Indo Chinese noodles

Ingredients:

=========

• Chinese Hakka Noodles of any brand - 1 packet
• Veggies of your choice - I used 3 medium carrots,1 capsicum,1 potato,1/4 of cabbage,a handful of peas,,1 onion,10 tender beans.You can also use spring onions,cauliflower.
• Pepper - 2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Green chillies - 2 slit open
• Soya sauce - 1 tbsp(acc to taste)
• Tomato ketchup/sauce - 1 tbsp(or can be less)
• Any chinese sauce(I used chilli garlic sauce) - 1 tbsp
• Ajinomoto - a pinch
• Olive oil/Refined oil - 3 tbsp
• vinegar (optional) - 1 tsp

Method:

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• Add sufficient water in a kadai with a pinch of salt and allow it to boil.
• When it starts boiling,add 1/2 tbsp of oil into it and add the noodles too.
• Cook uncovered on a medium flame for 5 to 10 min till the noodles get cooked.
• Strain the excess water with a strainer and immediately wash in running cold water.This process is called blanching.
• Now add 1 tsp of oil on top of cooked noodles.This prevents the sticking of noodles to each other.Toss it over and set aside.

• Chop the veggies into very thin and long pieces as shown below.

• Add 2 tbsp of oil in a wok/saucepan,add onions,green chillies and saute till it becomes transparent.

• Add carrots,potatoes,beans and saute for 5 min.
• Add capsicum,cabbage,peas and saute till they become slightly tender.It has to be crunchy too.

• Sprinkle little salt,pepper,ajinomoto and saute for 2 min.

• Now add soya sauce,chilli sauce,tomato sauce and saute for 3 min.

• Add the cooked noodles and mix well.Toss it over twice or thrice.
• 
  
• Switch off the flame.

Serve hot.

Note:-Do not cook the noodles / veggies covered at any point of time.

Pumpkin flesh thuvayal

Ingredients:

=========

• Flesh of pumpin (de-seeded) - from half a kilo pumpkin
• Coconut shredded - 2 tbsp
• Tamarind - a small piece
• jaggery - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Green chillies - 1 to 2
• Red chillies - 2
• Split Urad dal - 2 tsp

For tempering:

===========

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• asafoetida powder - a pinch

Method:

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• Remove the flesh from pumpkin and take away the seeds from it.
• Heat 1 tsp of oil,add urad dal,red chillies,green chillies and saute till it turns brown.
• Add tamarind,jaggery,salt and pumpkin flesh.Saute for 5 min till the flesh becomes tender and the raw smell goes off.
• Switch off the flame and add the coconut also in the kadai.Mix well and let it be in the kadai till it cools down to room temparature.
• Grind well in a mixer with little water.The consistency should be like a chutney.
• Temper with mustard seeds,curry leaves and asafoetida.

Serve with rice and molagootal.

Spinach & Dal

Ingredients:

=========

• Spinach(any plain variety) - 2 bunches
• Whole spices(cloves,cinnamon) - 1,half inch stick
• Shahi jeera - 1/2 tsp(optional)
• Oil/Ghee - 3 tsp
• Onions,finely chopped - 1 large
• Tuar dal,pressure cooked and mashed - 75 grams
• Salt - to taste
• Dhania powder - 2 tsp
• jeera powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 3/4 tsp
• Dry mango/amchur powder - 1 tsp
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• Green chillies - 2 to 3(slit open)
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Method:

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• Separate the leaves of spinach,wash them well and chop roughly.
• Saute them till they shrink with a pinch of turmeric powder.Set aside to cool and then grind into a fine paste in a mixer.
• Heat oil in a kadai,add the whole spices,green chillies and onions.
• Saute for 2 min and then add ginger garlic paste.Saute till raw smell goes off.
• Add the ground spinach paste,jeera powder,garam masala powder,dhania powder,amchur powder,salt and saute for 5 min .
• Add the pressure cooked and mashed dal.Mix well and allow to boil.
• Switch off the flame.Add 1 tsp of ghee on top.

Serve hot with rice and pappad.

Note:=Sorry for a low quality picture.But believe me...it tastes excellent.

Gongura/Sorrel leaves pickle

There are two varieties of sorrel leaves.One has white stem and the other has red color stem.Normally the one with red stalk is preferred for making this pickle as it has more tangy taste.

