Red chili pickle(s)/Mirapa pandu pachadi - get ready for an out of the world experience with this 'tongue on fire' pickle :-)

I am pretty sure that what I am going to post today is not a recipe that everyone would love or even make but that said there is definitely a great fan following for this recipe none the less. It is mostly regional and relished by the people during the hot summers of Andhra Pradesh especially in the chili growing region of Guntur. I was not born in Andhra, have not gone to Guntur, so this is not a recipe that is organic to me, with all that explanation what is my affiliation to this recipe, you ask? For one, I am spicy food crazy and I love pickles and pachadis of all shapes and tastes. Would I make this again? Definitely, if I get fresh, red, pickle chilies (may be next summer). Did I like it? Personally, yes though it was hot and spicy, it is at the same time a foodie delight and a ride you want to savor in the spicy world.

Many years ago, when we were new here, a young couple with a baby girl on their shoulders, family mostly spread over the continent, no one really close by (driving distance) and we were missing home hopelessly, we used to crave to meet family and friends on weekends and extended holidays. One of BH's cousin and family lived the closest, about 3 hours drive from our first home in US and had two adorable little girls, one 3 years older and the other a year and half younger than our own 2 year old girl. DD loved their company, sandwiched between two girls and turning the situation to her advantage, cooing as and along with the baby when she wanted more attention or acting all grown up when she wished to be left alone. The three cousins really loved to get together and spend time as did the adults. They were a little more settled, had many friends in their neighborhood than we did and we loved visiting them. I am just reminded as I write this how all three girls have blossomed into beautiful young ladies and spreading their wings in the world.

One summer weekend, we drove the 3.5 hours with a toddler in the back seat who went, "are we there yet?" in her never exasperating, sweet voice every 5 mins or so :-), we understood she was eager to see the cousins especially after a promise of backyard swimming pool fun. They lived in a town that sees temperatues almost akin to those of Guntur itself and cousin B being a native of Guntur felt right at home in the foreign land. We reached home just as they were getting ready for lunch and we all crowded around the dining table. Plates were set, dishes with the regular homely south Indian fare was all over the table. Cousin B passed around the rice and as I reached out for the vegetable, asked me to wait and doled out a spoonful of bright, red chili pickle from a small porcelain container(called 'jaadi'). I have shamelessly made my family aware of my unconditional love for all things spicy and they pamper me with it every chance I get. She also told me to mix it with rice, add some butter and eat it. That was my first time eating the famous Guntur kharam or Korivi kharam, a pickle unlike anything else you have ever tasted, a sensation that is both delirious and delicious at the same time. I was given the gyan that day about how people eat the kharam in the hot summer back home. The small jaadi was just a tiny holder for the daily dose of the pickle while the motherload sat in a big container inside the pantry and it had come all the way from her mom's kitchen in Guntur. I ate only the pickle for that entire lunch and brought some home for later too :-).

Years passed and I never ventured to make the pickle at home since I never saw those red chilies here in the local market. Some of my Telugu friends told me that they would use the frozen red chilies from the Indian stores when craving hit them for that home reminding pickle taste. I was ok eating it occasionally, made by a mom or a mom in law of some friend and brought lovingly across the seas as they traveled here. They shared some with me and I never felt the need to make it myself.

Earlier this summer, as every other year, BH and I regularly visited our local farmers' market which runs May-Oct every Saturday. He likes to get the fresh fruits, wipe them on the sleeve of his shirt and bite into the juiciness right there while I generally wander around between stalls and vendors, stopping wherever fancy catches me from vegetables to fruit to bread to hand made art. For someone bored of the waxy, travel weary tomatoes in the super markets, the farmers market tomatoes are like a breath of fresh air and I try to make most of those 5 months of fresh produce since I cannot stretch them over the entire year. The eggplants, greens, tomatoes, berries, apples all taste super tasty and smell good as well :-). On one of the Saturdays, I came across this store that announced they had varieties of chilies and I went in thinking of getting a few jalepenos and may be green peppers for cooking but when I entered that small tent, was totally hooked on to the bright, red chilies they had. Despite the label saying "Thai Dragon Chilies (Super hot)" in bold letters, I picked up a couple handfuls as they looked way too inviting and super cute in their tiny, red avatars. Honestly, I didn't know what I would make at that time. I sent a message with a picture of the chilies to amma who was home as well. When we reached home 40mins later, she was waiting in the kitchen to see the chilies, she is like that, all child like in her curiosity and always supportive of all my sensible and oh-not-so-sensible decisions :-)

