• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Vidhya’s Vegetarian Kitchen logo
  • Home
  • About
    • VVK Galleries
    • VVK YouTube Channel
    • VVK Mentions
    • Privacy & Copyright Policies
  • Recipes
  • Shop
    • Amazon Shop
    • Cookbooks
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Pickles » Maavadu – Tender Mango Pickle

    Maavadu – Tender Mango Pickle

    Posted on April 18, 2014 · Last Updated on April 4, 2019 · By Srividhya G · 8 Comments

    3 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Reddit
    Jump to Recipe Card

    Maavadu or Vadu Mangai – the authentic and traditional pickle recipes from Tamil Nadu made with tender raw mangoes.  Check out the delicious yet straightforward pickle recipe below.

    Maavadu and Thayir Saadam or Curd Rice is a very popular and trendy combo. You can get these baby mangoes early summer and during summer. There are zillion varieties of these baby mangoes. Each variety has a unique taste. Picking the right ones is always difficult.  I love the ones that we get in our native. :-)

    Maavadu (Tender/baby raw mangoes) – Just the word, takes me back to my childhood days in periyakulam. Periyakulam is known for its mangoes. There is even a board saying, “Welcome to periyakulam – mango city” and you can see it while coming from Theni. Not sure if it’s still there, but the point is it’s famous for maavadus and mangoes.

    You get freshly picked maavadus(with big stems) daily during the season. A nearby town Chinnamanur which is 35 km away from PKM (Periyakulam) is also known for its maavadu. But both differ a lot in their taste. And every year I have heard my mom and our neighbors comparing their quality, price, and taste, etc. As I mentioned above, there are zillion maavadu varieties.

    Cleaning the tender mangoes: 

    Let’s forget about the varieties. All I want is just the pickle. Let me first explain the process. First thing, wash the maavadu and remove the stems (Kaambu). You should not discard the stems completely, because the stems help the pickle stay good for months and months. Nowadays you can get maavadus with the cleaned stems.

    Back in Periyakulam, when we get maavadu, during soaking and destemming process, the whole house smells of maavadu. I was born and brought up in a compartment style house (the agraharam ones), you can smell the mangoes in the thinnai, even if it’s being cleaned in kitchen, which is usually three compartments away close to the backyard.

    This time, while I was in Chennai, I saw maavadu and asked amma to prepare the pickle for me. So here is the recipe.

    Ingredients:

    • Maavadu – 1 kg (measure after removing the stems)
    • Sea Salt (Kal Uppu) – 100gms
    • Mustard Seeds – 1 tbsp
    • Red Chilly Powder – 50gms
    • Turmeric Powder – 2 tsps
    • Gingelly Oil – 3 tbsps

    Steps:

    • Wash the maavadu thoroughly and let it soak overnight in water.
    • Next day, drain the water and pat it dry.
    • The next step is applying gingelly oil so that the maavadus doesn’t turn black. Add the 3 tbsps of oil and mix them well.

    Maavadu2

    • Grind the sea salt and mustard seeds together.
    • Now add turmeric powder, salt – mustard seed mixture, red chili powder to the maavadus.
    • Mix them well. Make sure all the maavadus are coated nicely with the salt-chilly mixture.

    Maavadu1

    And that’s it. Store the maavadus in an airtight container. Make sure you shake them daily. In 3-5 days, you will start noticing the maavadus start oozing out water.  It takes at least 3-4 weeks for the maavadus to become tender.  More they soak, better they taste. The maavadu water taste equal to maavadus

    Notes:

    • Mustard seeds act as a preservative.
    • You can add more gingelly oil too.
    • Instead of red chili powder, you can grind red chilies with salt and mustard seeds.
    • Do not remove the stems completely.

    I don’t have the picture of maavadu soaked in the pickle water. Any my tale of woe is I couldn’t bring any back to the US. I did pack one bottle, but then I heard friends saying that during customs check they had to throw the maavadu. I can not do that. So with heavy heart, I had to leave them back :-(

    There is a song that comes in Vaandu’s cartoon dragon tales – “I wish I wish I could fly high in the sky.”. I have to sing on similar terms as I wish I wish I could have some maavadus.

