Magaya

Step 1: Sterilise a 1.5-litre glass or ceramic jar and lid: wash in hot soapy water, rinse, then dry in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes (or in strong sun for a few hours). Cool completely; the jar, bowls, spoons and your hands must be bone dry.

Step 2: Wash 2 ¼ lb raw green mangoes, peeled weight and dry them completely. Peel, then cut into thin slices about 3–4 mm thick and 4 cm long, stopping at the stone.

Step 3: Toss the slices with 3 ½ oz salt and 1 tsp ground turmeric in a dry glass or ceramic bowl, cover with a cloth and leave for 2–3 days, stirring daily with a dry spoon, until the slices are limp and sitting in yellow brine.

Step 4: Lift out the slices, squeeze lightly over the bowl and spread them on a clean cloth or tray. Dry in strong sun for 2–3 days, bringing them in at night, until leathery but still pliable. Keep the brine covered meanwhile.

Step 5: Heat ¾ cup gingelly (sesame) oil in a small pan over a medium heat until it shimmers, add 1 tsp black mustard seeds and let them pop, then add 4 dried red chillies and ½ tsp gluten-free asafoetida and turn off the heat. Cool completely.

Step 6: Stir 1 ¾ oz mustard powder, 2 ⅞ oz red chilli powder and 1 tsp roasted fenugreek powder into the brine to make a thick red paste, then add the dried slices and mix well with a dry spoon.

Step 7: Pack into the jar, pour over the cold tempered oil and press down; the oil should sit 1 cm above the pickle. If not, heat and cool a little more oil and add it.

Step 8: Leave for 5–7 days, stirring with a dry spoon every day, until the slices are soft and deep red-orange. Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year, always kept under oil and served with a dry spoon; refrigerate once opened in hot, humid weather. Discard if you see fuzzy mould or it smells rotten or fizzes.