In those 40 mins, from the time I had the chilies in my bag at the market to the time we cycled back home, I had made up my mind that I would make the Guntur red chili pickle with them. Amma doesn't make this ever, her pachadis are mostly the "fresh, eat it today, gone tomorrow" kinds with the exception of her yummy avakkaya and maagaya. Her spice tolerance is way down and she steers clear of all the spicy stuff completely. So the only problem with me making up my mind? I didn't have a recipe and nor did my spice hesitant mother in law. But what we knew was a source that we could completely depend on for an authentic recipe. This is one of the times I love the family WhatsApp group chats :-). Amma sent an SOS on my behalf to the family group explaining our predicament of having brought a bunch of chilies without knowing how to make the pickle and asked for help and just as I was hoping, the response came from one of BH's aunt's daughter. Aunty is known in the family circle for her pickles, vepudus (stir fries), pachadis, and pretty much everything she cooks and I have had the privilege of eating in her kitchen more than once and have also asked for recipes every time :-). When the WA message went around, cousin G replied immediately with not only one recipe for the Guntur chili pickle but another pachadi version which she explained was easier and quicker to make. I set out to work immediately. She also was very sweet answering all my newbie questions over messages and sharing wise tips as she consulted with her mom.

Mosaravalakki (spiced yogurt & poha) with chili pickle - another great combo

I made the pachadi right away (well right away except for the time it took to clean, dry the chilies, fry them and grind them) and mixed with a bowl full of steaming pearly white rice. I skipped the butter as the pickle had a generous amount of oil in it already. Amma ate one morsel of the rice and made a dive for the grapes on the counter top. My FIL conveniently used the excuse of a heavy lunch(yes, lunch was over by the time the pachadi was ready but we made space in the stomach for the yumminess) :-) and refrained from trying the new, fiery pickle totally. BH & I sat leisurely at our dining table and emptied the entire plate enjoying every handful that went into the mouth. The second version was ready by the end of the week and we had another family of cousins visiting us who are true blue spice loving Andhra folks and we shared it with them. Aunty said it tasted very authentic though she had stopped making it herself :-). I can't take any credit since I just verbatim followed the instructions sent to me.

Chilies Galore!!!

The red chilies used in these pickles are not dry red chilies but a variety that are born red and have a distinct taste. I used the Thai red chilies since I don't have access to the Guntur chilies here, they were hot, spicy but rolled in with the spices, flavors and oil, make for a treat altogether. You can't eat a pickle as you would a sweet, that is common sense but note that this pickle is flavorful and not just "hot". Like I mention in the notes below, the pachadi version is mellower than the korivi khaaram. 'Korivi' refers to the raw, unrestrained heat which could be hard to handle for most people so always follow the recommendations of eating it with a dollop of butter or ghee, diluted by mixing with rice if you are new to this taste.

A truly flavorsome, delicious recipe shared generously by cousin Geetha and Radhatta, thank you both for your love and a special thanks to the family WA group :-)

Type 1: Mirapa pandu pachadi (can be made quickly and eaten immediately)
What do you need to make mirapa pandu pachadi? 
20-22 red chilies
1.5 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp fenugreek seeds
1 lemon sized tamarind
1.5 Tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1/4 Tsp asafoetida
1/4 cup oil

How do you make mirapa pandu pachadi? 

• Wash the chilies thoroughly in water and let them dry on a kitchen towel indoors until all the water is gone and chilies are completely devoid of water. 
• Wipe down with a cloth to make sure there is no trace of water
• Remove the stem ends and chop the chilies into 1 inch pieces. 

