Quick Pickled Amba
Published November 30, 2019
Sarah Anne Ward for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Paola Andrea.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 pound unripe, green-skinned mango (about 1 large or 2 medium)
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped (seeds included)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Nutritional analysis per serving
46 grams carbs; 195 calories; 1 gram monosaturated fat; 2 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 756 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 35 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Peel the mango, and grate the fruit on the large holes of a box grater, directly into a medium saucepan. Add 2 cups water, the onion, jalapeño, salt, garlic, mustard seeds, turmeric, fenugreek, cumin and paprika. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mango and onion have softened and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 20 minutes. (If the mangoes aren’t very juicy and the pan starts to dry out before the fruit has softened, add a splash of water so the mixture can cook for the full 20 minutes without burning on the bottom of the pan.)
- Step 2
Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then stir in the lemon juice and fish sauce. Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth and glossy. Chill before serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Private Notes
Comments
Fish sauce, an umami source, was discovered independently by several cultures - the Romans had garum - but production is now limited almost exclusively to Southeast Asia. I doubt that it's in the original recipe, inspired by Indian raw mango pickles, which use spices in greater amounts: "Aamba" (Marathi) and "Aam"(Hindi) are two native words for mango in India, to which mangoes are native. Ottolenghi's amba recipe is vegan. If you wish, try the alternative umami source soy sauce.
I really like Red Boat or Tiparos brands.
Can you leave the fish sauce out? If not, Can I use anything else as I am a vegetarian.
way too salty, threw it away!!!!!
I love this recipe, and found it was so much better at the one month mark than fresh, predictably. I made two different batches, one with green mango and one with a riper, sweeter mango, and I preferred the batch with riper mango. Sweeter and prettier to look at with vibrant mango colour. Cooked for at least one hour to gently reduce down to a thick consistency. Absolutely delicious with chicken BBQ'd over a fire!
For those who want the quick and easy amba, which will still have ALL of the flavor of doing it oneself, Kalustyan’s in NYC sells amba powder. You just mix it with water and, voila, instant amba sauce. As a dual national who lived in the Middle East for a decade, it’s the real thing.