Homemade Green Mango Atchar / Mango Pickle  

@Salwaa Smith | Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights 

This is a very easy yet delicious mango atchar made from green unripe mangos which is generally available from September / October in South Africa. Green mangoes with premature soft seeds are suitable for atchar. Atchar is a very popular condiment with a large part of the Southern African population. Cured green mango slices or cubes are drained, mixed with spices and oil, filled into suitable airtight containers and sealed. Extra oil is often added on top to prevent air entry.  Store sealed jars or containers in a cool, dry place. Atchar can normally be stored for up to 6 months if properly stored. In Cape Malay culture and cuisine atchars are normally served with bredies, breyani or curries.

My husbands family were fruit, vegetable and fish brokers. His father was well known in the Lansdowne area, they had a large client base in the surrounding areas. After my father-in-law passed away my mother-in-law continued making atchar and konfyt. I remember the large containers full of mangos or lemons fermenting in their kitchen. Depending on the fruit season, during the week the atchars were made, be it blatjang, green mango, lemon or vegetable atchars. Saturdays she would take her basket to deliver and payment collections. She did this all by walking.

Those who knew my mother-in-law, will agree, she made the best atchar in Lansdowne. She made a living by making and selling atchars, blatjangs and konfy. Mama Gawa could go for Haj or Umrah |(pilgrimage) almost every year. My husband was a student when we got married and she even helped supported us the first couple of years with her atchar money. May The Almighty grant her a high place in paradise, Ameen.

I’m thankful for the remarkable hardworking women I had as role models.

This tutorial was made using her recipe, only difference is she used to ferment her cut mangos in salt water for days until its soft. This tutorial was done by myself and my husband. He loves to make atchar as well!

We’ve since taken a short cut and know a days we give the green mangos a quick boil! For convenience, I used my own atchar masala mixture, which I developed with lots of trial and error! My atchar masala mixture is available online for delivery in South Africa and the UK at https://atomic-temporary-24476944.wpcomstaging.com/product/atchar-masala/

You may of course use a different brand of atchar masala…

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Follow my tutorial below for flop proof mango atchar