Avakaya: The taste of pickle in summer

Hyderabad: Summer is almost nearing its end and if you haven’t got around to making pickles, now’s the time. Just imagine the joy when you have homemade pickles all through the monsoon to complement your meals. Across the country, there are several different types of pickles, but south India, especially Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, has […]

Hyderabad: Summer is almost nearing its end and if you haven’t got around to making pickles, now’s the time. Just imagine the joy when you have homemade pickles all through the monsoon to complement your meals.

Across the country, there are several different types of pickles, but south India, especially Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, has a mouth-watering list. Here’s our special list, some of them sourced from grandmother’s secret stash:

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1. Topping the list obviously is the traditional spicy mango (Avakaya) pickle. Not only does this stay for as long as you can keep it (you’ll finish it sooner, definitely), it’s made with minimal ingredients and made special with the addition of a ‘secret ingredient’.

2. The ‘Bellam Avakaya’ is another favourite and its sweetness comes from the jaggery. “A good quality jaggery is the key ingredient and will leave your taste buds asking for more,” says Tayaramma.

3. The mango pickle with Sesame seeds — also known as ‘Nuvvu Avakaya’ has a very delicate ingredient balance. The sesame seeds are not used as whole but in powdered form. The flavour of this Avakaya is just remarkable.

4. Then there’s the ‘Allam Avakaya’ with ginger-garlic paste. Now here’s what the grandma has to share. She says, “The ginger must be very fresh with a thin skin and hand-pounded separately from the ginger. The mixer-grinder or blender just won’t give the right results. And try it with curd rice in summer. That’s the best combination.” We agree!

5. The ‘Palli Avakaya’ is a delicate pickle that does not last very long and must be refrigerated. This is due to the groundnut powder. It must be of the best quality; else the Avakaya will have a stale taste. A great combination with rice and a big dollop of ghee.

6. The ‘Maagaya’ pickle has the longest shelf life among pickles, made with dried mangoes. On their own, the sweet/sour dried mangoes will remind anyone of childhood summers spent with relatives. But in a pickle it is simply delightful.

7. ‘Pesara Avakaya’ is another of those instant wonders. With the right mix of mango, powdered moong dal, mustard powder and asafoetida, it’s just magic.

8. And while we’re taking pickles and you are already yearning for something, the ‘Mamidi Allam Urugai’ (mango ginger) is an instant pickle that just needs a few hours of marination and it is ready to eat.

9. No list would be complete without the ‘Pandu Mirapakaya Niluva Pacchadi’ the red chilli pickle. This fiery dish sits alongside the spicy pickles and is to be eaten with caution. And it has the simplest of ingredients – red chillies, tamarind, turmeric and salt. The tempering is oil, mustard seeds and asafetida.

Mitesh Lohiya, Director, Sales and Marketing, Gold Drop, likes his pickles spicy. He says, “Childhood summers with family and friends always had homemade pickles and chutneys. Whether they had a fiery flavour or a sweet one, the aroma was enough to bring the whole family together at meal times. There was always the element of surprise – which pickle will it be today! Either way, it would be a taste to remember… something like – swaad jo zindigi se jud jaaye.”

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