Yayy! Onam is right around the corner! I have been quite busy trying to put together some recipes so you guys can make a mini onasadhya. An indispensable part of a sadhya is Kadumaanga achaar (green mango pickle). Moreover, I am a pickle addict – I always look for reasons to have pickle! :p But what do you do when Onam is almost here and you can’t find green mangoes in stores because of the effects of COVID-19 & port strikes on shipment schedules?! GO LOCAL! Granny Smith apples are easily available here and taste tart enough to be a perfect substitute for green mangoes! Green apple pickle tastes very similar to green mango pickle, except that the pieces are slightly crunchier.
This is the easiest pickle recipe ever! Why, you ask?
- No ginger, no garlic! And that means – the only ingredient you have to cut is green apple! I use an apple wedger-corer, which makes preparation a breeze.
- No grinding of mustard or spices
- No marinating. So, the preparation time is very less.
- Very short cooking time. I call this the ‘2-minute pickle‘ (like 2-minute Maggi noodles)!
- No wait time for the pickle to mature after preparing. Eat it right away!
If you’d like to try it, read on. If you want to stick to making mango pickle, even then, read on! You can use the same recipe to make Instant Mango Pickle. 🙂
Pickles – an integral part of Kerala’s culture
Pickle or ‘achaar’ recipes are passed on from generation to generation. In olden days, every Indian family would use seasonal produce to prepare pickles in bulk. Covered with muslin cloth, they were left to mature for weeks. In Kerala, pickles were traditionally stored in ceramic jars called ‘bharani’. Achaar was prepared with a lot of care, not a drop of water touching it so as to increase shelf life. The ingredients would be dried thoroughly before preparation. My mom says there was a special room in her ancestral home to store preserved food like pickles. Valyammachi (great grandmom) would scold them if they tried to open the bharanis and peek! They would still find some way to sneak in to eat sweet and savory goodies though 🙂
Years have passed by. But pickles still remain special for Malayalees. When kids have grown up and leave home for work or studies, they mostly have at least one jar of homemade pickle – love being a key ingredient ♥
How to make Instant Green Apple Pickle
Simply dice the green apples into bite-size pieces and add salt so the apples don’t turn brown. If you generally eat apples without peeling the skin off, you can leave the skin on for the pickle as well. I usually peel the skin off because the apples I buy are mostly not organic and many a times, have a waxy coating. After heating oil and throwing in mustard seeds and curry leaves, switch off the stove. Add spice powders, apple and vinegar. The heat of the pan is enough to cook the apple. Voilà – the pickle is ready!
What is the shelf life of Instant Green Apple Pickle?
To be honest, we don’t give green apple pickle enough time to get spoilt! The pickle is over, and the spoon and jar licked cleaned before we know it! 😀 I usually make Green Apple Pickle in small batches because I like it crunchy, and it takes hardly any time if I want to make it again. This time, I have been controlling myself and others in my house so that I can track how long this pickle can be stored (just so I can write the shelf life in this blog post). I kept one jar in the fridge and another at room temperature. It’s been 10 days and neither have gotten spoilt yet.
Make sure the spoon that you use to take pickle from the jar is clean and dry. Also the jars must be airtight and dry. Don’t add any water when you prepare this pickle. If you are adding any liquid, use only oil and/or vinegar.
Can we use other varieties of apple for this pickle?
Yes, you absolutely can! I have made this pickle with red apples and we loved it! Red apple pickle is slightly sweeter, but not overly sweet.
Go on and enjoy Instant Green Apple Pickle! For more sadhya recipes, check out:
- Mathanga Erisheri (Kerala Pumpkin curry)
- Pineapple Pulissery (Seasoned Buttermilk with coconut)
- Beetroot Pachadi (Spiced Beetroot Yogurt)
- Achinga Payar Thoran (Long Bean and Coconut Sauté)
- Potato Carrot Beetroot Mezhukkupuratti / Stir-fry
Instant Green Apple Pickle
Ingredients
- 2 nos. Green Apples
- 2 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste)
- 4 tbsp Oil Sesame / Canola / Vegetable
- 1½ tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 large sprig Curry Leaves
- 5 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- ½ tsp Fenugreek Powder
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric (optional)
- ½ tsp Asafoetida (Kaayam / Hing) Powder
- 2 tbsp Vinegar (Adjust to taste)
Instructions
- Clean and core apples. Then, dice them into bite-sized cubes.
- Add salt to the apples as soon as possible to prevent browning. Keep aside for some time (less than 5 minutes).
- Heat oil in a pan / kadai and throw in mustard seeds.
- When the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves. Sauté till the leaves are fried but not burnt.
- Remove the kadai from flame / heat.
- Add the spice powders and stir vigorously for 5 seconds.
- Toss in the diced apples and mix well to coat the apple pieces in the spice mixture.
- Add vinegar. Taste and add salt, if required.
- After the pickle cools down, transfer it to a dry and airtight jar.
Notes
- For fiery red pickle, skip adding turmeric powder.
- Take care to not add even a drop of water.
- If you generally eat apples without peeling the skin off, you can leave the skin on for the pickle as well. I usually peel the skin off because the apples I buy are mostly not organic and many a times have a waxy coating.
- You can substitute green apple with green mango.
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