Aam Ka Achaar

Recipe: Five Variations From Across India

Avakaya Pachadi

Region: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana

If North Indian pickle is pungent, Avakaya Pachadi is volcanic, courtesy of the spices used. This Andhra aam ka achaar recipe is the most revered pickle in Telugu-speaking households, made annually in large batches that are expected to last the entire year. 

Ingredients for Avakaya Pachadi:

• Raw sour mangoes, cut with the seed shell intact
• Mustard powder (freshly ground)
• Red chilli powder (preferably Guntur variety)
• Fenugreek powder
• Rock salt
• Garlic cloves (optional)
• Sesame oil or groundnut oil

How to Make Avakaya Pachadi:

• Wash and completely dry mangoes. Cut into medium pieces, keeping the seed shell intact. Mix mustard powder, red chilli powder, fenugreek powder, and salt in equal measure (adjust for the sourness of the mango). Combine mango pieces with the spice mix and garlic. Mix well.
• Pour oil over the mixture until everything is submerged. Transfer to a dry ceramic or glass jar. Keep in a cool, dry place.
• Stir daily for 3-5 days. Pickle is ready after 4-5 days and improves for months.

Best eaten with: Hot steamed rice, mudda pappu (cooked toor dal), ghee, curd rice.

Kairi che Lonche

Region: Maharashtra, particularly the Khandesh region

Maharashtra calls its mango pickle lonche, and the kairi che lonche from the Khandesh region is one of its most loved mango pickles. Unlike the North Indian aam ka achaar recipe, this one uses a more complex spice blend, and many homes add jaggery for a sweet-sour balance.

Ingredients for Kairi che Lonche:

• Raw mangoes (thin-skinned variety preferred)
• Mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and asafoetida
• Black peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, mace
• Red chilli powder, turmeric
• Jaggery (optional, for sweet-sour version)
• Mustard oil
• Rock salt

How to Make Kairi che Lonche:

• Wash, dry, and chop mangoes into pieces. Do not peel. Dry roast whole spices (except fenugreek) for 3-4 minutes. Pound or grind coarsely.
• Heat mustard oil to smoking point, cool. Mix mango pieces with ground masala, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric, and cooled oil.
• Transfer to a sterilised glass jar, pressing mango pieces down. Mangoes should float in oil. Cover with a muslin cloth and sun-dry for 10-15 days.

Best eaten with: Varan-bhat, bhakri, thali meals, parathas.

Chunda

Region: Gujarat

Where every other aam ka achaar recipe focuses on heat and sourness, Gujarat's chunda focuses on sweetness. Grated raw mango is mixed with sugar (or jaggery), red chilli powder, and a handful of spices, then sun-matured in glass jars for several days until the sugar dissolves and the mangoes soften.

Ingredients for Chunda:

• Raw green mangoes, peeled and grated
• Sugar (white or raw sugar) or jaggery
• Kashmiri red chilli powder (mild, for colour)
• Turmeric, salt
• Whole spices for tempering: cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, dry red chilli (optional)

How to Make Chunda:

• Grate raw mangoes and mix with salt and turmeric. Rest for an hour. Add sugar to the grated mango and mix well. Let it sit for 2-3 hours until the sugar begins to dissolve.
• Cover pot with muslin cloth and sun-mature for 3-4 hours in full sunlight (or cook on stovetop on medium heat for 20-25 minutes until mixture thickens and coats a spoon).
• Once thickened, add red chilli powder. Cool completely. Store in a sterilised glass jar. Lasts up to a year in a cool, dry place.

Best eaten with: Thepla, puri, bhakhri, or even spread on toast.

Vadu Mangai

Region: Tamil Nadu, parts of Kerala and Karnataka

Vadu mangai (also called Maavadu) is the most unique one in this list as it is made entirely from tiny baby mangoes, pickled whole, with no chopping. Available only for a brief two-to-three week window in March and April, these small dark-green mangoes are coated in castor or sesame oil, packed with a paste of ground mustard seeds, red chilli powder, turmeric, and rock salt, and left to ferment.

Ingredients for Vadu Mangai:

• Baby mangoes (maavadu/vadu mangai): small, firm, dark green, stem intact
• Castor oil or sesame oil (for coating)
• Mustard seeds (ground or coarsely crushed)
• Red chilli powder
• Turmeric
• Rock salt (generous)

How to Make Vadu Mangai:

• Remove only the large stem; keep a small stub intact (prevents spoilage at the tip). Wipe mangoes completely dry with a clean cotton cloth – no water allowed.
• Coat mangoes in castor oil. Mix with ground mustard, red chilli powder, turmeric, and rock salt. Pack into a dry ceramic or glass jar. Seal and shake gently once a day.
• In 5-10 days, the mangoes will shrink, and the liquid will rise. Ready to eat after 10 days.

Best eaten with: Curd rice (thayir sadam), dal rice, dosa, ven pongal.

Regional Aam ka Achaar Comparison at a Glance

Raw mango season is the best time to buy raw mangoes in bulk and get going with making pots of mango pickles. Here’s a comparison of the most loved regional aam ka achhar recipe across India.

One Aam ka Achaar Recipe, Five Regions

What makes aam ka achaar so compelling is that summer heat calls for a sour mix, sometimes balanced out with sweetness. Mango pickles are utterly satisfying and have endless varieties. Every Indian who grew up eating this pickle grew up eating a specific version that might have been made by a loving hand at home or in their locality. The raw mango stays the same, while everything else is the regions speaking their own dialect.