Mango Thokku

The onset of summer in India might not bring joy for many due to the generally high temperatures and scorching heat, but I am sure many of us look forward to summers at least for one main reason – ‘Mangoes’. Yes, you heard me right, who does not love this ‘King of fruits’, which is synonymous with Indian summers. While the ripened sweet mangoes are gorgeous and satiate our sweet cravings, the raw mangoes are an eternal bliss in a totally different way.

Raw mango is a versatile fruit when it comes to cooking and we Indians have mastered the art of this with a number of dishes ranging from pickles to pachchadi, dal, aam panna, mango rice, chutneys and what not. But as you may have noticed in my preference of dishes that I called out, Mango Pickle is that one dish which tops the list and literally stands out for most of us. Pickling is an intelligent way to preserve the seasonal veggies and fruits and enjoy round the year and when we talk about the recipes and techniques there are numerous!

When it comes to Mango, each state has it’s own signature pickle recipe, say for example the extremely famous Andhra Avakkai, or Punjabi Mango pickle. But the pickle making process might be a slightly daunting task for many and they resort to the store bought pickles. I always believe in homemade food even when it comes to pickles. So for those who do not want to follow a meticulous process for pickling, Mango Thokku is really a saviour. It is an extremely simple and fool proof pickle which can be made within 30 minutes and relished almost immediately.

What is Mango Thokku?

Mango Thokku is a south-Indian style instant pickle made by cooking grated raw mangoes in generous amount of oil, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and roasted fenugreek powder. A slight amount of jaggery is added to balance the sourness and spice from chilli powder. This thokku is sour, tangy, spicy and slightly sweet in taste and is a perfect accompaniment to curd rice, roti, thepla, upma, dosa or idli. Also it is an excellent choice for the food packed for travel and picnics.

Unlike other pickles, Mango Thokku unfortunately does not have a long shelf life. It has a shelf life of around 1 month when refrigerated. So, we generally prefer making this in small batches and consume immediately. Trust me, it is devoured within a week’s time in our house.

Tips for making a perfect Mango Thokku

First and foremost is the type of raw mango that you use for this recipe. I generally prefer using Thothapuri or ‘Kili Mooku’ (in tamil) Mangoes for this recipe. You could use any other variety too which is moderately sour. Try avoiding the mangoes which are extremely sour, as in this pickle since the skin is taken off, so it might yield a very sour and tangy pickle.

Mango Thokku is traditionally made using Gingelly or Sesame oil which gives it a distinct flavour and taste. It is also quite a healthy oil and commonly used in the cooking in Tamil Nadu. You could also use other oil for making this Thokku, but I highly recommend using Gingelly oil.

Be generous with the amount of oil that is used for this recipe, as oil is going to help increase the shelf life of the thokku. The sign of this Thokku being ready is when it oozes out most of the oil. So if there is not enough oil separating out even after cooking for long, it means that the Thokku requires more oil.

Dry roasted fenugreek powder is a very important ingredient in this recipe and adds a beautiful colour an depth of flavour to this pickle. However add only in the required amount and most importantly, it is to be added right at the end of cooking.

Cook the mangoes long enough till the moisture from the mangoes is completely reduced. The best indication for this is when the mangoes will shrink substantially and ooze out the oil. Also, add the spices only after the mangoes are translucent after cooking for a while.

Lastly, store the thokku in a sterilised glass container or ceramic jar and keep it refrigerated for a longer shelf life. Do not use a metal spoon while serving the thokku out of the container and preferably use a wooden spoon.

Serving Suggestion

Mango Thokku is best served as an accompaniment to curd rice, stuffed parathas, thepla, dosa, idli and upma. It can also be relished by mixing with some piping hot steamed rice and ghee.

Mango Thokku

Kannan

Mango Thokku is a South-Indian style instant pickle made from grated raw mangoes, cooked with turmeric, chilli powder, fenugreek powder and jaggery

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Condiments

Cuisine Indian, South-Indian

Servings 1 small jar

Ingredients

  

• 2.5 cups Grated Raw Mangoes 2 medium sized mangoes, peeled and grated
• 4 tbsp Gingelley or Sesame Oil
• 5 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
• 3 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
• 2 tsp Jaggery grated
• ½ tsp Roasted Fenugreek Seeds Powder
• ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
• ¼ tsp Asafoetida

Instructions

 

• Wash the mangoes and pat them dry with a cloth. Peel the mangoes.
  
• Grate the mangoes in the largest setting of the grater. This should yield around 2.5 cups of grated mangoes. If the yield is less or more, adjust the other ingredients accordingly.
  
• Take a heavy bottom kadai and heat 4 tablespoons of gingelley oil. Add the mustard seeds and once it sputters, add the asafoetida.
  
• Now add the grated raw mangoes and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix well. Let it cook on medium flame for around 5 to 7 minutes. Keep stirring in between.
  
• Meanwhile, if you do not have fenugreek powder, you could dry roast the fenugreek seeds, let it cool down and grind it coarsely.
  
• Once the mangoes become translucent and the quantity slightly reduced, add turmeric powder and the remaining salt. Cook for couple of minutes on medium flame.
  
• Now add the chilli powder and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the oil starts separating. Continue cooking on a low to medium flame while stirring in between.
  
• When you start seeing the oil to separate from the mangoes, add half teaspoon fenugreek powder and two teaspoons of grated jaggery and cook for one more minute.
  
• Once the oil separates out completely, turn off the stove.
  
• Cool the thokku before transferring to a clean glass or ceramic container. You can refrigerate it for a longer shelf life.

Notes

• Use gingelley or sesame oil for the best flavour and taste.
• Try not to use the mangoes which are too sour. This recipe also works great for the raw mangoes which have just started turning slightly sweet. You could reduce the amount of jaggery accordingly.
• Jaggery is used to balance the sourness from the mangoes, however you could skip if you don’t like it.
• I prefer using Kashmiri Red chilli powder to get the bright red colour. However if you are using the regular chilli powder, scale down the quantity accordingly as Kashmiri red chilli powder is mildly spiced.
• Add the fenugreek powder only towards the end and not along with the other spices while cooking. Cooking fenugreek powder for long could make the thokku bitter, hence it is added at the end.
• If you see that the thokku is drying out on the top when stored in the fridge, give it a mix with wooden spoon once in a while, so that the oil is uniformly coated on the top layer too. 

Keyword Instant, Pickle, Raw Mango, Thokku