Iraqi Amba (Green Mango Pickle Sauce)

Name: Iraqi Amba (Green Mango Pickle Sauce)
Prep time: 28 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 58 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Iraqi
Ingredients: 3 medium (about 2.4 lb total) (1100 g) hard green (unripe) mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces (about 650 g / 4 cups of flesh); 1 tbsp (18 g) fine sea salt, for curing the mango; 2 tsp (5 g) ground turmeric, divided: 1 tsp for curing, 1 tsp for the spice base; 1 tbsp (10 g) yellow mustard seeds; 1 tsp (3 g) fenugreek seeds; 1 tsp (2 g) cumin seeds; 1 tbsp (6 g) Aleppo pepper or mild red chili flakes; 2 whole (20 g) green serrano or finger chilies, stemmed and finely chopped, seeds left in for more heat; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic, peeled and minced; ¼ cup (60 ml) sunflower or other neutral oil; ¼ cup (60 ml) white distilled vinegar (5% acidity); 1 cup (240 ml) water; 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar; 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt, for seasoning the sauce

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A tangy, golden Iraqi condiment of green mango simmered with fenugreek, mustard seed, turmeric and chili, then left to mellow for two days. Spoon it over sabich, falafel, grilled meats, or rice.

Prep: 28 min
Cook: 30 min
Wait: 3.1 days
Total: 3.1 days
Makes: About 2½ cups (600 ml), enough for about 10 servings of ¼ cup

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Ingredients

10 servings

3 medium (about 2.4 lb total) (1100 g) hard green (unripe) mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces (about 650 g / 4 cups of flesh)
1 tbsp (18 g) fine sea salt, for curing the mango
2 tsp (5 g) ground turmeric, divided: 1 tsp for curing, 1 tsp for the spice base
1 tbsp (10 g) yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp (3 g) fenugreek seeds
1 tsp (2 g) cumin seeds
1 tbsp (6 g) Aleppo pepper or mild red chili flakes
2 whole (20 g) green serrano or finger chilies, stemmed and finely chopped, seeds left in for more heat
4 cloves (12 g) garlic, peeled and minced
¼ cup (60 ml) sunflower or other neutral oil
¼ cup (60 ml) white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
1 cup (240 ml) water
2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt, for seasoning the sauce

Equipment (8)

Large non-reactive bowl (stainless steel or glass)
Colander
Large dry skillet, 10-inch (25 cm)
Spice grinder or mortar and pestle
Heavy medium pot or saucepan with lid, 3-quart (3 L)
Potato masher or wooden spoon
Two clean 16-oz (500 ml) glass jars with lids
Clean kitchen towel

Steps

Before you start

Buy hard, fully unripe green mangoes with no yellow or blush and no sweet smell. Ripe mango makes a sweet, mushy sauce.
Plan ahead. The mango cures for 90 minutes, matures at room temperature for 48 hours, then rests in the fridge for another day. The sauce tastes best on day 4.
Wash two 16-oz (500 ml) jars and their lids in hot soapy water. Rinse well and let them air-dry.
Wear gloves when chopping the fresh chilies, and open a window. Mustard and fenugreek smell strong while toasting.

