the Kashmiri red chili powder for less spiciness.
- 1 teaspoon salt
6. Mix everything nicely with a spoon.
7. The spices should nicely coat the cubes. Take the spices coated mangoes in a heat proof bowl.
Temper Manga Achar
8. Heat 4 tablespoons sesame oil (gingelly oil – made with raw sesame seeds) in a small frying pan or a small vessel. You can also use mustard oil or sunflower oil.
9. Keep heat to a low and add the spices listed below:
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
10. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add 8 to 10 curry leaves. Fry for 1 to 2 seconds and then turn off the heat.
11. Pour this hot tempering over the masala mixed mangoes.
12. Mix everything well with a spoon.
13. Allow the Manga Achar to cool and store in a clean, sterilized glass bottle. The Instant Mango Pickle is ready to serve.
Serve the Manga Achar as a condiment with your favorite meal like curd rice, khichdi, sambar rice, vegetable pulao or vegetable biryani. Refrigerate the pickle for later use.
FAQs
You can use mustard oil or sunflower oil in place of sesame oil.
Raw fenugreek seeds are hard. But when you fry them, they become brittle and can be consumed. Similarly, when you cook these seeds in a dal or gravy, they soften.
You can refrigerate this pickle for a week.
More Pickle Recipes To Try!
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Instant Mango Pickle | Manga Achar | Kadumanga Achar
This Nurukku Manga Achar is a 15 minute tempered Kerala Style Instant Mango Pickle prepared with green mangoes for Onam Sadya. This pickle also doesn’t require any sunlight or much of cooking process.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 2 mins
Total Time 12 mins
Main ingredients
For tempering the pickle
Preparing the pickle
Rinse the mangoes and dry them with a clean kitchen towel. There should be no trace of moisture on them. Peel their skin. To peel is optional.
Chop them into small bite-sized pieces or cubes. Chopping is a bit tough, so use a good knife and be careful of your hands.
The chopped mango cubes should be about 1 to 1.25 cups.
Place them in a heat proof mixing bowl or wide dish.
Sprinkle turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt on the mango cubes.
Mix everything nicely with a spoon.
The masala should nicely coat the mango cubes.
Tempering the pickle
Heat sesame oil in a small vessel or tadka pan or small frying pan. Keep heat to a low.
Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida.
Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add the curry leaves.
Fry for 1 to 2 seconds and then turn off the heat.
Pour this hot tempering over the masala coated raw mango cubes.
Mix everything with a spoon.
Allow to cool and store the pickle in clean, sterilized glass bottles.
The Manga Achar is ready. Serve as a side dish in Sadya meals or any of your favorite meals.
- If the mangoes have thicker skins, then do peel them.
- To make the manga achar less spicy, add less kashmiri red chilli powder.
- You can reduce the oil to 2 to 3 tablespoons if you prefer, but then the shelf life of the pickle reduces. In this case consume the pickle in 1 to 2 days after refrigerating.
- Always refrigerate this pickle. Keeping it outside will spoil it. On refrigeration the pickle keeps well for about 7 days. If after a few days the pickle tastes odd or smells awful, then trash it.
- Scale the recipe to make half a portion or double the portions.
- The approximate nutrition info is for the entire pickle made with this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Instant Mango Pickle | Manga Achar | Kadumanga Achar
Amount Per Serving
Calories 750 Calories from Fat 549
% Daily Value*
Fat 61g94%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Polyunsaturated Fat 25g
Monounsaturated Fat 24g
Sodium 2432mg106%
Potassium 754mg22%
Carbohydrates 55g18%
Fiber 9g38%
Sugar 42g47%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 5334IU107%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.2mg13%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.2mg12%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 95mg475%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 271mg328%
Vitamin E 6mg40%
Vitamin K 27µg26%
Calcium 121mg12%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 1084µg271%
Iron 5mg28%
Magnesium 76mg19%
Phosphorus 130mg13%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Instant Mango Pickle from the archives, originally published in June 2016 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
Source: Dassana’s Veg Recipes
