Appemidi Uppinakayi

Appemidi is pulpy, immature oblong mango found mainly in malnad regions or Western Ghats and coastal regions of Karnataka, India. These are produced in bulk quantities and marketed in different regions of malnad. They are sweet, sour and pungent in flavor. There are many varieties of appemidi. Appemidi Uppinakayi is the oldest pickling recipe known to people of western ghats. Pickle is prepared with dry masala paste using these tender mangoes. They have a distinct aroma and this adds an extra flavor to the pickle. Usually these mangoes grow in bunches and are harvested with the stock and pickled with half inch of stalk. Appemidi Uppinakayi can be stored for minimum of two years if prepared with proper care. My mother-in-law used to prepare this pickle many years back. I have adopted this recipe from Raaga Kitchen, Mangalore with slight modification. This pickle goes well with any dish like dosa, idli, rice, raw rice ganji and curd rice. No meal is complete without the aroma of appe midi uppinakayi in houses of malnad region. They are used in preparation of tambuli, gojju and papad in malnad regions. This pickle has very good digestive power. In recent times, studies have shown that these mango varieties are becoming endangered and in turn having an effect on their market price.