Amer Jhal Aachar

This is a spicy raw mango pickle from Bengal. It’s made without cooking, The pickle is with wet paste,  dry spice powder and mustard oil. This pickle can be eaten by rice dal, paratha or luchi.

Wet Paste

Ingredients 

3 tbsp Mustard seeds

10 Green Chillies

2 inches of Ginger cut into pieces 

1/2 cup Vinegar 

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients into a paste.

Dry Spice Powder 

Ingredients 

2 tsp Cumin seeds

2 tsp Coriander seeds 

2 tsp Fennel seeds

1 tsp Nigella seeds

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds

5 Dry Red Chillies

Method 

Dry roast all the ingredients, cool it and grind the ingredients into a powder. 

Jhal Achaar 

Ingredients 

1 kg Raw Mango washed, dried and cut into medium size pieces 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder 

2 tbsp grated Jaggery 

Wet paste

Dry spice powder 

1/2 tsp Dry Roasted Panch Phoran 

3 to 4 Roasted Dry Red Chillies 

Mustard Oil enough to soak the mango pieces

Method 

Take the mango pieces, add the turmeric and salt. Spread the mango pieces on a cloth and sun dry it for 3 to 4 hours. Heat the mustard oil and cool  the mustard oil down. Take the mango pieces in a bowl, add the salt, chilli powder, dry spice powder, jaggery and wet paste. Mix all the ingredients together very well. Add the mustard oil and transfer the pickle in a clean glass jar. Add the dry roasted panch phoran and roasted dry chillies. Keep it in the sun for few day. Keep a check, if required add more salt. Once ready the mangoes will become soft in oil. 

Chunda

It’s a popular Gujarati spicy sour and sweet pickle. It doesn’t require any cooking. It’s a very easy delicious pickle that goes will with Paratha and thepla. 

Spice Powder 

Ingredients 

1 tsp Cumin seeds 

4 Red Dry Chillies

2 Cardamom pods

Method 

Take a pan and roast the cumin seeds, let it cool down, coarsely grind the cumin seeds with red chilli and cardamom. 

Chunda 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup Mango washed, peel and grated 

1 1/2 cup Sugar

Spice powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

Few strands of Saffron (Optional)

Method 

Take the grated mango and add salt and turmeric powder. Keep it aside for 30 minutes. Squeeze the excess water out. Take a clean glass bottle, add the mango, sugar and spice powder and saffron (optional). Mix it. Leave it in the sun for few days. Keep a check. The sugar will dissolve and will cook up with the mango to a one string consistency. Enjoy the chunda with the paratha and thepla . 

Aam Ka Kucha

This is a Raw Mango pickle recipe from Bihar. As the mangoes are grated it’s called kucha. The spices and oil are added to the grated mango and  it’s kept in the sun to mature. 

For the Dry Spice Powder 

Ingredients 

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Coriander seed

1/2 tsp Carom seeds

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1 tbsp Yellow Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Nigella seeds

Few Fenugreek seeds

6 Red Dried Chilli 

Method 

Roast all the above ingredients, cool it and dry grind it. 

For the Aam Ka Kucha 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Grated Mango 

 Salt to taste

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Chilli powder 

Dried spice powder 

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds

1 cup Mustard Oil

Method 

Take the grated mango, apply salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Keep the mango on a strainer for 15 to 30 minutes. Squeeze the water out from the mango. Take a bowl, add salt, turmeric, chilli, spice powder and  nigella seeds in the bowl. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the oil and mix it. Take a dry clean glass bottle. Pour the pickle in the bottle. Keep it in the sun for few days. Keep a check. Once the mangoes becomes soft and matured the pickle is ready to be eaten. 

Aam Tel

This is a mango and spiced flavoured oil, that is used in Bengali Cuisine. This oil is used for mashes vegetables that we call bhate or used to flavour puffed rice that is eaten for snack.

Spice Powder

Ingredients 
1 tsp Panch Phoran
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Coriander seeds
2 Red Dry Chillies 

Method
Roast all the ingredients together and let it cool, dry grind the ingredients into powder.

 Aam Tel

Ingredients 
1 medium size Raw Mango washed, dried and cut into medium size cubes.
1/2 tsp Panch Phoran Roasted
4 Whole Red Dry Chillies Roasted
Dry spice powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 cup Mustard oil, heated and cooled down

Method
Take the mango pieces, add turmeric and 1 tsp salt, rub the mangoes well, spread the mango pieces on a clean cloth and dry it for 2 to 4 hours under the sun. Take all the ingredients and the mango pieces in a bottle. Keep it in the sun for few day. It’s ready to be used.

Aam Kasundi

Kasundi is a very popular mustard pickle used in Bengal and it is made by fermenting mustard seeds and spices in a mud pot. In modern times it’s highly used as an accompaniment with the chops, cutlets and various fried snacks. It’s also used in cooking. Traditionally it’s was made with lots of rituals and many restrictions were followed while making the Kasundi. Now it is made at home with ease. There are many spices added to the Kasundi. Apart from traditional Kasundi there are now many ways and ingredients used in making the Kasundi. 

Here I have made Aam Kasundi. 

Ingredients 

1 big size Raw Mango washed, peeled and cut into small pieces 

4 Green Chillies 

2 small pieces of Ginger

1/4 cup Yellow Mustard seeds 

1/4 cup Black Mustard seeds

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Sugar 

1/4 cup Vinegar 

Normal temperature boiled water depending on the requirement

Method 

Take a grinder jar, add yellow mustard seeds, black mustard seeds, green chillies, raw mango pieces, ginger, salt, turmeric powder and sugar. Add vinegar and water little at a time blend it into a fine paste. The paste has to be of dropping consistency. Take a glass jar, pour the Kasundi paste. Close the lid and keep it in the sun for few days. Check the Kasundi every day, incase if you find the salt is less than you can add salt. Stir it with a clean dry spoon.