Tender Mango Pickle aka Maavadu Oorkai (Tamil)
Ask any Tambram worth his salt as to which food item that he cannot live without? The answer would invariably be Thair Sadam (curd rice). It is the sacred duty of every Tambram to top off his meal with a liberal quantity of Thair Sadam.
Ask a second question as to what would he have to go along with it. While he is thinking about it, suggest Maavadu Oorkai, and you would see ecstasy in his eyes. He will be drooling all over and will be your slave forever!
In my younger days, during the school's summer vacation my parents would pack me off to my maternal grandpa's place located in a quaint village called Thirukodicaval. The village is located somewhere between Mayavaram and Kumbakonam. The maavadu from the farm was something to die for. Nowadays, we get the bottled maavadu sold in the local super market. These taste pathetic and by no means anywhere near the quality and taste of the farm fresh maavadu oorkai from my grandpa's village.
A dozen and a half years ago, while I was in Chennai in a nostalgic moment I asked my mom as to what magic ingredients went into the making of "the Thirukodicaval" maddvadu oorkai. As she reeled out the recipe I quickly wrote it down on a piece of paper. It was languishing on my shelf until I rediscovered the yellowing sheet of computer paper on which OI had written the recipe today morning while cleaning. This is my grandma's original maavadu recipe.
Ingredients:
It is the mango season in India at the moment and it would be the right time to get the tender mangoes. So rush to the nearest mango mandi!
Ask a second question as to what would he have to go along with it. While he is thinking about it, suggest Maavadu Oorkai, and you would see ecstasy in his eyes. He will be drooling all over and will be your slave forever!
In my younger days, during the school's summer vacation my parents would pack me off to my maternal grandpa's place located in a quaint village called Thirukodicaval. The village is located somewhere between Mayavaram and Kumbakonam. The maavadu from the farm was something to die for. Nowadays, we get the bottled maavadu sold in the local super market. These taste pathetic and by no means anywhere near the quality and taste of the farm fresh maavadu oorkai from my grandpa's village.
A dozen and a half years ago, while I was in Chennai in a nostalgic moment I asked my mom as to what magic ingredients went into the making of "the Thirukodicaval" maddvadu oorkai. As she reeled out the recipe I quickly wrote it down on a piece of paper. It was languishing on my shelf until I rediscovered the yellowing sheet of computer paper on which OI had written the recipe today morning while cleaning. This is my grandma's original maavadu recipe.
Ingredients:
- Tender mangoes - 8 volumes (8 sheru)
- Rock Salt - 1 volume (1 sheru)
- Mustard - 2 tablespoons
- Dried Red Chillies - 5 to 6 pods
- Turmeric - 1 inch finger piece
- Water- 1 cup
Wash and clean the tender mangoes and dry them completely. Coarse grind the mustard, chillies and turmeric with a cup of water in a mixer. Add all the ingredients together, tender mangoes, rock salt and the coarsely ground spices in a tall ceramic or glass jar. Shake the jar until the mangoes, rock salt and spices mix evenly. The tender mangoes oozes out water with time. Shake the contents once daily to evenly distribute the salt and the spices. The maavadu oorkai should be ready in 15 to 20 days time.
It is the mango season in India at the moment and it would be the right time to get the tender mangoes. So rush to the nearest mango mandi!
Ah! For Thair Sadam with Maavadu Oorkai! Slurp!
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