🌿☀️A Taste of Summer 🥭🍃

✉ Dear Readers, 

Happy Mango Days! 🥭 

🌿 Life has been moving a little more slowly lately, but this time, I don't mind it at all. July has quietly arrived, bringing with it the gentle reminder that another mango season is slowly drawing to a close. Before it slips away completely, I wanted to sit down with you and share one of my favourite traditions of summer. After all, mangoes have a wonderful way of making even the simplest days feel a little more special. 

☀️ By the time May and June arrive, summer settles in completely. The days become warmer, the afternoons quieter, and homes begin preparing for one of the most cherished traditions of the season. Fresh raw mangoes fill the markets, pickle jars are brought down from the shelves, and families gather to preserve the flavours of summer so they can be enjoyed long after the season has passed. Even now, as July gently unfolds, those jars continue to rest quietly in our kitchens, carrying the taste of sunshine through the months ahead. 

🧺 Among all the traditions of summer, none felt quite as special to me as making pickles. Especially in the countryside, it was a season filled with excitement, careful preparation, and togetherness. Families gathered around baskets of fresh mangoes, bowls of colourful spices, and rows of jars waiting to be filled with the season's harvest. Conversations flowed as freely as the spices, laughter echoed through the house, and memories were made alongside pickles that would quietly mature over the coming days. 

📖 The Story Behind a Pickle 

In our culinary heritage, a pickle is far more than a condiment. It is an ancient art of preservation, lovingly passed down from one generation to the next. Though there are thousands of pickle varieties and hundreds of recipes for mango pickles alone, every household's pickle carries its own identity. The ingredients may seem familiar, but the proportions, methods, traditions, and little family secrets make every jar wonderfully unique. 

🥭 Growing up, however, the pickle that truly defined summer for me was Avakai. 

🌿 The very name Avakai tells its story. In Telugu, Ava means mustard and Kaya means raw or unripe fruit—a beautiful reflection of the pickle's simple yet timeless ingredients.

🤎 I spent most of my childhood summers with my grandparents, and those remain some of the happiest memories I carry with me today. Looking back, I realise what a blessing those simple days were. They taught me that some of life's greatest joys are often found in ordinary moments shared with the people we love. 

🥭 Every summer, my grandmother, my mother, and my aunts would gather together with baskets of fresh raw mangoes and bowls filled with fragrant spices. The kitchen slowly came alive with cheerful conversations, gentle laughter, and the steady rhythm of knives carefully cutting mangoes into neat, even pieces. Every piece was cut with care, ensuring it was just the right size before being cleaned and dried thoroughly. 

🍃 The jars received the same care as the mangoes themselves. They were cleaned thoroughly and dried until not a trace of moisture remained. My grandmother always reminded us that even the smallest drop of water could shorten the life of the pickle. Once the mangoes were mixed with spices and oil, they were transferred into the jars, covered with a clean cotton cloth, and left undisturbed for three days. On the fourth day, the pickle was gently mixed once again, allowing every mango piece to absorb the flavours evenly. 

✨ Watching this process year after year taught me that Avakai was never just food. It was patience, care, tradition, and love quietly preserved in a jar. 

👑 Avakai — The King of Pickles 

Among the many pickles my grandmother prepared, Avakai was always the most celebrated. Made from raw mangoes, it truly was the king of the kitchen. 

🌾 There is no doubt that Avakai holds a special place in many homes, yet every household's Avakai tastes different. Although the ingredients are often similar, every family follows its own traditions, measurements, and methods, giving each jar its own unique character. 

🍛 No matter how many dishes were prepared, a meal somehow felt incomplete without Avakai. It was one of the simplest comforts of home. 

🌿 Rich in flavour yet humble in its ingredients, Avakai pairs beautifully with almost everything. It sits just as comfortably beside breakfast as it does alongside lunch or dinner, and sometimes even finds its way into fresh salads. 

🚶 From school children to farmers, from students living away from home to travellers exploring new places, Avakai finds a place on everyone’s plate. It is loved by students, bachelors living away from home, newly employed individuals, newly married couples, and anyone still learning their way around the kitchen. With nothing more than warm rice, curd, or dal, a spoonful of Avakai can turn an ordinary meal into something deeply comforting. 

🥣 A Taste That Connects Generations 

Avakai pairs beautifully with curd rice, all kinds of dals, homemade chutneys, and the many lentil-based powders prepared in households. Over the years, its popularity has inspired countless dishes, including Avakai Biryani, Avakai Muddapappu, and many breakfast combinations built around its bold, unmistakable flavour. 

🏡 Its influence extends beyond the dining table. Many people proudly carry their love for Avakai into their celebrations and traditions, keeping the affection for this much-loved pickle alive. During mango season, freshly prepared Avakai can be found in local markets, carefully packed into jars, and carried to homes across the world, bringing with it a familiar taste of home. 

🌼 It is a food loved by millions of people across countless households. Although every family prepares it a little differently, the joy of sharing and enjoying it remains the same. One of Avakai’s most remarkable qualities is its longevity. With proper care, it quietly lasts through the seasons, often staying fresh for up to a year without needing artificial preservatives. 

🤍 The Memory I Treasure Most 

Yet my favourite part of the entire process always came after the pickle was made. 

🍚 My grandmother would gather the Avakai left behind in the mixing vessel and combine it with steaming hot rice. Then she would add a generous spoonful of ghee and gently mix everything together with her hands. 

✨ And then came the moment everyone waited for. 

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 She would place a warm handful of that rice into each person’s hand. It didn’t matter whether it was my mother, aunts, uncles, cousins, helpers, or the children. Everyone waited patiently for their turn. For those few moments, we were all children again. 

🧚 To us, our grandmother was nothing less than a fairy. 

