They are tiny baby raw mangoes. They fall off the trees on their own without getting a chance to grow big. The fall could be due to strong winds, weak flowers which manage to morph into mangoes but have no sustaining power to grow big, birds' interferance, human intervention, etc.
Whatever the cause for their fall, these mangoes are of no use as they taste sour. But Indian grandmas of the past never let go the opportunity to make something of it! So these were patiently picked, sand and dust washed off them, wiped dry, coated with castor oil, pickled with rock salt until they turned tender in about a week. Finally the free following brine (salt water) was reused to soak up some dry red chillies, mustard seeds of which a fine paste was made and returned back to the glass jar of the salted mangoes. The mangoes are left to soak in the spice newly introduced. The taste is very unique, spicy and tangy. Goes very well with curd rice or dosa.
First picture shows the mangoes being salted. Next they are filled in glass jars and capped tight.
It will take 4 to 5 days to get softer after which the spicy paste will be introduced to give it the bite.
Raw mangoes, raw tamarind, ripe red big chillies, gooseberries and many more are pickled. They are nature's way of heralding the onset of summer in the tropics.
Mahalakshmi.
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