Neer maavadu (Small marinated mango soaked in spicy water)

Making of neer maavadu :- Preparation time 10 mins and soaking time minimum a week

When we were kids mom used to make in kgs and give to relatives also. She used to consult a mami for the preparation method. The measurement must be followed according to her so after several years of hesitation i decided to try preparing the neer vadu. If i try i want that output to come out well else i feel very bad and i don't want to spoil the taste of mom's neer vadu which still linger's in my mouth. Mom told she made the neer vadu and forgot to send me. I asked my husband to but few vadu's for me to try but he bought 1/2 kg.

My first experience of making mavadu so prayed god to make the project successful :-). Called mom and asked for measurement she told for 1 kgs i noted down and converted the measurement for 1/2 kg. I got input from my in-law also. I took both inputs and implemented which i want. Actually i am publishing this after i made and left the mavadu in water for 10 days. If felt it that salt content is little more but mom told it will act as a preservative and will be good. If you want you can less the salt a little bit.

Mom asked me to use small round dry red chili because it will be spicy when compared to long red dry chili but i tried with long dry red chili as we don't want vaadu to be very spicy. Little bit of sesame oil is used as a coolant (actually they will use castor oil it seems but now a days we don't get that much clean oil so it is replaced by sesame oil).

Ingredients:- Maavadu - 1/2 kg
Red chili - 6
Rock Salt (crystal salt i.e. kallu uppu) - measurement specified below
Water - 1.5 cup
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seed - 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil - 1 tsp

Preparation method:-Wash the maavadu in water 2 or three time. remove the stem (if any) and rub the stick content coming. Wipe all the mavadu with clean cloth.
The mavadu should be without damage and hard when pressed. Only if you use good quality the mavadu will be good for more days.

Take one measuring cup or any vessel which is comfortable for you. I took a small measuring cup called azhakku. Use same vessel for the measurement of mango, salt and water.
The half kg of mavadu measured to medium sized 4 cup. For 4 cup i took 1/2 cup of salt and 1and1/2 cup.
In a mixer make a coarse powder of red dry chili, mustard(kadugu) and fenugreek seed (vendayam).

In a clean, dry glass bottle keep the dry mavadu carefully. Add the sesame oil (nalla ennai) and mix well.

After that add salt, coarsely powdered ingredients to mavadu. Add measured water to this and close the bottle well. Shake carefully so that all the dry ingredients get mixed well with the water.

Daily you have to shake and toss well so that the mavadu's get soaked well.
If possible you keep the bottle under sunlight for few hours. For that remove the lid of the bottle, tie a thin white cloth over the mouth of the bottle.
It will take minimum 1 week to 10 days for the mavadu to observe the essence of water.
First try it out in less quantity. I came out well for me. Surely you will also love this recipe. This can be take with sambhar rice or curd rice.