April and May are mango months in India that evoke nostalgia and memories of family bonding, togetherness and fun. This heart shaped golden beauty brings families together. I have vivid memories of mango pickling during my growing years which was a huge affair, a whole day of mango madness, right from plucking the mangoes, soaking in water, wiping them clean, cutting the de-seeded mangoes and finally, pickling. An annual family culinary event where the king of fruits reigned supreme with all the elders taking part in the pickling process, its preparation, supervision and sharing with friends and neighbors. A day of excitement for us kids.:)

Instant pickles need less oil, salt and spice and less shelf life. Usually unripe, mature green mangoes, with white flesh that is sour to taste, known as pachadi mamidikaya (pickle mangoes) are preferred. If the mango is green, hard on touch yet with a slightly yellow colored flesh with a sweet flavor, then it is rendered useless for pickling and is best left to ripen. I grew up eating a variety of mango pickles, a few were instant pickles, prepared with mangoes which had fallen off the trees in our backyard. If there were half a dozen such fallen mangoes, my mother would prepare two or three varieties of instant pickles. One such pickle is Mamidi turumu pachadi (also known as Pulihora avakai), made from grated mango, chilli powder, methi and seasoning of spices. The other instant pickle is Mamidi mukkala pachadi made from finely chopped pieces of mango, chilli powder and mustard powder. Both need to be refrigerated and can stored for atleast 2-3 minutes