Pre-ordering avakaya: our April to June calendar
Why we take orders before the mangoes arrive, and when your jar is made, sealed and sent.
Avakaya, maagaya or nimmakaya: which jar to start with
Three Andhra pickles compared by heat, texture and the meals they suit, for anyone ordering for the first time.
If you did not grow up with Andhra pickles, our list can be a little confusing. Most first orders are one of three jars, and they are quite different from each other.
Avakaya is the one people mean when they say Andhra pickle. Raw Nuzvid mango is cut with its hard inner shell, mixed with ground mustard, red chilli powder, salt and gingelly oil, and left to mature for three weeks. It is the hottest of the three, with a sharp, sour bite and a strong mustard smell. It is best mixed into hot rice with a spoon of ghee or eaten with curd rice. A 500 g jar is ₹380.
Maagaya is made from mango slices that are salted and dried in the sun for several days before the masala goes on. The pieces turn chewy and almost leathery, the flavour is deeper and less sharp, and it keeps very well. It is a good choice if raw avakaya is too sour for you, at ₹420 for 500 g.
Nimmakaya, the lemon pickle, is the mildest. Whole lemons are cut into quarters with rock salt and turn soft and slightly bitter over a few weeks before the chilli and oil are added. Children and older relatives often prefer it, and it goes well with pesarattu and upma. It is ₹290 for 400 g. If you are unsure, order a small jar of avakaya and one of nimmakaya together. Between the two you will know quickly which way your family leans.