• Heat a big pan/kadai, add 2 Tbsp oil and let it become warm. 
• Keeping the heat on low, add the fenugreek seeds to the oil.
• Let fenugreek roast for about a minute before adding the mustard. 
• Stirring frequently roast both until mustard pops and fenugreek turns beautiful golden, add tamarind & asafoetida, roast for 30 secs. 
• Take them on to a plate leaving the oil back in the pan. 
• Return the pan to the stove, add the remaining oil, chopped chilies and fry for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat or until the chilies soften up and develop slight blisters on the skin. 

• Add salt to the pan, switch off, remove onto the plate, let it all cool completely. 
• Take all the ingredients into a blender and grind to a coarse paste without adding any water. 

• Take it into a dry, air tight container or ceramic cup and store it. 
• It tastes delicious after a few hours of settling time and keeps well in the refrigerator for a week to 10 days if handled with dry spoons. 

Type 2: Kori/Korivi Khaaram also known as Guntur khaaram (Needs 3-4 days of marination time)

What do you need to make Kori Khaaram? 
25-30 red chilies
1.5 Tbsp fenugreek
1 small orange size tamarind
1/4 Tsp turmeric powder
1.5 Tbsp salt (adjust to taste)
Seasoning: 
1 Tbsp oil
1/8 Tsp asafoetida
1/2 Tsp mustard
a few fenugreek seeds (optional)

How do you make Kori khaaram? 

• Wash the chilies thoroughly in water and let them dry on a kitchen towel indoors until all the water is gone and chilies are completely devoid of water. 
• Wipe down with a cloth to make sure there is no trace of water
• Remove the stem ends and chop the chilies into 1 inch pieces. 

• Take the chilies, salt, turmeric powder in a dry blender jar and pulse it to make a coarse paste.
• Separate the dry tamarind into small bits, remove any seeds and pith. 
• Take a flat bowl, make a bed of tamarind pieces, top it with the ground chilies paste. 

• Cover and let it marinate over night in a cool, dry place. 
• Using a completely dry spoon, mix the contents gently to help the tamarind juices to flow, cover and set aside for another day. 
• Repeat this process for 3-4 days so tamarind is soft and the chilies have marinated well in the juices. 

• On the 4th day, take the marinated ingredients in a dry blender jar and grind into a course paste. 
• Dry roast fenugreek on low heat until the seeds are golden and start to pop. 

• Set aside to cool and make a fine powder. 
• Mix this powder with the ground ingredients thoroughly. 
• This is now ready to be stored for months in a dry container. 

• When you want to use it, take a Tbsp of the pickle (remember small amount goes a looooong way :-)) in a small cup.
• Heat 1 Tbsp oil, add asafoetida, mustard and fenugreek (if using). Roasting on medium heat, let mustard pop. 

• Add this seasoning to the pickle in the cup and mix well before serving. 

Both the varieties taste delicious mixed in with steaming white rice, a serving of ghee on top, mixed in gently. BH & I relish it with a side of chopped onions and a mild sambar/huli or a cup of yogurt or the tangy Andhra pulusu. Try this combination or make your own. 

Notes: 

• Use gloves while handling the chilies or always use spoons to handle them. 
• Wash your hands in cold water and buttermilk if you feel the burning sensation in your hands.
• Use the dry grinder jar of your blender to facilitate easy grinding. DO NOT USE WATER as it spoils the pickle. 
• Separate out the tamarind layers, remove any seeds, pith and strings from it before using. 
• Always use dry cups, spoons, blender jars and keep the area water free. This is the secret to the long life of the pickles. 
• The variety of chilies determines the heat from them, you may need to adjust the tamarind, salt and oil based on that to suit your taste. 
• I loved the pachadi version better than the Kori kharam since the roasted mustard, fenugreek add a wonderful aroma and also frying the red chilies mellows the heat a notch down. I think it is also a matter of being able to handle that raw heat from the khaaram since the chilies are not roasted in this version. 
• You can adjust the amount of mustard and fenugreek in the pachadi version based on the flavor tilt you prefer. 

