Hyderabad: Summer is not complete without families huddling to make the spicy pickles.
City-based Green Station, which sources natural and organic produce from local farms that use sustainable farming methods, has been making do-it-yourself avakai kits for five years now.
“Pickle making is a tradition. Many elders still swear by the time-tested method of making mango pickles that involves picking the right fruit, cut into cubes, using the right mix of spices and oil, and other condiments. We have made the DIY kits to preserve the tradition and also adds convenience,” said Likitha Bhanu, founder and CEO, Green Station.
What do the kits contain? The small organic DIY Avakai kit, priced Rs 999, contains 800-gram mangoes, 430-gram spice mix, and 750 ml sesame oil. There is also one with just spices and oil (and no mangoes) for Rs 899. The kit will make one 1.5 kg pickle.
There is a bigger one too with 1.5 kg mangoes, 860-gram spice mix, and 1.5 litre oil that is enough to make 3kg pickle. Those wanting the mangoes to be delivered cut, can mention while placing the orders. A medium-sized jadi (marthaman) is also offered as an add-on for Rs 300, she said. Orders can be placed online on the greenstation.co portal.
“The products used in the kit are all organic. Since our mangoes come directly from our farms, there is no problem with sourcing them. However, deliveries have been slow due to the lockdown restrictions,” she said.
This year, with a lot of people staying at home due to Covid, many are looking for things to do with kids and even the elderly. The DIY avakai has been a fun activity for the kids. For the elders, it is reliving memories of the family summer activity,” said Likitha adding that the company has many repeat customers.
“We do not see competition in this segment as our focus is on recreating the pickle making tradition. We have seen many using the DIY kits as gifts,” she said. It has opened up shipping to all over India and internationally as well. “We can ship the spice mix and the oil but would not be able to send mangoes due to logistical problems,” she said adding the season will last till June 10 or so.
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