here is a mango pickle recipe made the punjabi way. another one from my mil’s punjabi recipes collection. this mango pickle is awesome. if you are a pickle lover like me, you are going to love this pickle. i am such a fan of pickles that i have pickles with everything from dal, sabzis, to even with the punjabi kadhi. i also have posted another punjabi recipe of sweet and sour mango pickle.
yes, we also have the mango pickle with aloo paratha, paneer paratha or any paratha for that matter. my hubby tells me of his childhood school days where he would take parathas with mango pickle in his tiffin box.
i think now what goes in the tiffin box must have changed over a period of time. it also depends in which part of india you live or what is the type of cuisine the family cooks.
there are four main spices used in this mango pickle recipe, namely:
- fenugreek seeds/methi,
- fennel seeds/saunf,
- mustard seeds/sarson and
- nigella seeds/kalonji
well, just a bit of variation i did to this mango pickle recipe was by adding split mustard seeds. i had just scribbled everything in a book and all the time i was thinking that mustard seeds go in the recipe. now again when looking at it carefully, i saw that mustard seeds are not added. sometimes the mind and the thought processes over power everything.
some folks even add black peppercorns. i have coarsely ground the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds as i do not get the split mustard seeds as well as split fenugreek seeds here. even the fennel i have ground it coarsely. you can keep it whole.
here i get raw mangoes with really tender skin, so i don’t peel the skin off. but if you get raw mangoes with tough skin, then do peel off the skin.
remember there should be no water or moisture in your jar in which you will keep the mango pickle. the jar has to be clean. you can sterilize the jar if you want. hygiene and cleanliness are very important when you are making pickles. remember this point when you make edibles like jams, sauces, preserves or pickles and for that matter when you make any food.
i wanted the traditional small bharni to keep the mango pickle. went to the market to buy it, but all they had were big bharnis. finally i had to store the pickle in a plastic jar 
lets start step by step recipe for making punjabi mango pickle:
1: rinse and wipe the mangoes well with a kitchen towel. chop the mangoes and add them in a bowl.
2: add all the spices, spice powders and salt.
3: mix well so that the spices uniformly coat the mango pieces.
4: on a thali or in the same bowl, keep in the sun for 3-4 days. you can cover the thali with a fine seive or a thin muslin cloth, so that dust etc does not fall on the pickle.
5: the below pic is of the mango pickle on 6th day. i had to keep 2 days extra as for 2 full days we did not get sunlight here. it was cloudy all the time.
6: pour the entire mango mixture in a jar.
7: add mustard oil to the spiced mangoes. now i really like the strong and intense flavor of mustard oil in the pickle. hence i have not warmed nor heated the mustard oil. if you want less pungent flavor & taste to your pickle than warm or heat the mustard oil. heating reduces the pungency in the mustard oil and makes it sweet.
8: just add enough mustard oil which covers the rim up to half or one inch above the pickle. always remember to keep the oil floating above the pickle.
9: close and keep in a cool dry place for 4 days till everything gets mellowed and pickled 
enjoy this punjabi mango pickle plain or with any indian dish.
10: the pickle stays good for a year even without refrigeration. but it will get over soon and won’t last for a year
mango pickle recipe details are below:
ingredients
- 5-6 small or medium sized raw mangoes
- 1.5 tbsp split fenugreek seeds/methi dana
- 2 tbsp split mustard seeds/rai dana (optional)
- 2 tbsp fennel seed whole or coarsely ground
- 1.5 tbsp nigella seeds/kalonji
- 1.5 tbsp turmeric
- 1.5 to 2 tbsp red chili powder
- salt as required
- mustard oil
method:
- rinse and wipe dry the mangoes.
- dice the mangoes. discard the seeds. if you have a garden you can plant the seeds :-)
- mix all the spices, spice powders and salt with the diced mangoes.
- mix well so that the spices get evenly coated to the mangoes.
- keep this spiced mango mixture in sunlight for 3-4 days.
- cover with a thin muslin to protect from dust.
- after 3-4 days, add the mangoes to a jar.
- pour mustard oil till it just about covers the rim of the mangoes up to 1/2 inch or 1 inch.
- stir and mix well.
- store the pickle in a dry and cool place for 3-4 days.
- have the mango pickle with your favorite indian dish.
my notes
you can choose to add more red chili powder if you want a spicy and hot pickle. keep the jar and the plates everything clean.
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello Dassana,
I want to start making the mango pickles ASAP but have heard all sorts of stories about waiting for ‘right’ mangos and apparently the season doesn’t start till June? Is that true? Waiting anxiously for help to recognise the ‘right’ mangos
hi naveen. the raw mangoes start coming as early as march. having been in goa, where there are so many mango trees, i see raw mangoes flooding the market very early. actually i have heard the opposite and the other way around. one should not have mangoes when the rains begins. at least in india, the monsoon begins in june and so mangoes should not be consumed in june or later. i would suggest not to wait as may is the best time to get a really hot sun and clear days which is good for pickling and drying. mangoes are also also good in this month. so you can start with the preparations of the pickle.
looking awesome.
delicious pickle.