Dosaavakaya - a deserving alternative for mango avakkaya

Back with another pickle, this time with lemon cucumbers or dosakayi(Telugu) or banna soutekayi(Kannada). I had no idea there could be so many dishes with this golden beauty until I got married. This is not a very frequently used vegetable in Mysore regions, while we had the green cucumbers regularly, yellow cucumbers were largely used in Huli/sambars and rottis. But when you get married into a family that makes and eats umpteen number of pickles and pachadis, you will soon discover the joys of many hitherto unknown varieties of them. Here is my dosakaya pachadi blogged earlier.

While the traditional mango pickle or mango avakkaya is held at the top of the pickle chain, this no fuss and faster to make dosaavakaya doesn't fall behind in the race. Amma tells me it is a favorite with wedding menus as it can be prepared in a jiffy and used immediately unlike the mango avakkaya which needs some settling time before you can enjoy the real taste. What is more, dosakayi is available almost through the year and you don't have to wait for Summer like in the case of mangoes.

South Indian pickles essentially are either mustard based or fenugreek based. Both have their unique tastes and enhances the dining experience. I have noticed Kannadiga pickles to be more fenugreek based while Andhra pickles have mustard as the focal point.

A good dosakayi is slightly tangy and imparts the right amount of pulupu (tanginess) to the pickle. But these cucumbers can also be deceiving and be bitter sometimes. I really do not know how to tell if it is bitter by looking at it. If someone has tricks up their sleeves to make out a bitter dosakaya in the grocery isle, please share your gyan. However, I have some tips to select a good dosakaya for the pickle at the end of this post.

And btw, dosakayi in telugu is the lemon cucumber and aavaalu is mustard which is the primary ingredient for the pickle. The name dosaavakaya is the combination of the two.

What do you need to make Doasaavakaya? 
2 small sized, tender firm dosakayis - to make 3 cups of chopped pieces
1/2 cup mustard
1/2 cup red chili powder
1 cup cooking oil - traditionally sesame oil or gingelly oil is used but I used my regular sunflower oil
1/4 cup salt - adjust based on the saltiness of the salt :-)
1/2 Tsp good quality asafoetida

How do you make Dosaavakaya?

• Wash and pat dry the dosakayi ensuring there is no trace of water anywhere on the surface. 
• Take the mustard to your blender and make a fine powder of it. 
• Remove the stem end of the dosakayi by chopping a thin round slice of it.
• Slit the dosakayi in half and taste a small piece of it to ensure there is no bitterness, it has to taste a little tangy or just bland. 
• If the seeds are tender and do not carry any bitterness (do a taste test on them), go ahead and add them in the pickle. If the seeds are hard to touch, discard them.
• Chop dosakayi with the skin intact into small pieces. The size of the piece is your preference. I have seen really thinly chopped pieces served in weddings, we cut it into normal bite sized pieces at home. 

• Mix asafoetida, mustard powder, red chili powder, salt and half of the oil into the chopped dosakayi pieces and mix well till everything incorporates homogeneously. 
• Add the remaining oil and  gently mix it in. 

• Set aside for a couple of hours, you will see the dosakayi being a watery vegetable would have released water on contact with salt and the oil comes to the top of the bowl.

• Scoop spoonfuls into a dry jar and enjoy it with your breakfast, lunch or dinner. 
• This doesn't have a very long shelf life compared to the mango avakkaya but stays well for a month if preserved properly. 

Notes: 

• Thumb rule proportion for the ingredients is 3 cups dosakayi pieces:1/2 cup red chili powder: 1/2 cup mustard:1/4 cup salt. I learnt my salty lesson some time back and the table salt is generally saltier than the sea salt version. 
• Look for a dosakayi that is firm to the touch, no blemishes or soft spots on the surface. Golden colored skin all over the vegetable indicates it is wine ripened.
• Do not use store bought mustard powders in pickles, use fresh ground mustard for the best flavor. Smaller mustard are more flavorful than the big seeds. 
• As with any pickle making, ensure the cutting board, knife, dosakayi, mixing spoon and the preserving can are all completely clean and dry. 
• Giving a couple of hours of settling time to the pickle helps the dosakayi pieces absorb the flavors well.
• See the last picture to get an idea of how the pickle turns out in consistency after 2 hours of mixing the ingredients. Oil, mustard powder and dosakayi water blend together to produce a heavenly taste you won't be satisfied with one spoonful :-)

