Methamba: The Instant Mango Pickle
Methamba – a must make recipe in the mango season
Meth stands for methi dana (fenugreek seeds) and Amba stands for mango. Methamba is a fingerlickingly good instant sweet and tangy mango pickle that is a favourite in our house during the summers.
Summer is at its peak and I have got lots of kairis (raw mangoes) hanging down the tree in our backyard. These are the totapairi variety of kairis, really good for making pickles and preserves. Last week, I made some panha using these kairis and kept aside one big one to make methamba. Although nowadays, we get kairis all throughout the year ( I seriously wonder how!), I try and consume them only seasonally. I am slowly and surely becoming a firm believer in eating seasonally!
My husband loves methamba made from these kairis. I too just love the contrast of sweet, spicy and tangy flavours in this dish along with the richness of its colour. I first saw this methamba being prepared by MiL and got this easy recipe from her. It is a quick recipe with a few ingredients which can be made in no time.
Ingredients for Methamba
Kairi – 1 big raw mango chopped into big pieces (try and go for the totapairi variety if you can)
Oil – 1 tbsp
Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Jaggery – 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Hing – a pinch
Salt- to taste
Tip: Do not peel the kairi and cut it into big pieces.
Recipe for Methamba
Start by tempering the oil with mustard seeds, methi seeds and hing. Once the mustard splutters, add the mango pieces and turmeric, and cover the vessel with a lid. Allow the mango pieces to get soft and cook for a few minutes.
To this, add the chilli powder, jaggery pieces and salt and again cook it covered for 2-3 minutes till the jaggery melts. Check the taste and adjust the sweetness and spiciness to your liking.
Methamba stays good in the fridge for more than a week, provided you do not lick it all at once 🙂
To try out more mango recipes, check out: raw mango chitranna and kairichi chatni 🙂