So addictive are these pickles, you’ll be lucky if they make it past the first meal. They are delicious with curries, or mixed through Asian-style salads such as the Green Mango & Papaya Salad on page 15, and with the tortillas on page 36.
For a quick and tasty salsa to serve with seafood or tacos, finely dice some of the pickled mango and mix in a small amount of the brine, lots of fresh chopped coriander (cilantro), and fresh chilli to taste.
Cornersmith Salads and Pickles
Images and recipes from
Cornersmith Salads and Pickles
by Alex Elliott-Howery and Sabine Spindler
(Murdoch Books, RRP $39.99)
Photography by Alan Benson.
Preparation time
25 minutes, plus 20 minutes sterilising, plus 1 hour salting
Makes
3 x 500 ml
(17 fl oz/2 cup) jars
Storage
3 months
2 kg (4 lb 8 oz) unripe mangoes, or green mangoes
1½ tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon yellow mustard powder
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
400 ml (14 fl oz) white wine vinegar
110 g (3¾ oz/½ cup) sugar
400 ml (14 fl oz) water
6 curry leaves
1 Peel the mangoes, then cut the flesh into long strips about 1 cm (½ inch) thick. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Mix with your hands to evenly coat, then leave to sit for at least an hour, to draw the excess moisture out.
2 While your mango is salting, sterilise your jars and lids (see page 212).
3 Meanwhile, in a dry frying pan, lightly toast all the spices over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, or until fragrant, taking care not to burn the fenugreek seeds or they will become bitter.
4 Make your brine by combining the vinegar, sugar and water in a non-reactive, medium-sized saucepan. Place over low heat and stir to dissolve the sugar, then bring to simmering point. Turn off the heat and allow to cool a little.
5 When the jars are cool enough to handle, drain off and discard the excess liquid from your mango strips; you can wrap them in paper towel to dry them off a bit.
6 Put 2 curry leaves and 2 teaspoons of your spice mix into the bottom of each jar. Carefully pack the mango strips in. They will have become quite soft from the salting; you want to get as much as you can into each jar, without squashing or breaking up the mango strips.
7 Cover with the brine, making sure the mango strips are completely submerged under the vinegar.
8 Remove any air bubbles by gently tapping each jar on the work surface and sliding a clean butter knife or chopstick around the inside to release any hidden air pockets. Wipe the rims of the jars with paper towel or a clean damp cloth and seal immediately.
9 We prefer to keep these pickles in the fridge, as the texture seems to deteriorate quite quickly. They’re best eaten within 3 months.