Ingredients

• 1 cup chick peas

• Lemon juice (bottled variety will do but it should be sharp)

• 1 large pickling mango (approx. 1 1/2 -2 cups grated pulp)

• Optional: 1 tbsp. chopped ginger, 1 tbsp. chopped green chillies

• 1 1/2 cup mustard oil

• 1 tsp. turmeric powder

• 1 tbsp. dry chillies, whole

• 1 tbsp. level, chilli powder (adjust to taste)

• 1/2 tsp. asafoetida or hing powder

• 1 tsp. onion or kalonji seeds

• 1 tbsp. fennel or sonf seeds

• 1 tsp. fenugreek or methi seeds

• 1 tbsp. salt, adjust to taste

Instructions

1. Peel and grate Mango

2. Add salt and turmeric to the grated mango and leave aside for 1 hour

3. Squeeze the liquid out by pressing portions between your palms. Keep the juice aside and store the mango pulp in the fridge.

4. Rub the dry chick peas clean with a towel and soak in the squeezed mango juice, adding enough lemon juice if needed to just cover chick peas. Leave overnight.

5. Heat mustard oil until it smokes and then let it cool. This removes the pungent odour of mustard oil.

6. Mix all spices, mangoes and mustard oil thoroughly and store the pickle in an air tight jar.

7. Leave it on a sunny window sill or any hot and sunny place.

8. The pickle is ready to eat in about a week to ten days.

9. Also see Pickle and Chutney Selection.

Notes

• Bengal gram or kala chana (also known as yellow or brown gram) can be used instead of chick peas.

• Kalonji can be spelled as Kalowunji on some packets.

• A pinch of Sodium Benzoate added to pickles, acts as preservative and helps to keep them for longer without getting spoiled.