Ingredients:

=========

• Red Sorrel leaves/pulicha keerai in tamil - 2 big bunches
• Garlic pods(optional) - 8

To saute and grind:

==============

• Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
• Chana dal - 1 tbsp
• Split urad dal - 1 tbsp
• Red chillies - 4
• Green chillies - 2
• Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
• Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp
• salt - to taste

For tempering:

===========

• gingelly oil - 3 tbsp
• mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• red chillies - 2
• curry leaves - few

Method:

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• Seperate the gongura leaves from the stalks and leave them in an open cool and dry place for 2 days so that the leaves wither.
• 
  
• After 2 days wash the leaves.Spread over kitchen towel.
• Heat 2-3 tsp oil in a thick bottomed vessel.Add the leaves and fry them till rawness disappears and it becomes soft.Add the garlic pods into the kadai,so that it remains in the heat of the vessel.
• 
  
  
• Remove and cool.
• Grind into a paste with salt without adding water coarsely.It should look like below.
• 
  
• Add 1 tbsp of oil in a kadai,add methi seeds and fry till light brown and then add coriander seeds,urad dal,chana dal and dry chillies and fry stirring constantly till light brown.Add the slit open green chillies and fry for 2 min.Remove from fire and cool.
• 
• Grind these above ingredients into a coarse powder.Add the ground gongura paste and grind along with the powder into a paste again.
• Temper with asafoetida,mustard seeds,curry leaves and red chillies in 3 tbsp of oil.

Enjoy with rice and ghee.

Sodhi-Side dish for idiappam/Appam

This dish is from the Tirunelveli district of TamilNadu.It is an excellent side dish for idiappam.

This recipe serves two.

Ingredients:

=========

• Moong dal split - 60 grams
• Potato - 2 medium sized
• Veggies - carrots-1,peas-a handful,beans-6,onion-1 big
• salt - to taste
• ginger - a 1 inch piece
• green chillies - 3 to 4,according to taste
• lemon - 1
• coconut oil - 3 tsp
• Jeera/cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Coconut milk - thick-1 cup,diluted-1 cup
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• Cloves - 2
• cinnamon - half inch stick

Method:

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• Wash and pressure cook the moong dal.Mash it well.
• Pressure cook the potatoes,peel off the skin and mash well.
• Chop onions,carrots,beans into very small pieces ,say 6mm slices.
• Add 2 tsp of coconut oil in a kadai.Add cloves,cinnamon and the chopped veggies.
• Saute for 5 min and add the diluted coconut milk with little water.
• Cook covered till the veggies become tender.
• Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a tadka pan,add half of chopped green chillies and saute for 2 sec.Grind it well in a mixer.
• Add the ground green chillies and salt into the kadai.Mix well.
• Add the mashed potatoes and moong dal too.Mix well.If its too thick add little water.It should have a diluted consistency.
• Let it cook for 5 min.
• Now add the thick coconut milk .Mix well and let it be on the stove for 3 min on a low flame.(No need to boil).
• Switch off the flame.Temper with cumin seeds,rest of chopped green chillies and curry leaves in 1/2 tsp of coconut oil.
• Chop ginger finely,Crush them and put in 1/2 glass of hot water.Extract the juice out of it completely and throw away the waste.
• After 5 to 10 min,add the ginger juice and lemon juice.
• Mix well and serve hot with idiappam.

Idiappam & Sodhi

Idiappam can be made with a special vessel "Idiappam maker" as shown below.This has a stand with plates and a squeezer in which we put the dough.

Or you can also use the traditional nazhi that we normally use for making muruku/karuvadam and the vadam stand.

Ingredients:

=========

• Idiappam flour - I used Readymade Idiappam flour.The recipe for making idiappam flour at home will be posted later.
• salt - to taste.
• Luke warm water - to make the dough.

Method:

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• Add the flour and salt to a wide open vessel.

• Add luke warm water little by little and knead to a dough as shown below.
• 
  
• It should not stick to your hands and you should be able to form a ball out of it.This will be the consistency of the dough.
• Choose the plate with thin holes for covering the bottom of squeezer.
• Put the dough into the squeezer and close the lid tightly by screwing it clockwise.
• Apply little oil onto the plates and gently rotate the handle of the squeezer so that the idiappam squeezes out through the holes in the bottom.
• Move the squeezer itself in circular motion as you do the above step.This is done to get round shape of idiappam.
• Repeat for all the plates and steam for 5 to 10 min.

Serve hot with sodhi/stew/coconut milk with sugar.

Assorted bajji

Bajji is a quick snack that can be made when you face sudden guests at home.Also its a lovely snack during rain time,especially when had hot.It can made with veggies like raw banana,chilli,potato,onion,capsicum,cauliflower.

