Uppumanga / Salted Mangoes

Ingredients

1. Whole mangoes (Naattu Manga) - Around 20 - 25
2. Salt - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
3. Water - As required
4. Kanthari mulaku (bird’s eye chilli) - 1/2 cup
5. Gingelly oil /nallenna - 2 tbsp (optional)
6. Mustard - 1/2 tsp (Optional)
7. Dry red chillies - 2 (Optional)
8. Dry turmeric - 1 piece, crushed

Method

 

1. Wash the mangoes and pat dry. Use only fresh mangoes for uppumanga. Wash the birsd’s eye chillies and pat dry.Take off their stem part (njeduppu) and slightly crush their ends (attam pottikuka) or make a small slit.

2. Boil enough water in a vessel. Allow it to to cool down.

3. Clean a ceramic jar (bharani) and put the mangoes inside. Now pour the cooled water over the mangoes. The water level should be just above the level of mangoes. Add around 1/2 - 3/4 cup salt and 1/2 cup bird’s eye chillies.

4. In a pan add 2 tbsp gingelly oil, splutter mustards and fry dry red chillies. Pour it over the mangoes. This is done for an extra flavor and is completely optional.

5. Add a piece of slightly crushed dry turmeric piece to into the jar. This is to prevent any fungal growth. Cover the jar with its lid. Place a heavy weight on top of the lid to make it air-tight. You can tie some sand (charalum mannalum) in a cloth and place on top of the bharani. Keep the bharani in a cool, dark place for at least 2 months before using them. You can store them for more than a year.