
Maavadu oorugai / Vadu mango pickle recipe / Vadu mangai pickle (Indian Baby mango pickle) is my most favorite among pickle recipes. Basically I am a big fan of traditional, Homemade pickles right from my Childhood. I need to have at least one pickle variety for my curd rice. I don’t mind about the oil, salt and preservatives in it just like my father. He can eat even paruppu sadam, lemon rice, rasam rice and other rice recipes with pickle as side dish.
Even though we love all the pickles, Vadu mangai oorugai / Maavadu pickle is our family favourite. My mom doesn’t make pickles on her own getting afraid of fungus formation. So my dad used to tell a Brahmin (Tamil Iyer) paati nearby our house to make this pickle for us. We used to store it for an year and relish it with curd rice. And now after marriage, I became very happy when I saw my MIL making pickles at home. She is an expert in making homemade pickle varieties like Lemon, onion, garlic, Raw mango, Gooseberry / Nellikai, Narthangai etc.

This year, I bought baby mangoes in Bangalore and tried this pickle by myself following my MIL’s recipe. I was very happy and completely satisfied with the result. Thanks a ton Aunty for teaching me this easy and yummy maavadu pickle. I thank her everyday when I eat this pickle with a plateful of curd rice. Don’t hesitate to try this baby mango pickle even if you are a beginner. Just follow the recipe, you will get it right. Lets see how to make maavadu oorugai /Vadu mangai pickle at home with stepwise pictures.
Do check out my video for Instant Raw Mango Pickle Recipes in Andhra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil nadu style

Maavadu Oorugai recipe | Vadu Mango Pickle recipe | Baby mango pickle
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 5 cups Maavadu | Vadu mangai | Indian baby mango ( heaped)
- 35 Red chilli or 2 to 3 tbsp Chilli powder ( Use 40 for more spicy taste )
- 2 tbsp Methi seeds
- 1.5 tbsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Hing / Asafetida
- 2 tbsp Castor oil
- Rock salt / Crystal salt as needed
To temper
- 2 tbsp Gingely oil
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
Instructions
How to make Maavadu Oorugai | Maavadu Pickle | Vadu Mango Pickle recipe
- Remove the stalk / Kaambu of maavadu if they are very big. Ignore this step if the stalk is small. Keep little kaambu intact to avoid fungus formation.
- Wash them well and spread it in a towel. Pat it dry completely. Make sure there is no water at all. Take the baby mangoes in a porcelain bowl (Peengaan jaadi) or glass bowl as other vessels may react.
- In a kadai, dry roast the methi seeds till golden brown in medium flame. In a mixie jar take the mustard seeds, roasted methi seeds, red chillies, turmeric powder, Hing and rock salt. Powder them nicely. Now add water and make a smooth paste.
- Now apply castor oil all over the baby mangoes. Castor oil helps to reduce the body heat generated by mango.
- Add this paste to the baby mangoes and coat it well. Mix with a wooden ladle and not with your hands. Use wooden ladle only. Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Cover the bowl with a thin cotton cloth and keep it under the sun for a day. Mix well once or twice in the middle using a wooden ladle. Toss it well once in the morning and night. Remove and keep it closed over night. Repeat the same procedure for 5-7 days. Baby mangoes will leave water, start to shrink and soak well. Maavadu pickle is ready. Enjoy with curd rice.
- For storage: Transfer the required amount of pickle along with water to a small glass jar or porcelain jar and keep it refrigerated. Use a clean spoon. Keep the remaining pickle in a large glass jar or porcelain jar with a tight lid and store in a rack. This pickle stays good for few months upto an year.
Notes
- For 5 cups of maavadu, 3/4 cup crystal salt is required. It may differ based on the salt we use.
- Some version calls for roasting the chillies along with methi seeds and hing. But my MIL always add it raw. So I too follow her method.
- Adjust the quantity of red chillies as per your taste.
- U can also replace red chillies with chilli powder. Use Kashmiri chilli powder for best color.
- Mustard seeds gives a nice flavor to this pickle. So don’t skip it. But do not add more as it may give a bitter taste.
- Some people add the powedered mustard, methi and red chilli powder directly to maavadu but we make a paste and add it. It helps to release water quickly and we can have the pickle from 2nd day itself. But make sure you don’t use your hands at any cost while mixing the pickle.
- If you want to store the pickle for years, mix the powders directly. Do not add it as a paste.
- This pickle tastes the best only after a week. So let it dry under sun. Do this patiently. Don’t forget to toss it well at least twice a day. Once in the morning and evening.
Sharing is caring
Try this maavadu pickle in this mango season and relish it all through the year.
Love vadu mangai oorugai with thayir sadham…cute bowl and tempting pickle …
Thank u Gayathri :)
wow! looks so tempting.. Maavadu and Thair sadam perfect combo
Very tempting vadu maanga, ideal combo with curd rice.
Ahoy,
Glad to admit it! How come you make the good ol’ kitchen new every day?
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/mango-pachadi-tamil-new-year-recipes_post_8621
Your goodies winking on our wall is as good as marshmallows
Fancy your art of treating kitchen ♥♥♥
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/lazy-cooks-kitchen-apple-and-fig-jam_post_8362
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/cabbage-kofta_post_8613
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/oats-kozhukkatai_post_8325
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/traditionally-modern-food_post_8389
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/red-velvet-gulkhand-cupcakes_post_8674
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/oatmeal-vegan-cookies_post_7378
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/soya-tikki-soya-cutlet_post_8769
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/perfect-hamburger-buns-ladi-pav-soft-dinner-rolls-from-scratch_post_8614
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/chili-paneer_post_8577
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/asian-siopao_post_8375
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/dulce-de-leche-made-in-a-pressure-cooker-and-with-sweetened-condensed-milk_post_8382
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/recipe-cream-of-broccoli-soup-with-no-added-cream_post_8758
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/sukhua-bilati-baiagana-tarkari_post_8509
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/tempered-and-steamed-poha-balls-aval-kaara-kozhukkattai_post_8750
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/not-out-of-the-box_post_8438
http://indiapulse.sulekha.com/food-recipes/cookingwithsapana_post_8547
Bon Appetite
I'd love to drop anchor in your lagoon,
Hamida, Content Manager, Sulekha US
HasanulhameedhaS@sulekha.net
what to do if it gets fungus
Just remove the top fungus layer and keep it under the sun everyday.It will stay good.
This recipe sounds delicious but won't it spoil with water and no oil? the addition of water usually spoils pickles.
Hi, this pickle doesn't need much oil. The oil we use for greasing and tempering would be sufficient. Also less water makes the mango soggy / soft ( in Tamil we say as nondhu poidum).
This sounds delicious but won't the pickle go bad with the addition of water and no oil?