Aam Ka Achaar(north indian style mango pickel)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Raw mango pieces(pickle variety)
• 1 cup Mustard powder (powder of approximately 3/4 cup mustard seeds)
• 1/2 cup yellow Mustard crushed
• 1 cup Salt
• 100gms fennel seeds(saunf)
• 3 tbsp Methi seeds
• 1 tbsp Kalonji seeds
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 300-350 ml Mustard oil approximately

Method:
Cleaning the mangoes:

1. Wash and wipe the mangoes with a dry cloth.You really need to have sharp thick knife to cut into 1" thick mango wedges with the inner shell.
2. If the inner shell is in tact this will increase the shelf life of pickle.Take a sharp knife and scrub the inner shell to remove a thin white layer over it.This is another important step you should keep in mind otherwise the pickle gets spoil.
3. Now take a dry cloth and wipe the pieces from all the sides ensuring that they are cleaned well.
4. Spread them over a dry cloth while you are preparing the spices for the pickle.

For making pickle:

1. Keep ready the sterilized and sun dried jars ready before you start pickling.
2. Grind soamph and methi seeds in whipper mode until coarse powder.Do not run it for long time just run it for 2-3 times until you get coarse powder.
3. Now take a big bowl and mix the saunf-methi powder,mustard powder,salt,yellow mustard tukda,kalonji seeds and turmeric powder until everything is mixed well.
4. Now take another wide small bowl and take 1 cup of mixed powders and add sufficient oil until the mixture is wet completely and mix with hands.
5. Take some 10-12 mango pieces at a time and apply the mixture all over the mango pieces with your hands.Using your hands for this step is better than mixing it up with ladle.
6. Put the masala coated mango pieces in the sterilized jar and repeat the process of coating the mango pieces in small portions and fill the jar up to 1/4 th and add 1/4 cup oil to it all over.You can even sprinkle some mixed pickle masala over this if you feel that your mango pieces are not well coated.
7. Repeat the procedure coating the mangoes with the spice-oil mixed mixture and then layering in the jar with oil in between until you fill the jar.
8. Pour 1/4 cup oil over it and cover it with lid and keep it aside for 3 days.
9. On day-1 check it some oil might have started floating over the pickle.Do not panic if the oil does not float on day-1,if not on day-1 you will see oil floating on day-2.
10. Mix with a clean and dry ladle all over and repeat the same process on day-3.
11. Now taste the masala mixture in the pickle,it should be perfect and slightly salty as the pickle has to be yet marinated for atleast one week before its usage.But if you feel the salt is less add a tsp or 2tsps of salt to it and mix well.
12. On the day-3 if you see the oil is floating on the pickle up to an 1/2" height then it is perfect.Otherwise add extra mustard oil over the top until the oil floats on top.
13. Store it in air-tight tupper ware container or glass bottles.This way your pickle stores for long with freshness in it and even the mango pieces do not get soft.
14. Serve it with hot hot parathas and raitha.