Oil-Free Aam Aur Hing Ka Achar

Oil-Free Aam Aur Hing Ka Achar (Mango & Hing Pickle) is a unique blend of health and taste.

Oil-Free Mango & Hing Pickle or say ‘Hing Ka Achar’ is a pickle of its own kind. 

It is spicy, aromatic and the best thing is that it is oil-free. Made with just salt and 2 spices – red chilli powder and asafoetida, that’s it. You see mangoes and chillies in this pickle but the fragrant yet invisible asafoetida dominates the moment you open the jar.

Have this pickle with matthi or poori, paratha etc.

How To Make

• Making pickles is a little laborious process. It takes 1 to 2 days in just preparing it. It does not mean continuous working for 2 days but requires your attention every now n then. Though the actual time consumed is less but the chopping, drying process is a little tedious. So, be prepared for this. But yes, the end result is just awesome and at the end of the day, it seems worthwhile.
• For this Mango Hing pickle, the main ingredient is raw mangoes only which are flavoured with asafoetida. Ensure that you use good quality asafoetida which is full of fragrance. It is a very spicy pickle with lots of red chilli powder. To impart a beautiful colour to this pickle we use Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder as they have more colour than the normal chillies.
• For best results, chop raw mangoes into thin slices.

Ratio Of Ingredients

For every 1 kg of raw mangoes (peeled and cut), use 60 gm salt and 4 gm asafoetida. Red chilli is 20 gm for every 1 kg but that you can adjust as per your preferences.

Step By Step Recipe

• Wash raw mangoes. Pat them dry. Peel mangoes and chop it into thin slices/pieces. It is ideally chopped into thin slices.
• Add salt, mix nicely.
• Cover it with a plate or cloth and leave it overnight.

• By morning, mangoes along with salt release lots of juices (water).

• Now, squeeze raw mangoes, leaving the water in the bowl.
• Spread squeezed raw mangoes on a plate lined with a cloth.
• Collect the water in an airtight container. Do not leave it open.

• Let the mangoes dry in sunlight or under the fan for 3 to 4 hours. Do not dry for long else the pickle will turn out dry only without any aroma of Hing.
• Once dried little, take the raw mangoes in a bowl. Add red chilli powder and asafoetida. Mix everything, preferably with hands.

• Add the reserved water.

• It will now be moist and this is how it should be. Fill this pickle in a glass bottle and leave it in sunlight for 4 to 5 days till mangoes get soft. Shake it daily.

Tips

1. Mango & Hing pickle, that has become very old can be turned into a very good digestive ‘çhuran’. Dry it in sunlight for a day or two. When dried completely, grind it into a fine powder. Use this in your veggies or as a digestive churan.
2. Do not throw the discarded seeds of raw mangoes. Put them in your aluminium pressure cooker or cast iron kadhai. Add water and give it a boil. And there you have sparkling clean utensils.

FAQs

What precautions I should take while making this pickle?

• Pickles and water are the fiercest enemies. Keep them separate. Do not use a wet container or with wet hands.
• Shake it every now n then.
• Do not dry squeezed raw mangoes for more than a day. Otherwise, they will turn dark in colour and also become hard.

Pickle Or Medicine?

• Its the simplest and easiest of all the pickles. Apart from the taste, it is known for its medicinal properties as well. As asafoetida aids in digestion, as well as stomach related ailments so, is this pickle.
• Raw mangoes having a low GI are also loaded with health benefits.

How is it Different From Usual Mango Pickles?

Mango & Hing pickle is different from other mango pickles in many aspects.

• Firstly, it is oil-free.
• Then it is peeled and then cut discarding the seed.
• And lastly, it has just 3 spices and not the regular achar masalas.

What is the Shelf Life of this pickle?

The shelf life of this pickle, like all other pickles, is more than 6 months or maybe up to a year. But we prefer to make this in small lots only. This is because the consumption is less because of fewer family members and as you will understand today’s generation is not very fond of pickles. And then as season changes, we like to have other pickles also.

How This Pickle Stays Without Oil?

If you are wondering what keeps this pickle lasting long then let me share that salt as well asafoetida, both are preservatives. That is why slightly more salt is added but once the pickle is ready the salt gets perfectly balanced with the tanginess of mangoes.

Type Of Raw Mango Used?

As for all the mango pickles, Ramkela is supposedly the best breed of raw mangoes for making pickles. I have used that only. Sorry, forgot to take pics of it. Ask your vegetable vendor for this breed and he will easily understand and bring it for you.

Related Recipes:

• Potatoes &Peas Pickle       
• Amla Beet Mouth freshener
• Raw Mango Preserve 
•  Amchoor Ki Instant Meethi Chutney

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