    Pin Recipe Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Maavadu - Tender Mango Pickle

    Maavadu or Vadu Mangai is one the authentic and traditional pickle recipes from Tamil Nadu which is prepared with tender raw mangoes.
    Soaking time1 d
    Total Time1 d 4 hrs
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: TamilNadu
    Servings: 1 kg yield
    Calories: 1158kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    • 1 kg Maavadu tender mangoes
    • 100 gms Sea Salt Kal Uppu - 100gms
    • 1 tbsp Mustard Seeds
    • 50 gms Red Chili Powder
    • 2 tsps Turmeric Powder
    • 3 tbsps Gingelly Oil

    Instructions

    • Wash the maavadu well and let it soak overnight in water.
    • Next day, drain the water and pat it dry.
    • The next step is applying gingelly oil so that the maavadus doesn’t turn black. Add the 3 tbsps of oil and mix them well.
    • Grind the sea salt and mustard seeds together.
    • Now add turmeric powder, salt - mustard seed mixture, red chili powder to the maavadus.
    • Mix them well. Make sure all the maavadus are coated nicely with the salt-chilly mixture.
    • And that's it. Store the maavadus in an airtight container. Make sure you shake them daily. In 3-5 days, you will start noticing the maavadus start oozing out water. It takes at least 3-4 weeks for the maavadus to become tender. More they soak, better they taste. The maavadu water taste equal to maavadus

    Notes

    • Mustard seeds act as a preservative.
    • You can more gingelly oil too.
    • Instead of red chili powder, you can grind red chilies with salt and mustard seeds.
    • Do not remove the stems completely.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1158kcal | Carbohydrates: 179g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 39590mg | Potassium: 2802mg | Fiber: 35g | Sugar: 140g | Vitamin A: 25645IU | Vitamin C: 365.1mg | Calcium: 316mg | Iron: 12.8mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel
    3 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Reddit

    Filed Under: Pickles Tagged With: how to prepare maavadu, how to prepare vadu mangai, maavadu, maavadu oorugai, tender mango pickle, vadu maangai

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Padma says

      May 10, 2022 at 9:06 am

      My maavadu tastes little extra salty. How to alter it? Can I add some plain water

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 12, 2022 at 3:59 pm

        Sorry for the late reply. Take out all the water from the maavadu and add some spice and mix well. Then add the maavadu back again and wait for atleast 1 week before the salt and spice blends. Adding plain water won’t work here. I hope this helps.

        Reply
    2. Bobby says

      May 03, 2020 at 10:28 am

      5 stars
      Excellent

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 04, 2020 at 11:11 am

        Thanks :-)

        Reply
    3. Anu Surya says

      April 17, 2020 at 11:11 am

      I made vadumanga following your recipe to the ‘T’ and it was awesome. Thank you for sharing

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 17, 2020 at 1:19 pm

        Oh wow, awesome. Thanks a lot for the feedback. :-)

        Reply
    4. Srividhya says

      April 18, 2014 at 2:47 pm

      Thanks Tami :-)

      Reply
    5. Tami says

      April 18, 2014 at 5:07 am

      That's a great post Sri. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome

    Author Vidhya smiling in the renovated kitchen

    Hello all, I am Srividhya, the person behind this blog. I firmly believe that the mouth is the way to the heart. My blog is all about vegetarian and vegan food with unique and exciting recipes from all over the world. From traditional, authentic recipes to fusion and eggless bakes, you can find it all here! Read more →

    Enjoy My Cookbooks

    Two cookbooks beautifully presented on the table

    Discover the diverse and delicious taste of South India, eggless recipes made in Instant Pot and other deliciousness! Find out more →

    Sign Up to Newsletter

    Must-Try Soup Recipes 

    • Vegan Miso Ramen Soup With Tofu
    • Easy Pumpkin Soup | Pumpkin Shorba
    • Vegan Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup | Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup
    • Broccoli Almond Soup (Instant Pot Method)

    As Featured On

    As seen on logo banner

    YouTube

    Follow me on YouTube for regular recipe videos and insights from my kitchen!

    Follow

    Disclosure

    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program - an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate VVK earns from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy →

    Most Popular Posts

    • Tofu Scramble | Scrambled Tofu Breakfast Burrito
    • Pesto Mozzarella Sandwich
    • Sweet Corn and Steel Cut Oats Soup
    • Easy Cream Cheese Pasta with Broccoli
    • Aloo Masoor Dal | Potato With Red Lentils
    • Alu Diye Cholar Dal | Bengali-Style Lentils with Potatoes

    Explore Your Favorites

    15 + Mango Recipes

    25 + Easy South Indian Instant Pot Recipes

    10 + Must Try Vegetarian Pasta Recipes

    20 + Kids Friendly Lunch Box Recipes

    20 + Indian Lentils Recipes Made in Instant Pot

    Footer


    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program - Privacy Policy
    HOME | ABOUT | CONTACT US

    Footer

    ↑ Back to Top

    VVK horizontal logo

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Cooking

    • Sign Up to Newsletter
    • All Recipes
    • My Cookbooks
    • My Amazon Shop

    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program

    Copyright © 2023 | VidhyasHomeCooking.com