🌸 Even today, no feast, restaurant, or elaborate meal has ever been able to recreate the comfort of that single handful of rice. Some memories stay with us not because they are grand, but because they are filled with love. 

💚 Perhaps that is why Avakai means so much to me. 

🥭 It is not merely a pickle. It is summer preserved in a jar, a taste of home, a memory of family, and a tradition that quietly connects generations through something as simple as a shared meal. 

🌿 A Tradition I Would Love To Share 

Today, I would love to share the same tradition that my grandmother lovingly passed down to us. If this is your very first time making Avakai, I hope this little recipe brings the warmth of our kitchen into yours. 

Let’s begin... 🥭✨ 

🌿 If This Is Your First Time... 

If this is your very first time making Avakai, don’t worry. At first, it may seem like a lengthy process, but once you understand the basics, it becomes one of the most rewarding traditions of the mango season. This small-batch recipe is perfect for beginners and for anyone who would like to prepare just enough to enjoy at home. 

✨ If you can find pre-cut raw mangoes in your local market, the process becomes even easier. It saves you the effort of cutting through the hard inner seed while still giving you the authentic taste and texture of homemade Avakai. If you’re buying whole mangoes, don’t hesitate to ask the vendor which variety is best for pickling. They usually know exactly what you’re looking for. 

🧺 Gathering Everything Together 

Before the work began, my grandmother always gathered every ingredient and placed them neatly within reach. She believed that good preparation made the entire process peaceful and enjoyable. 

For this small batch, you will need: 

🥭 2 cups of sour raw mango pieces, washed, completely dried, and cut into about 1-inch cubes with the skin and the hard Tenka (inner seed shell) attached. 

🌾 ½ cup mustard powder (Ava Pindi) 

🌶️ ½ cup red chilli powder 

🧂 ½ cup powdered crystal salt or rock salt (adjust to taste) 

🫒 ¾–1 cup oil (traditionally groundnut oil (Palli Nune) or sesame oil) 

🌿 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds (Menthulu) 

🥭 Preparing the Mangoes 

Once the mangoes arrived home, they were washed thoroughly and dried completely. Each piece was gently wiped with a clean, dry cloth before being placed into a large bowl. If the soft, paper-like white layer attached to the Tenka was still present, my grandmother carefully removed it before mixing. 

She always reminded us that moisture was the greatest enemy of pickle. Every bowl, spoon, cloth, and jar had to be perfectly dry because even the smallest drop of water could shorten the life of the pickle. 

🌶️ Preparing the Spice Blend 

While the mangoes rested, another corner of the kitchen filled with the comforting aroma of spices. 

Mustard powder, red chilli powder, powdered salt, and fenugreek seeds were added to a large, dry bowl and mixed thoroughly until everything was evenly combined. Watching the deep red chilli powder blend with the golden mustard powder was always one of my favourite parts of the process. 

🥣 Bringing Everything Together 

Once all the ingredients were ready, my grandmother poured the oil into a large, wide vessel. She then added the mustard powder, red chilli powder, powdered salt, and fenugreek seeds, gently stirring everything together until the spices blended beautifully with the oil. Watching the deep red mixture slowly come together was always one of my favourite parts of the process.

Only then were the dried mango pieces added. Using a long-handled ladle, she gently folded the mangoes through the spiced oil, patiently turning them until every piece was evenly coated. Nothing was ever rushed. Each mango piece was given the same care and attention, ensuring the spices reached every corner before the pickle was finally ready to be transferred into the jars.

🌿 A Little Patience 

The freshly prepared Avakai was transferred into a perfectly clean, completely dry ceramic Jaadi or a glass jar. 

The jar was then covered with a clean cotton cloth tied securely with a string or sealed tightly with a lid. 

For the next three days, it rested quietly in a cool, dry corner of the house. Those three days always felt much longer than they really were. 

On the fourth day, my grandmother would gently mix the pickle from the bottom to the top using a completely dry spoon, making sure every mango piece had absorbed the spices evenly. 

If the oil level looked low, she would warm a little extra oil, allow it to cool completely, pour it into the jar, and mix everything once again. 

🌼 A Few Little Things Worth Remembering 

🌿 Choose firm, sour raw mangoes with the hard Tenka intact. They hold their shape beautifully and give Avakai its signature texture. 

🌶️ Freshly ground, slightly coarse Ava Pindi gives a richer, more authentic flavour than finely ground mustard powder. 

💧 Keep everything completely dry throughout the process. Moisture is the biggest enemy of a good pickle. 

🥄 Always use a clean, dry spoon while serving. 

🥭 Stored properly, Avakai can remain fresh for up to a year. 

🛒 A Little Memory from the Market 

Where I grew up, visiting the countryside markets during mango season was part of the experience. People would often ask the vendors for “Gili Mooku” (Parrot Beak) or “Kobbari Kaya” — local names for firm, sour mangoes that hold their shape beautifully in Avakai. 

The vendors always seemed to know exactly which mangoes would make the best pickle, and those little conversations became part of the charm of the season. 

🍚 The Best Way to Enjoy It 

Once your Avakai is ready, try it the way I loved it most. 

Serve it with steaming hot rice and a generous spoonful of ghee, just as my grandmother did. It is equally delicious with curd rice, dal, breakfast dishes, or packed along for a journey. Sometimes, the simplest meals become the ones we remember forever. 

🌿 Before We Part... 

May your kitchen always be filled with the comforting aroma of mustard, rich oil, and fresh raw mangoes. 

More than anything, I hope this little jar of Avakai brings warmth, togetherness, and beautiful memories to your table, just as it has always done in mine. 

I would love to hear your pickle-making memories and stories. Do write to me — I would truly love to read them. 

With warmth and love,

✍️ Raasi