I’ve just tried this recipe but was able to keep the achar in the sun for just two days as its been cloudy since then. It smells great though. I’m waiting for it to become tender. Thanks.
hi usha. if its not raining and just cloudy, you can still keep pickle in the daylight.
I’m in the process of making the pickle, though now I can’t sun dry it anymore as its been raining for the past few days. Any other option to finish the pickling process ? Please help ! I have already mixed the spices with the mango 2 days back ! So far it looks okay !
mailed you.
Its really tempting,one thing i want to ask u if i mix the mixture of spice and oil on the same day and cover the jar up (keep in sunlight), then the pickle will be spoil or not?
actually the water or liquids should get dried before adding the oil. hence we keep the pickle mixture in the sun. if there is moisture in the pickle, then the pickle spoils.
Hi Dassana,
I’ve watched my dad make pickles all the time and recently i’ve started to make them as well. The taste is just better and fresher when you make it yourself. I’ve never seen a punjabi version of this pickle as I’ve grown accustomed to the Gujarati version which I use DIY ingredients with corn oil (never used mustard oil before but interesting)
I must say that I want to try this out. So, two quick questions
1) Is nigella seeds/kalonji same as black sesame seeds?
2) When you mix your spices with the raw mango cubes, what do you do with the water that drains from the mango due to salt? I usually throw it away but just curious.
homemade pickles are better than outside ones. mustard oil gives a strong pungent flavor to the pickle.
1: nigella seeds are different from black sesame seeds. though they do look similar, the taste, flavor and texture is totally different.
2: i never throw away the water. since i sun dry the mixture, the water gets evaporated.
Hi, I’m really excited to see a Mango Pickle recipe with measurements in tablespoons (not grams!) I am definitely going to try this one! I do have one question though, can you tell me roughly how much salt you used? Thanks
~Katherine
hi katherine, i don’t even remember how much salt i had added as i had made the pickle many months ago. i would suggest to just add 2-3 tbsp of salt first. then taste the pickle and if required then add some more salt, till you get the salt taste that you prefer.
Two questions really. 1) What role does the sun play in making of the pickle ? 2) Is Mustard Oil a must, as I am in a small village where olive oil is easily available, and sun rarely shines.
dear van, first of all the sun gently cooks the pickle over a period of time. secondly along with drying the mango pieces as well as the pickle masala mixture it also kills the micro organisms that might be harboring on the pickle. all these factors help in sustaining the shelf life of the pickle.
in india we make a lot of sun dried pickles, both sweet and sour. in the months of april-may the sun it at its peak here and it is very hot. the temperature varies between 35 to 45 degree C in different parts of india.
mustard oil is one of the essential ingredient, if you want to make the authentic punjabi mango pickle
it has a strong pungent flavor and taste that blends well with the pickle. i would not suggest using olive oil as i don’t know how the taste & aroma of olive oil would blend with the pickle. i would suggest to use a non aromatic oil like sunflower or canola oil.
you can make this pickle even without the sun. just heat the oil and when it cools down add it to the pickle mixture.
to know more about the sun and the pickling process, here is a informative post here
hope all these info helps you.
can i make this achar without the sun in thid rainy season or put it on stove or microwave loved the recipe
yes zarina, you can make the achaar without sun. just mix everything and pour the mixed mango-spice powders in a jar. in this case you heat the mustard oil and then when it cools you add it to the spiced mango pieces. cover with a 1 inch layer of mustard oil. always keep the achaar covered with a layer of mustard oil. store in a dry & dark place for 2-3 days.
I hardly use to prepare pickles at home till late when I tried my hands on the mix veg pickles, my mom prepares the mango pickles the same way as yours. I get mango pickles always from mom & mom in law
. Loved the clicks as always!
Mouthwatering pickle… I love the flavour of mustard oil in pickles…
Gorgeous clicks! Would love to have this jar at home! Don’t know how long it would last though. I love pickles with roti, dal-chawal or simply plain.
i have started the process of making the pickle..m grinding the masala for it..will surely let u know the outcome soon..here its too hot..my mango pickle will not take too long to tenderise.
since it is so hot there you can keep just for 2 days. sure, do let me know…..
Looks heavenly!! I used to eat pickle everyday with stuff like vegan curd rice and chapathi, but somehow that habit got broken and now pickles are a once in a while thing for me. Now, when I do eat them, it’s straight out of the jar. Pick up a piece and pop it in my mouth.
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That pickle/paratha photo you’ve posted is killing me!! I’m craving it so badly right now. LOL And it brings back beautiful memories from school. The Marwaris used to bring the best paratas and pickles ever!! The rest of us used to grab for their lunch boxes. Haha
even i had some marwari friends in school and i would love to eat from their tiffin, especially their pickles and parathas
Dassana, the mangoes look so fresh and I am sure they taste the best. Also, pickle looks fabulous Unfortunately, the raw mangoes we get here are mostly sweet in taste and slightly sour.
Love the wick basket and the plate in the pics.
thanks family cook
I adore pickles for the mustard oil. Cant get good mangoes here. This recipe is just the way I make green chilli pickle also. Love it.