Ingredients:

=========

• Rice flour - 1/2 cup
• Besan - 1 cup
• salt - to taste
• baking soda/eno fruit salt - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• ajwain/carom seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - for deep frying

Method:

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• Add all the ingredients in a bowl.Add water little by little and make a fine batter without lumps.
• (Use your hand and mix well).The consistency should be like idly batter.
• 
• Cut the veggies into thin round slices.If you use capsicum,make thin long pieces.
• 
  
  
• Heat oil in a kadai.When its medium hot,dip the veggie slices in batter and add them slowly into the oil (5 to 6 at a time).
• 
  

• On a low flame ,fry them it they turn golden brown in colour.(Turn it over in between,so that both sides get cooked).
• 
  
• Strain excess oil and put on a tissue paper.

Serve hot with coconut chutney or sauce.

Baby Cooker Naan

Ingredients:

=========

• Maida/All purpose flour - 350 grams
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Yeast - 2 tsp
• Luke warm water - 1 glass
• Curd - 3 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Refined oil - 3 tsp

Method:

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• Add yeast and sugar to luke warm water and mix well.Set aside for 5 min.
• Add curd,salt,maida,oil to a wide open vessel.Add the yeast mixed luke warm water little by little and knead to a dough as shown below.

• Since its maida,the dough will stick to your hands.Do not worry about that.
• Cover the dough with a vessel/plate.If you do not like the smell of yeast,keep open under sun for 15 min and then cover with a plate.
• Set aside for 4 hours.Add 1 tsp of oil and knead the dough again as shown below.

• Apply little oil in your hands,on the chappati roller and base to avoid sticking of dough while spreading .Make round balls ,say the size of a lemon.
• Spread into an oblong shape .The size can vary depending on the height of the cooker.Since i have a small cooker,i rolled it small.
• Meanwhile heat a pressure cooker on a medium flame .
• After spreading,apply water on one side of the naan and stick it on the inner surface of cooker.The water acts as a glue enabling the naan to get stuck on the cooker wall.
• A cooker with edges curving outside is to be used.(like that of prestige and not like hawkins).
• You can stick 4 to 5 naans at a time depending on the size of cooker.
• Rotate the cooker with the help of handle,so that the naan gets cooked evenly.

• Once it puff up,invert the cooker and cook the naan on a medium flame.

• See the naan occasionally to ensure it is getting cooked correctly without being burnt.
• Once the brown spots appear and the naan really puffs up,remove one by one with a holder.
• Apply little butter and serve hot with any gravy.

Colourful Vegetable korma

This recipe serves 3.

Ingredients:

=========

• veggies of your choice - (beetroot-1/2,carrot-2,potato-1 big,beans-15,corn kernels-a handful,tomato-2,peas-a handful.You can also use cauliflower-10 florets,capsicum-1)
• Salt - to taste
• turmeric powder - a pinch
• Dhania powder - 1 tsp
• Jeera powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies - 3 to 4(acc to taste)
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Onion - 1 medium size,finely chopped
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• coriander leaves,chopped - 2 tsp

To grind:

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• Coconut,shredded - 5 tsp
• Cashews - 5
• Badam - 5(optional)
• Whole spices - cinnamon-1/2 inch stick,cloves-2,elachi-1
• Onion - 1 medium sized
• kasa kasa/poppy seeds- 1 tsp(soaked in warm water for 5 min)
• Saunf/Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• 
  

Grind the above ingredients to a fine paste with little water as shown.

Method:

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• Chop the veggies and onions into small cubes as shown below.Slit open the green chillies.
• 
  
  
• Heat ghee in a pressure cooker,add onions and green chillies.Saute on a medium flame for 10 sec.
• Add ginger garlic paste and saute till onions turn pink and raw smell of garlic goes off.
• Add the chopped veggies one by one and saute for 10 sec after adding each veggie.
• Add turmeric powder,dhania & jeera powder,garam masala powder,salt and saute till you can smell a nice aroma of spices.
• 
  
• Add the ground masala to it.Wash the mixer with 1 glass of water and add to the veggies.
• 
  
• Saute well for 3 min .Add little more water(if needed) so that the veggies should be just immersed.
• Mix well and pressure cook.(1 whistle on a high flame and switch off in 8 min).
• Add coriander leaves,mix well and serve hot.

This goes excellent with pulka,chappati,naan or kulcha.

