Pickles are always the main item in the menu of any Indian meal. A meal is never complete without a pickle and Mangoes are always everyone’s favourite. If you are looking for a quick tasty meal then Pickles are the alternative, it makes simple meal super tasty. Come summers, Mangoes are grown in abundance and Avakai is made in the households to last for almost a year. There are specific varieties of mangoes used for making these mouthwatering pickles. Chinna Rasalu and Tella Gulabeelu are the main types which are generally used. Andhra is synonymous with Avakai and the pickles they make are so tasty here. The process of making, storing, and serving it is considered to be a ritual of its own. Ava means mustard and kai means raw fruit and hence, the name. The mustard is powdered along with fenugreek and mixed with red chilli powder, turmeric powder, rock salt, and cups of pure sesame oil. There are also other variants to this such as Bellam Avakaya (Sweet Mango Pickle) and Avakaya / Mango Pickle with out Garlic
Some add garlic pods to this and if you want a non garlic version, you can simply avoid that. The Mangoes are cut into small cubes after being washed and wiped dry. Then cut mango is pickled with powdered mustard and fenugreek seeds, followed by turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and rock salt. After it is marinated well it is kept to rest for the spices to soak into the mangoes for almost 4 weeks. There is also a Tamil Nadu version of the same recipe which uses chick peas as one of the ingredients and is added along with the spices. The chickpeas, though not cooked, tends to become soft as it gets soaked in the oil for weeks together. It adds a special taste to the pickle. Avakai tastes excellent with curd rice and hot rice with ghee and mudda pappu or pigeon dal. The pickles that are made with care, health, and hygiene are made here at Sitara Foods. Andhra Avakaya Pickle is available at Sitara Foods and it can be bought online at reasonable rates. These products can be shipped to any corner of the world. Let it be a simple meal or a quick meal that you would like to have, Andhra Avakai is always the first choice of taste. With a pinch of Ghee, hot rice and delicious avakaya, you can turn your fast meal into a panchabaksha paramannam. There is another variant of south Indian mango pickle called maagai or mamidi kaya thokku pachandi that can be purchased online at Sitara Foods.