Avakaya

Step 1: Wash 2 ¼ lb hard, sour raw green mangoes and dry them completely with a cloth, then leave them on a tray for an hour to air-dry. Cut each one into 2–3 cm chunks with the hard shell of the stone still attached, using a heavy cleaver. Pull out the soft inner kernel and wipe each piece dry with a clean cloth.

Step 2: Dry-roast 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds in a small pan over a low heat for about 1 minute until it turns reddish and smells toasty, then grind it to a powder.

Step 3: In a large, completely dry bowl, mix 3 ½ oz yellow or brown mustard seeds, freshly ground to a powder, 3 ½ oz hot red chilli powder (Guntur), 3 ½ oz coarse sea salt, ground fine, the fenugreek powder and 1 tsp ground turmeric. Common mistake: using damp mangoes, a wet spoon or a jar straight from the dishwasher; the pickle goes mouldy within weeks. Everything that touches it must be bone dry.

Step 4: Pour in about half of 1 ¾ cups sesame (gingelly) oil and mix to a thick red paste. Add the mango pieces and 15 garlic cloves if using, and toss with a dry spoon or clean dry hands until every piece is well coated.

Step 5: Pack into a clean, dry glass or ceramic jar, pressing down. Pour the rest of the oil on top: it should cover the mango by at least 1 cm. Close the jar and leave it at room temperature.

Step 6: After 3 days, open the jar and stir from the bottom with a dry spoon; the mango will have released juice and the masala will have turned glossy. Top up with more oil if the pieces aren't covered. It's ready to eat now and keeps for a year, always with a layer of oil on top.