Avakkaya - Tasty Andhra pickle demystified

Well, I wanted to make sure I told everyone that I made avakkaya at home all by myself, I definitely had a lot of help from BH and DD but all by myself means no experienced avakkaya maker supervision. Here is the story, last week, on my grocery shopping spree I found a bin of these small mangoes (not the regular big green ones you see in most Indian stores) but the same kind of mangoes we used to get in namma Bengaluru for avakkaya making. Now, I write a food blog and I find some mangoes which are even labelled 'Pickle mangoes', isn't that destiny screaming avakkaya? What does it matter if I already have avakkaya and maagaya brought from India, carefully vacuum packed to last me for another year :-). So, I went ahead and brought home about 10 mangoes all jazzed up to make the avakkaya and called my resident avakkaya expert and got the proportions and got a refresher on the procedure. Last Sunday, I made these beauties and after a couple of days of settling time, here I am with the pictures, proportions and procedure to make this famous avakkaya at home.

After I got married and when we lived in Bengaluru, I went to the Yashwantpur market - it is a wholesale/retail fresh produce market on the north side of Bengalure where vendors come with their produce ranging from fresh greens to veggies to meat and spread them on push carts, make shift stalls or even on the road. It is an experience to walk through these extremely noisy, somewhat unhygenic streets where you will also find some of the freshest of ingredients. My love for these fresh produce bazars in India started very early, I used to go with my father on his 2-wheeler and bring home 2 huge cloth bags full of produce before festivals or special occasions. Though the bazaars are makeshift and most of the vendors operate without licenses (?), these places run on loyalty and regular visits. If you are a frequent customer, you know the vendors by name(and vice versa) and the exact place of their stalls in the chaos and you have a certain negotiating power on the prices quoted. There are smart vendors who will always start high and let you in on a lower price reserved just for customers like you :-) while there are smart customers who threaten the vendors that they have already seen the prices in 4 other stalls and know where to go and have the price reduced :-). It works both ways (or it doesn't :-)).

So back to Yashwantpur market, I accompanied amma on an early morning in Summer to that same vendor she had been going for years, bought the mangoes and have him chop them into fours. Yes, this is necessary you see, because the mangoes for avakkaya are not really tender, they are green and firm but they need to have a solid middle part (called Tenka in Telugu) and a seed should have started forming. The pieces (or mukkalu) are pickled with this part for longer term storage and your kitchen knife is not very handy in cutting these mangoes open. So, amma would choose the mangoes, put them in a basket and tell the guy to cut them. He would use his medium sized axe and an wooden board and chop each mango into 4s and drop the pieces in to the basket. Back home, the pieces were thoroughly washed and wiped dry before the pickling process began. Since my grocery store doesn't carry an axe and will not chop the mangoes for me, I did them at home :-)

Avakkaya is easy to make if you have the right quality ingredients. And when preserved right, stays over a year. I usually put my pickles from India in the refrigerator as we don't consume a lot of them.

What do you need to make Avakkaya? 
10 medium sized firm, hard green mangoes (See notes)
3 cups red chili powder
2 cups salt (See notes)
3 cups mustard powder
3 cups oil (traditionally sesame oil is used for its fragrance, I used my regular sun flower oil)
2 Tsp fenugreek seeds

Utensils: 
Pickle making is all about ensuring the longevity of the pickles. To this end, make sure your hands, spoons, pans and pots are all completely dry without any trace of water.
Prepare a jaadi (porcelain containers with lids) if you have access to or use glass containers like I did - wash them and wipe dry. Let the container sit in Sun for 2-3 hours to remove any traces of water.

How do you make avakkaya? 

• Wash the mangoes thoroughly to remove any dirt on the skin. 
• Wipe them dry and make sure they are not damp. 
• Keep them on a wooden cutting board, and break them into two with a sharp knife. Now cut the halves into as many pieces based on your preference for size.
• Powder mustard in your blender/mixer into a fine powder. This is called Aava pindi.
• Take a dry, wide bowl, add salt, red chili powder, mustard powder and the fenugreek seeds and mix them well. 