Morekootan

Ingredients:

=========

• Elavan/Ash gourd - 250 grams,peel off skin and chop into cubes
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• fenugreek powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Sour butter milk - 1 cup
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Coconut,shredded - from half of a medium sized coconut
• Green chillies - 3 to 4

If the buttermilk is not sour,use a pinch(say a 1/2 inch piece) of tamarind.

Method:

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• Grind together coconut,green chillies into a fine paste in a mixer.Use buttermilk instead of water in grinding.
• If the buttermilk is not sour,grind tamarind along with coconut and green chillies
• Add the chopped pieces along with turmeric powder in a vessel.Add water just enough to immerse the vegetable.
• Cook covered till the vegetable gets tender.
• Add salt and add the ground paste.Mix well and cook for 5 min on a medium flame.
• On a low flame,gently pour the buttermilk while stirring continuously.
• Add fenugreek powder and mix well.
• Stop stirring.When you observe one or two bubbles ,switch off .
• Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Serve with rice and papad/porial.

Note:

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• Dot not allow it to boil , as the buttermilk will get separated.
• If you are not using fenugreek powder,using 1/4 tsp of whole fenugreek seeds along with mustard seeds in tempering.
• Ladies finger,tomato,lauki,yam are some of the other veggies that can be used to make morekootan.
• when using yam,add 1/2 tsp of pepper powder and 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder along with veggies while you cook them.
• And when use ladies finger,chop them into 2 inch pieces and saute them in a tsp of oil till it gets semi roasted.Add little water to the sauted pieces and cook them.Then repeat the above process.

Special Tomato Rice

Ingredients:

=========

• Basmati rice - 200 grams
• Tomatoes - 3 big
• Carrot - 1 big
• Peas - 1 handful
• Onion - 1 big
• Green chillies - 2 to 3
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon - a 1/2 inch stick
• Cloves - 2
• Shahi Jeera - 1/2 tsp
• bayleaf - 1
• Salt - to taste
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Dhania powder - 1 tsp
• Jeera powder - 1 tsp
• Garammasala pwd - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• Coriander leaves - 3 tsp,chopped finely
• Elachi - 1

Method:

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• Wash and Soak Basmati rice for 1/2 hour.
• Chop onions lenghthwise,tomatoes into very small pieces,slit open the green chillies.
• Peel off the skin and grate the carrot.
• Heat ghee in a pressure cooker.Add cinnamon,cloves,bayleaf,elachi,shahi jeera ,onions and saute for 10 sec.
• Add ginger garlic paste and green chillies.Saute till the raw smell goes off and onion turns tender.
• Add peas,grated carrot,tomatoes and saute till raw smell goes off.
• Add turmeric powder,jeera and dhania powder,garam masala powder,half of salt,sugar and saute till raw smell goes off.
• Drain the excess water and add the soaked rice .Mix well.
• Add water(for every 1 cup of rice add 1 cup of water) and remaining salt.Mix well.
• Pressure cook.(1 whistle on a high flame and switch off in 4 min)
• Let it cool down little bit.Then mix with a flat spatula without mashing the rice.
• Garnish with coriander leaves .

Serve with curd/raitha.

Soya gravy with Indian spices

This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients:

=========

• Soya chunks - 20
• Potato,chopped into cubes - 1 big
• Tomatoes - 3 medium sized
• Pearl/Madras onion - 15,chopped
• Green chillies - 2
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Jaggery - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Dhania powder - 1 tsp
• Jeera powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Oil/Ghee - 2 tsp
• Cinnamom - a 1/2 inch piece
• Cloves - 1
• Jeera - 1/2 tsp
• Corn flour - 1 tsp
• coriander leaves,chopped - 2 tsp
• lemon juice - 1 tsp

Method:

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• Soak the soya chunks in hot water for 15 min.
• Squeeze out the water and cut them into halves.Retain that water.
• Heat oil in a kadai,add jeera,cloves,cinnamon,onions,green chillies and saute till the onions turn tender.
• Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes off.
• Add potato,turmeric powder,jaggery and saute for 5 min.
• Add soya chunks and tomatoes and saute till raw smell goes off.
• Add soya soaked water along with coriander powder,salt,jeera powder,garam masala powder.
• Mix well and cook covered till the veggies are cooked.
• Dissolve corn flour in half a glass of water and add to the gravy.
• Mix well and cook till you get a gravy consistency.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.Add 1 tsp of lemon juice after it cools down little bit.

