Athanu in Gujarati means pickle. We are going to see a sour and spicy pickle which is a part of the Gujarati cuisine. It is an easy to make pickle which is made with Chana and Methi seeds added with Raw Mango Pieces. We can say that it is a Mango pickle added with Chana and Methi Seeds. It has such a lovely taste that one would want this pickle with everything – Rice, Roti, Nan etc. Try it and share your comments with us.
Ingredients :
Raw Mango – 5 cups (washed, wiped dry, and then cut into small pieces)
Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds – 1 cup
Organic Chick Peas (Chana) – 1 cup
Home Made Pickle Masala – ¾ cup (see at the end the method for making this pickle masala)
Salt – as required
Oil – as required
Method:
Add Salt and Turmeric Powder to the Mango pieces. Mix well. Keep aside for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
Wash the Chana and Fenugreek seeds separately. Wash them very well – at least thrice each. Now, keep them soaked in water separately for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
A liquid might have formed in the Mangoes which we had kept overnight. Strain the Mango. Do not throw away the sour liquid. Collect in a separate vessel and keep. Spread the strained Mangoes in a clean cotton cloth and allow to rest for 12 hours.
Strain the Chana and Fenugreek Seeds. (Throw away the water.) Mix the strained Chana and Fenugreek Seeds. Add the liquid which we had strained out from the Mango. Allow the Chana and Fenugreek Seeds to soak in this sour liquid for 5 to 6 hours.
Now, strain them. Mix the strained Fenugreek Seeds and Chana with the Mangoes and spread them in a dry clean cloth. Allow all of them to dry under the fan for 6 hours.
When all the three become moisture free, collect them in a bowl. Add the pickle masala. Mix well. Check Salt and add more Salt as required.
Heat the Oil well. If you want to add Mustards, you can, but the Oil should be hot that the Mustards should crackle immediately when added to the Oil. Switch off the flame and allow the Oil to cool completely. Pour this Oil to the pickle and mix well.
The mouthwatering Gujarati style Chena Methi Athanu is ready.
Store them in clean, dry, air tight sterilized Glass or Ceramic bottles. No need to store them in refrigerator. As a good practice, take a small quantity from the main container and keep it in a separate bottle for daily use. This will help in not exposing the main pickle to air very often.
You can serve this pickle with anything – rice, Roti, Chappati, Nan etc.
