This was a big work done...I am happy.
@arunima25 (87806)
Bangalore, India
March 23, 2023 12:11pm CST
It's 10:27 PM here as I write this post. Getting cold pleasant breeze from the window. 
. I am in my bed mylotting on my phone. I am downstairs in the guest room and I plan to sleep here tonight. My husband has left till Sunday. He has gone for his college reunion. And I don't like to be alone on the top floor in my master bedroom. 
. So, I will use my guest room downstairs till then. I often do that when he is not there. I will stay upstairs till 10 PM but not post that .
My younger daughter and niece are in their respective rooms and studying. No rush for early morning work tomorrow. So, I can sleep till 7 in the morning.
I would call today as a productive one. I did not do much other than going to work and managing meals with the leftovers. But this one work made it a productive one. And I just finished it.
Yesterday, husband got some raw mangoes. I had washed it and kept it for drying. Today they were well dried. I cut them into thick pieces ( that's tricky with the stone inside) using a big sharp knife. And then a lot of effort went in roasting and grinding all the spices that goes in it. One has to make sure that there is no water or moisture in it else it will get ruined and won't stay for months. We add fresh hand pressed mustard oil to it. You can see the preparation here in the picture. Now, this would need some sun drying. I will put it on window shelf in my guest room where we get enough sun for most part of the day. And I don't need to worry about sudden rain. In a week or little more, the mangoes will get tender absorbing the salt and all the flavours of the spices. And the mango pickle would be ready 
. This goes well for year or even more. My husband likes to have a small piece of this spicy pickle with his meals, especially with the stuffed Paratha.
Well, it took me more than an hour ( almost two) to get it all done and I am happy that it's a big chore that's over. You can see it in picture. I will bottle them up after few days of sun drying.
Now, I will move on to notifications till I feel sleepy. Enjoy your time 
. I am in my bed mylotting on my phone. I am downstairs in the guest room and I plan to sleep here tonight. My husband has left till Sunday. He has gone for his college reunion. And I don't like to be alone on the top floor in my master bedroom. . So, I will use my guest room downstairs till then. I often do that when he is not there. I will stay upstairs till 10 PM but not post that .
My younger daughter and niece are in their respective rooms and studying. No rush for early morning work tomorrow. So, I can sleep till 7 in the morning.
I would call today as a productive one. I did not do much other than going to work and managing meals with the leftovers. But this one work made it a productive one. And I just finished it.
Yesterday, husband got some raw mangoes. I had washed it and kept it for drying. Today they were well dried. I cut them into thick pieces ( that's tricky with the stone inside) using a big sharp knife. And then a lot of effort went in roasting and grinding all the spices that goes in it. One has to make sure that there is no water or moisture in it else it will get ruined and won't stay for months. We add fresh hand pressed mustard oil to it. You can see the preparation here in the picture. Now, this would need some sun drying. I will put it on window shelf in my guest room where we get enough sun for most part of the day. And I don't need to worry about sudden rain. In a week or little more, the mangoes will get tender absorbing the salt and all the flavours of the spices. And the mango pickle would be ready . This goes well for year or even more. My husband likes to have a small piece of this spicy pickle with his meals, especially with the stuffed Paratha.
Well, it took me more than an hour ( almost two) to get it all done and I am happy that it's a big chore that's over. You can see it in picture. I will bottle them up after few days of sun drying.
Now, I will move on to notifications till I feel sleepy. Enjoy your time 14 people like this
15 responses
@ptrikha_2 (46962)
• India
23 Mar 23
Looks like the end product would be delicious!!
Without our partners, we can sometimes stay with a different arrangement.
And I think sometimes, we should go and stay in a different place than our partners.
That makes us value them more - else there can be more small, cold and occasionally hot wars !!
But well, that is a highly personalized observation!!
5 people like this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
24 Mar 23
I tasted it while preparing to get an idea. Seemed perfect and so I hope it would turn out well. . It should be ready in a week time.
Our master bedroom is huge and on the top floor we have it along with a bar room, my husband's office room( extended in one corner of the master bedroom), one walk in closet with attached bathroom and our terrace. It seems lifeless when I am alone there. I am scared there after 10_10:30 PM if I am alone. So, I just come down to sleep with my younger daughter or if she has to study for long, I use the guest room. Downstairs is always lively with children, kitchen, TV etc
. It should be ready in a week time.
Our master bedroom is huge and on the top floor we have it along with a bar room, my husband's office room( extended in one corner of the master bedroom), one walk in closet with attached bathroom and our terrace. It seems lifeless when I am alone there. I am scared there after 10_10:30 PM if I am alone. So, I just come down to sleep with my younger daughter or if she has to study for long, I use the guest room. Downstairs is always lively with children, kitchen, TV etc3 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (46962)
• India
24 Mar 23
@arunima25
So don't watch Horror movies when alone at home !
4 people like this
@allknowing (136541)
• India
24 Mar 23
I have never known pickle being dried up in the sun.
4 people like this
@allknowing (136541)
• India
24 Mar 23
@arunima25 I use a tiger preservative for the juices I preper. No demand for pickle here.
