Bellam avakaya (sweet and sour thoorpu avakaya)

This sweet and sour mango pickle with yellow chili powder is very popular in the coastal areas. It is more laborious to prepare, but, it tastes very good.

My mother and grandmother's generations, they used to cut the mangoes, so that they are not fully cut, but are joined at one end. The soft portion of the seed is fully scooped out and the chili mixture is stuffed inside the kernel. Then the whole procedure of soaking, drying etc is followed. The pieces are separated whenever they are served. All the children are given the job of cleaning, scooping out the seed portion etc. So, the pickle making used to involve everybody in the family. No wonder, pickle making is a ritual!!

Bellam avakaya freshly made:

Bellam avakaya about a month after it was made:

Mixture of chili powder, mustard powder and salt before jaggery is added:

Mango pieces mixed with chili mixture:

Mango pieces ready to be set aside:

Mango pieces in chili mixture with lot of juice:

Mango pieces dried in hot sun:

Ingredients:

 

•      1 cup chili powder
•      1 and 1/2 cups salt
•      2 and 1/2 cups mustard powder
•      5 cups powdered jaggery 
•      2 to 3 cups oil
•      3 to 4 tbsp. methi (fenugreek) seeds
•      3 tsp turmeric powder

Directions:

1.      Wash and dry the mangoes.
2.      Cut them into 1 and 1/2 inch large pieces.
3.      Remove the seed portion and remove the thin film sticking to the kernel.
4.      Mix all the powders together.
5.      Add some oil and mix the powder well.
7.      Unlike for red avakaya, 2 and 1/2 containers of mango pieces are added to one container full of chili mixture.
8.      Add the mango pieces to the chili mixture and place the mixture in a jar.
9.      Cover and keep it in a cool dry place for 2 days.
10.      Next day, there will be plenty of juice. As mango pieces mixed with salt and jaggery produce a lot of juice. Mix it from the bottom using a dry long spoon or using your hand.
11.     On the third day, mix it well.
12.     Squeeze the pieces to remove as much of the juice as possible.
13.     Place all the pieces on a plastic sheet or steel plate and dry it directly in the sun.
14.     Dry the juice also in the sun.
15.     If the pickle is made in India, 2 or 3 days of sun drying is enough.
16.     After the pieces are dried enough, they have to be placed back in the juice.
17.     Mix it thoroughly and top it with some more oil.

Initially the pickle will have a lot of liquid, but, in course of time, the juice thickens.
When this pickle is eaten with hot rice and ghee, it tastes yummy!

Variation:

Those who like the taste and texture of bellam avakaya, but cannot get the yellow chili powder etc. make the variety using red chili powder.
Proportions for the avakaya are as follows:

•      1 cup red chili powder
•      1 cup salt
•      1 cup mustard powder
•      3 cups powdered jaggery
•      2 or 3 tbsp. methi seeds
•      2 tsp turmeric powder
•      2 cups oil

The same procedure as followed for thoorpu avakaya is followed.

Notice the amount of jaggery powder is equal to the total amount of chili powder, mustard powder and salt together in both the recipes!