Serve with Pulka/Chappati.

Dal Dhokli with mutter

This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients:

==========

For the dokri:

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• Besan flour - 1 laddle
• Wheat flour - 2 laddle
• Rice flour - 1/2 laddle
• Salt - to taste
• Sugar - a tsp
• Lemom juice - 2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Ajwain - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Warm water - for making the dough
• Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

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• Add all the ingredients in a bowl .Add water little by little and make a stiff dough.
• Set aside for 10 min.Roll into a chappati(slightly thicker than the normal roti) and cut them into diamond shapes.

• Here i have rolled very thick.The thickness should be just 2mm.
• Boil water and add the slices into it.Keep the water boiling for 5 to 10 min.
• Once the slices are cooked completely,strain the water and rinse the cooked pieces in cold water.
• Set them aside.

Ingredients for Dal:

==============

• Tuar dal ,pressure cooked and mashed - 60 grams
• Ginger,chopped and minced - a 1 inch piece
• Green chillies,chopped and minced - 2 to 3
• jeera - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• asafoetida powder - a pinch
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• Peanuts&cashews- 5 each
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Cinnamon - a 1/2 inch piece
• cloves - 2
• jeera powder,dhania powder - 1 tsp each
• garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves,chopped - 2 tsp
• Coconut shredded - 2 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tsp
• Peas - a handful

Method:

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• Heat ghee in a kadai.Add mustard seeds and jeera.
• When it splutters,add green chillies,asafoetida,curry leaves,ginger,cinnamon,cloves,turmeric powder,cashews,peanuts and saute for 20 sec.
• Add the cooked dal,peas and dhania powder,jeera powder,garam masala powder,salt.
• cook covered till the peas gets tender.
• Add the dokri slices and cook for 5 min.
• Adjust the consistency of dal by adding boiled hot water then and there,as the cooking process
• thickens the dal.(adjust salt too)
• Switch off.Add lemon juice.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and coconut.

Serve hot with rice and papad.

Avakai ......THE MANGO PICKLE

Ingredients:

==========

• Avakai Mango - 15 medium sized

Mangoes used for making Avakai are typically very sour and slightly fibrous. Wash the mangoes well and pat it dry completely with a towel.Chop into big pieces as shown in the picture.

While chopping,use a "aruval"(or butchers knife) since the mangoes have to be chopped along with the seed inside.

You may also get to buy chopped mangoes directly from the market.In this case,wash them well twice or thrice.Drain the water completely and pat them dry with a towel.Remove the fleshy inner part of the seed.This will automatically wither off as you wash.But make sure you remove it off in every mango.

Spread the mangoes on a towel and let it dry in hot sun for 2 to 3 hours till there is no moisture in the mangoes.

For making pickle:

=============

Measure the chopped mangoes using a cup.For every 7 cups of chopped mangoes(not heaped),use the following ingredients in their exact measures as mentioned below.

• Mustard powder - 1/2 cup(Grind 1/2 cup of mustard seeds into a fine powder in a mixer)
• Red chilli powder - 1 cup
• Salt - 1 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
• Fenugreek seeds - 2 to 3 tablespoon
• Gingelly oil(Idhayam brand preferred)- 1 and 3/4 cups

Wash suitable containers for storing the pickle,clean with a towel and dry it in sun.Make sure there is no moisture in it.

Method:

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• In a wide open bowl(Make sure its dry),add red chilli powder,mustard powder,salt,fenugreek seeds,turmeric powder and mix well with a spatula as shown below.

• Add 1 cup of oil and mix well with the spatula without lumps.It will look like molagapodi /Idly podi mixed in oil.
• 
• Dip each mango piece in the prepared paste(if you have enough time:)) and put into the container one by one or else do it in bunches.(5 to 6 pieces in one shot)
• Make sure the mango piece is well dipped and has a good covering of the paste all around it.Refer to the video below for better understanding.
• 
  

• If the paste becomes very thick and dry,add little oil in between and mix well.Repeat the above process for the rest of mangoes.
• Once you are done with all the pieces,you will have little paste left over.Add remaining oil,mix well and add on top of the container .Refer to the video below.

• Mix the mangoes and spices well with a spatula.Make sure you do not mash the pieces.
• Close the lid tightly and cover with a cloth.
• Stir well once in a day for 10 days and always keep the container closed air tight.
• By then the mango pieces would have soaked and blended well with the spices.

Yummy Avakai pickle is ready.Serve with hot rice and ghee or curd rice.