Mamta's Kitchen - A Family Cookbook





mango pickle

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On 02/06/2006 08:06pm, sia wrote:

hello mamta,

i'm following the recipe,for mango pickle with ground spices...

regarding that, my question is that after coating the cut mango with turmeric and salt.....do we keep it in an air tight container,or just cover it loosely cover it.

since i thought to keep it on the patio...as its quite sunny.

On 03/06/2006 07:06am, Mamta wrote:

Hello Sia

Sorry for the delayed reply. We were busy doing a BBQ for some friends yesterday and I did not check the Forum until this morning!

Keep it in the same bowl that you mix it in. You have to stir it from time to time. Keep it covered with a thin cloth, to stop the dust from getting in but to allow the air to circulate. A warm patio should be perfect!

Let me know how it comes.

Mamta

On 03/06/2006 05:06pm, sia wrote:

thanks for ur reply...

i have another query.....can i keep it for longer than 1 day, before mixing the spices and oil...say 2-3 days..

On 03/06/2006 05:06pm, Mamta wrote:

Hello Sia

I am sure that will be fine, specially if you live in UK where you have less heat in the sun. Keep it covered with a cloth, to stop dust and bugs getting in!

Mamta

On 03/06/2006 05:06pm, sia wrote:

thanks...mamta...

u said exactly what i wanted to hear....

i live in texas US...here its pretty hot....so i think i'll keep it inside the house for 2-3 days instead of on the patio....and once i'm ready to mix the spices and oil....i can keep it on the patio......would that be fine?

sorry to bother you with so many questions.

On 04/06/2006 07:06am, Mamta wrote:

Yes, that would be fine. remember, mango pickle comes from North India, where temperatures in May June can be upto 45-47 C!

Mamta

On 04/06/2006 05:06pm, sia wrote:

hello mamta,

i heated the mustard oil till smoking point as asked for int he recipe....but it formed redddish clouds..which were present even when th oil cooled down...

does it always happen with mustard oil..or was it the salt i added to it.

On 04/06/2006 07:06pm, Mamta wrote:

I don't think I have never seen reddish clouds! Was it on very high heat?

Mamta

On 05/06/2006 04:06am, Sia wrote:

Hello Mamta

Yeah it was on a high heat, so is it useless now or can we still use it.

On 05/06/2006 06:06am, Mamta wrote:

Try to smell it. If it smells burnt or has lost all it's mustard smell, better to discard it. Next time, heat on moderate heat, takes a bit longer but much safer.

The reason to heat it first is to remove some of it's pungency. You could use it unheated, Bengali people use it raw all the time, in their salads and raitas.

Mamta

On 05/06/2006 05:06pm, sia wrote:

hello mamta,

it does not smell burnt,and still smells like mustard....but still to be on the safer side i will prepare another batch...

this one i can use for some other external use.

On 05/06/2006 09:06pm, kennyliza wrote:

Mamta, why is it necessary to heat the oil when making pickles?

liza

On 06/06/2006 07:06am, Mamta wrote:

Hello Liza

A very interesting question. I always heat it and then cool it because my mum taught us to ;-)!

The raw mustard oil has a very pungent smell, ?jhaal? like you get when you boil cabbage, because it is also from Brassica family. It has some ?erucic acid? which is considered noxious and harmful. Heating it to just smoking point and then cooling, reduces the pungent smell/jhaal and perhaps the erucic acid content.

You may be interested in reading through an earlier discussion here at http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/board/showthread.php?thread_id=129

In India, mustard oil is used in foods, as massage oil and as fuel in small earthenware lamps, called Diyas or Deepaks.

People in India think that the ?for external use only? label on Western bottles is an attempt by 'foreign' oil producers to increase the use of canola/rapeseed oil, which is said to have a lower erucic acid content. All I can say is that most North Indians, specially the one from Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh/Uttranchal have always used it. I also use it for pickles, making many ?dry? vegetable bhajies and some other dishes. As far as I know, my family and I have not had any problems.

Another thing about mustard oil is that you should not buy and store large quantities. Before the days of everything ready made, my mum used to have fresh oil pressed at the local oil press, for 5-6 months at a time, if I remember correctly. I will ask her why, next time I speak to her. I think it may have been because it lost it?s distinctive smell when kept for too long. I am not sure if this is a problem with the ?bottled? variety we buy here in the West and now mostly in India as well. But do try to buy only small amounts at a time and store in a cool, dark place, like under the sink cupboard.

In the West, mustard is eaten as ?made mustard?. I don?t know what the erucic acid content of that.

Mamta

On 06/06/2006 04:06pm, sia wrote:

hello, mamta,

i faced the same problem....when i went to buy mustard oil..most of the bottles said 'for external use only'...that confused me a lot cause in india,we used the mustard oil out of the kitchen,for purposes like massage or hair oil...so basically it was same oil,for cooking and other things.

but finally i found a bottle that read..'kachhi ghani'..that means it is for cooking.

and one more thing....

i have prepared the pickle...it looks delicious...i would like to send a pic.

On 06/06/2006 09:06pm, Mamta wrote:

hello sia

i am gld it looks good. yes i would like a picture, please send it via the contact link.

soprry about the bad typing, my r hand is out of action due to shoulder injection and i am using l index finger to type. :-(

mamta

On 07/06/2006 06:06am, Aradhna wrote:

Hello Sia

I made Mamta's Mango pickle with asafoetida (http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10030) last month, it is just like my mummy used to make. Mango Pickle with ground spices is also very nice. In fact, I have just had some with lunch today.

The recipes here are very much like my mum's recipes and I use them quite a lot. I don?t have a digital camera. Otherwise I would also like to send some pictures.

I live in Mumbai.

Aradhna

On 09/06/2006 06:06pm, sia wrote:

hello mamta,

i hope u are feeling better....

one thing i would like to ask you...i have kept the pickle in a plastic jar, on the patio...with the lid...there is enough oil to cover the pickle...but i have left some space for it to breath...

but i notice thatt the level of the pickle rises and i can also see air bubbles...is this normal? or i should remove the lid and cover with muslin or cheese cloth...

one more thing...should i leave it outside altogether...or bring it inside every evening...after the sun has gone down.

On 09/06/2006 06:06pm, sia wrote:

hi aradhna,

i happen to love the heeng ka achar....and my mum gave it to me when i went to india last time...sadly its over now...

but i'm very excited about the ground spices pickle that have made, i am yet to taste it.

On 09/06/2006 10:06pm, Mamta wrote:

Hello Sia

I have never made pickle in a plastic jar, as far as I can remember. As you probably know, traditionally they are made in pottery/earthenware jars. These days, they and are generally made in glass jars. I hope that the acid of the pickle is not having some kind of reaction with the plastic! Pickle level generally goes down, not up, as it settles. If you have glass jars, transfer them quickly or keep in a glass bowl, sealed with cling film, until you can find some.

Perhaps someone else will have a comment about it!

Mamta

On 13/06/2006 06:06pm, sia wrote:

hello mamata,

thanks for the above tip..i changed everything to glass jar..before it was too late....you live and you learn..

i have sent you th pic of the pickle...hope you like it

sorry for the delay..as were away for the weekend.

On 14/06/2006 07:06am, Mamta wrote:

Hello Neha

Thanks.

I have replied to your mail.

Mamta

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