• Add oil to the powders and mix it into a wet masala. 

• Now add the cut mango pieces - a handful at a time and coat the masala on each of the pieces. 
• Finish up by mixing it all homogeneously and let it stand for half hour. 

• Carefully scoop out the masala mixed mangoes into the prepared containers, close them and keep them aside to marinate flavors for 3 days before using. 

• When you open the containers after 3 days, you will notice oil floating on top of the pickle, this means that the proportions have worked well, if the pickle looks too dry, add some more oil and mix with a dry spoon. 

Notes: 

• Per amma, 1 Kg of mangoes, 3 cups each of red chili powder, salt and mustard powder. My 9 mangoes weighed a Kg and hence I have given the above proportion but reduced salt as I used table salt. 
• Choose mangoes that are green and hard - your best bet to have a hard inner core (or tenka), some of my 9 mangoes were not very hard. 
• I reduced the salt from amma's proportion as I used table salt which is much saltier than the traditional coarse rock salt used in India, adjust salt to suit your taste.
• The smaller mustard seeds are more flavorful than the big seeds, use them if you can or add a half cup more of mustard to the recipe. 
• Over time, fenugreek seeds become soft and completely absorb the flavors of the pickle and makes for a wonderful explosion in your mouth when you eat it. 
• Avakkaya has a lot of pindi (the masala) in it as this is typically mixed with hot rice and enjoyed. We did that on the day I mixed the avakkaya to get the most bang for buck, added hot rice in the avakkaya mixing bowl and ate it :-)

The Avakkaya made above is the plain version where mustard takes center stage, Prathibha is posting many variations of the avakkaya with her mother in law to help her out, check them out on her blog. I took 2 handfuls of the mixed avakkaya separately and embellished(!) them with peeled garlic pods because both BH and DD are great garlic fans while I don't like them in my pickle. So we have 2 cute little containers on the dining table with avakkaya now - one with garlic and one without it :-).

Maagaya - Mango pickle, no recipe, only pictorial!

I am deviating today from usual posts in that I only have a pictorial  for you but no recipe. I promise this is not a teaser (not for long atleast), I will get the exact proportions soon and update the post.

Coming to maagaya - it is a pickle made from sour green mangoes, peeled mangoes are cut into thin strips (almost like gratings), salted and sun dried. Fried mustard, fenugreek and red chilies make up the masala. Oil is heated and then brought back to room temperature before it is added to the pickle. The maagaya is preseved in porcelain pots called "jaadis" to last until the next pickle season. There are various ways of enjoying a maagaya pickle. We love this more than avakkaya or avakkayi at home (I know, it is a sacrilege to say what I did just now :-), but it is personal preference). Amma makes delicious maagayi pachadi from the preserved maagaya by grinding maagaya with green chilies and raw onions and mixing with yogurt. It is a standard side dish for pooris at our home.

The reason I don't have the recipe or in this case proportions for maagaya is that I didn't make the maagaya shown below. The pictures are all from back home from the kitchen of the queen of pickles and pachadis in our family. BH's atta carries on the tradition of summer pickles that has been in the family for generations and no matter what her health conditions are or how hot the summer is, she still prepares these delicious pickles every single year. Having eaten her pickles, I can honestly say she makes some of the best maagaya, gongura and avakkaya (without garlic for me). We got these pictures from dear atta and mamaiah when they made the pickles couple of weeks back and temperatures were soaring at 95F. Thank you both for sharing the pictures on the blog.

Here is pictorial of maagaya making from atta's Rajahmundry home. 

Cleaned, dried, mangoes being peeled. Notice the gadget on the right which will be used to scrape mangoes into thin slices

It takes 3 generations of people and a helper to make the pickle :-)

Cut mangoes spread in wide plates, mixed with rock salt and turmeric

After being Sun dried, mangoes are mixed in masala and drenched in oil

They go into the porcelain jaadis and used throughout the year

Yummy maagaya, ready to be used