Avakaya (The famous Mango Pickle)

 Ingredients :

1. Mangoes                    : 25

2. Red chilly powder       : 1 kg

3. Salt                             : 1 kg

4. Turmeric                     : 50 gms

5. Mustard powder         : 1 1/4 kg

6. Oil                               : 1 1/2 ltr ( groundnut / sesame )

7. Chenna                       : 1/2 kg

8. Methi                           : 100 gms

Procedure:

1.       Avakaya - is prepared from Chinna Rasam Mangoes.

 

2.       Chinna Rasam Mangoes have more peechu (fiber) and Oota (juice) which is the crux for Avakaya

  

3.       Normal households use 25-40 mangoes for 1 year Avakaya

4.       These mangoes are cut into 1X1 inch pieces and dried for 3-4 hours, so that they will not soften during Avakaya ageing

5.      

6.       Uppu, Karam, Menthi pindi are mixed in proper proportions 

 

7.       Not even a single drop of water should spill into this mix, they should be thoroughly mixed with hand

8.       Avva pindi is added to the Uppu-Karam mix

9.       Alternatively avva pindi is also mixed into oil for a different flavor of Avakaya

10.   Meanwhile, the cut mango pieces are dipped in oil and kept for 1-2 minutes, this oil makes the Uppu-Karam-avva Pindi mix to properly deposit and stick to the mango pieces

11.   Now, these oil-dipped mango pieces are added into our previous mixture

 

12.   The mango piece-uppu-karam-menthi pindi mix is stored in buckets, after day 3 this is transferred into Jaadis (huge ceramic vessels)

 

13.   This mixture is re-opened on day 3 for adding some more oil and re-mixing (thiraga kalapatam)

 

14.   Now ageing for Avakaya starts - usually after 5 days from re-mixing our Andhra Avakaya is ready to eat

15.   Enjoy this Avakaya with hot rice and ghee.

 

 

Trivia

• Every summer, Avakaya preperation is considered as a huge house hold affair in Telugu families.
• Recipe and proportion of ingredients can make or break an Avakaya.
• After an ill-prepared Avakaya (Avakaya prep failure) some women run into a depression for few days taking the guilt and blame to heart. So, exercise caution.
• A well prepared and stocked Avakaya is judged by the taste that brings all flavours of ingredients.
• Avakaya makers take pride in sourcing raw material from across South India (E.g Bellary Red Mirchi is supposed to be expensive and of high quality for the process)

Avakaya Economics

• As per the above recipe and current inflation rates, each Mango piece could cost around Rs 1.2 to 1.4 (right, little above one rupee). So better not waste.
• Telugu women spend anywhere above Rs 3000 for preparing Avakaya.