Raw Green Mango Salt-Cured Pickle (Karmbi)

Karmbi - A simple basic Konkani style of salt-curing Green Raw Mangoes. One of the many ways to pickle and preserve Raw Mangoes especially the ones belonging to the first harvest lot which hit the local groceries or if you are lucky, gracefully offered as a harvest gift from a kind friend plucked and picked from the burgeoning farm lands and backyard garden patch. Many of my family members still salt, pickle and preserve the raw mangoes (called as Ambuli in GSB Konkani or Tor in Goan Konkani) in this fashion and they taste delicious. Once they are salted and wilt a little, they are then used for pickles of choice with pickle liquor chosen as per the taste, color desired. Use them the way they are if you wish. We prefer eating them with a bowl of cooked parboiled rice (Paez or Paej in Konkani).

This pickle is made without any spice powders added and is very similar to the style of pickling (e.g salt curing with salt water brine for vegetables like Cornichons, Gerkhins, Cucumber, Olives) observed and practised in the US and Carribean regions.

Processing time: 2-4 days

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Green Raw Mango (chopped and diced) - 4 cups

Green Chillies (chopped) ~ optional - 5-8

Salt

Method:

Clean and wash the Raw Green Mango to get rid of any bees wax. Clean and wipe dry. Chop into bite sized pieces and mix good enough quantity of salt, slip in some green chillies if desired. Leave aside for 2-3 days. Give a gentle stir with a clean spoon every night. Once wilted and salt is absorbed, pack them off in a clean glass jar container or make pickle with desired pickle liquor.

Note - Do not salt cure and pickle for more than 2-3 days, the mangoes lose their crunch, taste and flavour. Once done, refrigerate for longer shelf life or convert into regular pickle by adding the desired spice powder.