4 people like this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
24 Mar 23
@allknowing Oh! Okay. I have not used any artificial preservatives. The oil, spices, and if sun dried in a right way and right amount, they stay good for an year or more. Well, this amount would be over before an year . My husband's meal are incomplete without pickle and curd
. My husband's meal are incomplete without pickle and curd3 people like this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
24 Mar 23
Oh! Is it? I won't call it a full fledged sun drying. We keep it covered with a muslin cloth to avoid dust and insects and not in direct sun, just a bit to get enough warmth. That acts as a preservative for long run as it prevents fungal and bacterial growth.
3 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (89873)
• Arvada, Colorado
23 Mar 23
How long must the mango paste stay in the window? How many days? Won't it get rotten and insects no?
2 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (89873)
• Arvada, Colorado
24 Mar 23
@arunima25 Okay Arunima, thank you for explaining the method ,as the muslin will keep it sanitary now i understand.
2 people like this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
29 Mar 23
@RebeccasFarm It's ready. And it's come out perfect
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
24 Mar 23
It's not mango paste but cut pieces of raw mango. We don't remove the skin there.I won't call it a full fledged sun drying. We keep it covered with a muslin cloth to avoid dust and insects and not in direct sun, just a bit to get enough warmth. That acts as a preservative for long run as it prevents fungal and bacterial growth.
We do that for a week, 3_4 hours each day in the sun is enough.
2 people like this
@RubyHawk (99405)
• Atlanta, Georgia
25 Mar 23
@arunima25 Sounds delicious. Enjoy.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
24 Mar 23
It should be ready in a week or 10 days. We can enjoy it for more than a year. Good for those who enjoy a little spicy and tangy flavour to their meals. It enhances the taste of the food.
2 people like this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
24 Mar 23
Thank you. I am happy as the work day is over and two months long summer vacation starts today
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
24 Mar 23
Thank you. I tasted it while preparing. It seems perfect. Anyways the final product would be ready in a week's time. I am sure that it would be yummy!!
2 people like this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
24 Mar 23
@leighnyork Oh! That's great. Do you have the recipe??
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
24 Mar 23
Thank you. Glad that you liked it. It tasted perfect when I tasted it while preparing. The final product will come out in a week. Hope it comes out well.
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
25 Mar 23
Yes, indeed it is. And also needs to be done in a right way else the whole effort can go down the drain. The recipes and skills are passed down the generation. All time and effort pays off well as the end product is too delicious and would enhance the taste of every meal. And it's one time effort and you can use it for an year or even more.
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
28 Mar 23
It is spicy and tasty. Once done it can stay there for a year or more( if we don't finish it before that ). A little of it enhances the taste of each meal. It is almost ready. I will put it in air tight bottle tomorrow.
It's summer vacation here. It started on Saturday but still I am not so relaxed. Few chores and errands are keeping me busy.
). A little of it enhances the taste of each meal. It is almost ready. I will put it in air tight bottle tomorrow.
It's summer vacation here. It started on Saturday but still I am not so relaxed. Few chores and errands are keeping me busy.1 person likes this
@sathviksouvik (19488)
•
12 Apr 23
thanks Arunimaji your pickle is making my mouth water. Today I had shrimps curry and rice in lunch. My mother cooks the shrimps very well and names the dish batta chachari
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
12 Apr 23
Your meal sounds good. Today my husband was not at home. He is gone for a business workshop and returns tomorrow evening. I skipped making lunch today. We got pizza ordered for myself, my younger daughter and my niece. My husband doesn't like pizza. So, we took advantage of his absence
@LindaOHio (178877)
• United States
16 Apr 23
Your mango pickle sounds delicious.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
17 Apr 23
They have come out perfect. We have started relishing them with our meals.
1 person likes this
@Teekaaa (11580)
• India
12 Apr 23
@arunima25 that's true. Homemade food is always the best.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
25 Mar 23
You are right. All the time and effort is worth the end product. And nothing beats a home made pickle . And without any doubt it's a perfect combination for curd rice. 
. And without any doubt it's a perfect combination for curd rice. 1 person likes this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
24 Mar 23
It tasted perfect when I tasted it while preparing. Let's see how is the final product after a week . It's fresh ones and the stone inside was not too hard. So, I could manage cutting it in home. In North India, even my mom gets it cut from the shop. They do it. Here, I don't find them doing it. And in South Indian style pickles, I find them chopping it too fine or even making a paste.
. It's fresh ones and the stone inside was not too hard. So, I could manage cutting it in home. In North India, even my mom gets it cut from the shop. They do it. Here, I don't find them doing it. And in South Indian style pickles, I find them chopping it too fine or even making a paste.2 people like this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
24 Mar 23
Oh! I see. Indians are into spicy food. Because of the tropical environment, we get lots of spices here and also it's good for health. I prefer moderately spicy food, not too spicy. This pickle is taken in a very small amount ( half teaspoon is enough) with any meal. Gives that spicy and tangy flavour that enhances the taste of any food.
1 person likes this
@popciclecold (38780)
• United States
23 Mar 23
I know you are glad to have that out of the way.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
24 Mar 23
It's a big task and needs lot of patience. So, it definitely feels good when it's done. We always keep procrastinating such work
1 person likes this
