Avakkai pickle recipe or Avakkai manga Urugaai also known as Cut Mango Pickle is a joy to make even for a beginner during the mango season. The process is very easy and its also a no cook pickle if you sun dry the spices.
It is as easy as ABC…, cut, mix and rest and the pickle is ready.
Its also very economic and clean when you could make this at home instead of buying it from the shop.
There’s no better combo than curd rice and Spicy Avakkaya on a hot summer day for lunch.
Amma learned this pickle while living in Andhra after her marriage and I have been following her recipe all these years.
When I made this Avakkai pickle for the first time years ago, I heated the oil and added it to the pickle as the smell of the raw gingelly oil does not sit well with me.
Our Favorite Video:
I really regretted it and got a earful from my mother too for the mistake.
The aroma of the pickle changes dramatically.
So if you are like me, trust me when I say to add the oil with out heating it even if you do not like the smell of it.
Only then, the avakkai pickle will smell and taste awesome.
The raw smell of the oil goes off after it gets to live with the mango pieces and the spices.
Points to note:
1. You can also roast the fenugreek and mustard in microwave oven or alternately you can also dry them under hot sun for few hours before grinding.
2. Make sure you cut the mango pieces into small bite sized pieces. This avoids wastage too.
3. The bigger the pieces, the longer it takes to soften while soaking in the oil.
4. Use rock salt (crystal salt) as it acts as a preservative. Avoid using table salt.
5. As I always use homemade red chili powder, I used the same. Else either roast or sun dry whole dry red chilies and grind to a powder with other spices.
6. Sterilise the bottles well and sun dry them before storing the pickle and always use clean, dry spoon to serve.
Many use either chick peas or garlic while making this pickle but in my family they do not follow this tradition.
We make it only with mango pieces and do not use garlic as it cannot be eaten during fasting days.
Step by step Avakkai Mango Pickle recipe below:
1. Wash and wipe mango and cut into bite sized pieces.
2. Dry roast fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds taking care not to burn them in the process.
3. Transfer to a mixie jar.
4. First grind together the fenugreek and mustard seeds, then add dry red chilies or chili powder and grind to a powder.
5. Then add rock salt and grind to a fine powder, mixing all the ingredients well in the process.
6. The pickle powder is ready.
7. Place the mango pieces in a big bowl, add the pickle powder and toss well to mix.
8. Then add the gingelly oil and mix well using a ladle. Let it soak well.
9. Let it sit for a week or so. Avakkai Pickle is ready to use.
As another variation, you can also make this Maa Vathal Urugai that is made with sun dried mango pieces and Maavadu Pickle that is made using baby mangoes.
Avakkai Pickle – Cut Mango Pickle recipe below:

Avakkai Pickle Recipe or Cut Mango Pickle
Ingredients
- Raw Mango - 3 nos or 1.250 gms approx.,
- Fenugreek seeds or vendhayam - 3 tsp
- Mustard seeds – 1/2 cup
- Rock Salt - 3/4 cups
- Red chili powder – 1/2 cup
- Gingelly Oil or Nallenai - 1 cup
Instructions
- Wash and wipe the mangoes. Cut it into bite sized pieces working around the seed. It weighed approx., 1 kg without the seeds, roughly 3+3/4 cup when measured.
- Heat a pan and dry roast fenugreek seeds, shaking the pan so that it gets roasted well. Take care not to burn the seeds. Transfer it to a bowl and to the same pan add the mustard seeds.
- Dry roast for a few seconds while stirring with a ladle. Transfer both to a mixie jar and grind it to a coarse powder. Now add red chili powder, rock salt and grind it to a fine powder.
- Transfer the cut mango pieces to a food grade container. Add the ground spice powder and stir well with a wooden spatula so that it coats all the mango pieces evenly.
- Add the gingelly oil to the mango pieces and stir well. It will look dry and as though the oil is not enough. But cover the container and let the pickle sit for 2 days.
- If possible keep shaking the container or stir using a clean spatula 2 or 3 times a day. After that, you can see the oil floating on top.
- After a week of resting and letting the mango pieces soak in the oil and spices, they would have softened considerably well.
- Avakkai pickle is ready to be served.
- Transfer to sterilized, dry bottles or ceramic containers (barni) and pour the remaining oil so that they float on top.
- Store in room temperature. It keeps well for a year. Use a dry spoon while using to serve.

nice one, usually my appa does all thecutting job and we keep the seed cover over the mango, so it shrinks, it gives nice taste with the shell. loved the jar click
It looks so perfect!
such an awesome post!! so useful and you made it sound so simple, lovely clicks each one of them:-)
Lovely pickle, nicely explained with pics..
Mouth watering here, wish i could a small bottle of this pickle, love to mix that thokku with rice and have it straight now.
oh wow i can have this all:)
Perfectly done
Jus waiting for this parcel of goodness which my mom sent wth my friend:)
Andhra avakaya I along wth piping rice and a dollop,of ghee is like entering into heaven !
so perfect.. looks very tempting.. love the color…give me this with little curd rice pls….
That click………… oh my god!! I cant take my eyes off that jar of pickle. Would make anyone want to dig into curd rice
A friend mentioned this pickle and I had to google it. Saw your link in the results and I knew this is the place to get an idea what it is. This look so delicious. And the pictures want me to dig in that jar right now.
Charul, Thank you. Do make some when you get hold of mangoes at your place. Its well worth the effort.
Hi. I am from Bengal nd not too used to gingilli oil. Can I use musturd oil instead ?
Hi Kaberi, Mustard oil will not be suitable for this pickle. If you are not used to gingelly or sesame oil, then use regular sunflower oil.
can I heat sesame oil pickles don’t get spoil if I heat oil
Sesame oil should be added without heating to preserve the taste. The salt and spices will act as a preservative.
I have make mango pickles but salt and red chilli powder is less can I put it now today is 3 day
Hi, If you have added the exact required measurements for the given quantity of pickles, it will be enough. It might appear both the salt and chili powder are less, but it will even out after soaking. If you still think both are less, by all means add them and equally add oil too.
Hi,last year I have make pickles in jar can I use the same jar for pickles or not
You can use the same jars but wash and keep them in sun to dry OR sterilise them in hot water and dry before you store the freshly made pickles in them.
ok thanks!
hi!
madam plz tell me mustard seeds& salt in grams
Mustard seeds – 100 gms and Rock Salt – 150 gms
can I add cumin and coriander powder in pickles it give taste to pickle my friend mom use these I want to now weather it is right or wrong
This is a traditional way of making pickle. I’ve never added coriander and cumin in pickles. So I would not know.