1
Salt the mango
- In a large non-reactive bowl, toss the mango pieces with 1 tbsp (18 g) fine sea salt and 1 tsp of the turmeric until evenly yellow.
- Leave at room temperature for 90 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
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Ready when: A pool of yellow liquid has collected at the bottom of the bowl and the pieces look slightly glossy
Tip: Do not skip the salting. It also seasons the mango all the way through.
2
Drain and dry
- Tip the mango into a colander and drain for 5 minutes.
- Press gently with your hands, then pat the pieces with a clean towel.
- Discard the liquid.
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Ready when: The mango feels damp, not wet, and no liquid drips when squeezed
Tip: Don't rinse the mango, or you will wash away the salt and turmeric.
3
Toast and grind spices
- Put the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds in a dry 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium-low heat.
- Shake the pan constantly for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat as soon as the mustard seeds start to pop and the spices smell nutty.
- Tip onto a plate to cool for 2 minutes, then grind to a coarse powder.
- Stir in the chili flakes.
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Ready when: The seeds are fragrant, the mustard seeds pop, and the fenugreek is a shade darker golden. It is not brown.
Tip: Over-toasted fenugreek turns harshly bitter. Pull the pan off the heat at the first sign of browning.
4
Bloom the aromatics
- Heat the oil in a 3-quart (3 L) heavy pot over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the garlic and fresh chilies and stir for 30 to 45 seconds.
- Add the ground spice mixture and the remaining 1 tsp turmeric, and stir for 30 seconds.
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Ready when: The garlic is pale gold and fragrant, and the oil is bright yellow-orange
Tip: If the garlic browns or the spices smell scorched, start over. Burnt spices make the whole batch bitter.
5
Add mango and liquids
- Add the drained mango, water, vinegar, sugar and 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt.
- Stir well, scraping up any spices stuck to the bottom.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, about 3 to 4 minutes.
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Ready when: The liquid is at a steady rolling boil
6
Simmer covered
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes so nothing sticks.
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Ready when: The mango pieces look translucent at the edges and give easily when pressed with a spoon
7
Reduce and mash
- Uncover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often.
- Press about half of the mango against the side of the pot with a potato masher, leaving the rest in soft chunks.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
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Ready when: The sauce is thick like chunky applesauce, and a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a trail that closes slowly. A little oil shimmers on top.
Tip: The sauce thickens more as it cools, so stop while it is still slightly looser than you want.
8
Cool completely
- Remove the pot from the heat, uncover, and let the sauce cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
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Ready when: The pot feels neutral or barely warm to the touch
9
Jar and mature
- Spoon the sauce into two clean 16-oz (500 ml) jars, leaving at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space at the top.
- Press the mango down so it sits under the liquid.
- Rest the lids on loosely, or cover with a clean towel.
- Keep at cool room temperature (65–75°F / 18–24°C), out of sunlight, for 48 hours.
- Stir with a clean spoon morning and evening.
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Ready when: It smells pleasantly sharp and tangy, and the color has deepened. Tiny bubbles are normal. Throw it out if you see fuzzy mold or smell anything rotten.
Tip: If your kitchen is warmer than 75°F (24°C), mature for 24 hours only.
10
Chill and rest
- Screw the lids on tightly and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.
- Stir well before using.
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Ready when: The sauce is cold, thick and spoonable, with a balanced sour, spicy and slightly bitter flavor

Good to know

Tips

Keep the mango pieces uniform at about ½ inch (1.25 cm) so they all soften at the same rate.
Use stainless steel, enamel or glass. Aluminum and unlined cast iron react with the acid and give a metallic taste.
For a smoother sauce like the kind sold in jars, blend half the cooled mixture with an immersion blender before jarring.
Serve with sabich, falafel, grilled fish or kebab, or stir a spoonful into rice or a boiled egg sandwich.

Make ahead

Make the full batch up to 2 weeks before you need it. The flavor improves for the first week in the fridge.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: only during the 48-hour maturing step. Fridge: keeps in a sealed jar for up to 4 weeks. Always use a clean spoon. Freezer: freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months, leaving ½ inch (1.25 cm) of space. Thaw overnight in the fridge and stir well. It is served cold or at room temperature, so no reheating is needed.

Substitutions

hard green (unripe) mangoes → Hard green sour cooking mango or firm underripe Tommy Atkins mango. Choose the firmest, sourest fruit you can find. If it is slightly sweet, add 1 extra tbsp vinegar and skip the sugar.
Aleppo pepper or mild red chili flakes → Mild paprika mixed with a pinch of cayenne. Use 2 tsp paprika plus ¼ tsp cayenne, adjusting for heat.
sunflower or other neutral oil → Mustard oil or light olive oil. Mustard oil gives a sharper, more pungent flavor. Heat it until just smoking, then cool slightly before adding the garlic.
white distilled vinegar (5% acidity) → Apple cider vinegar (5% acidity). Gives a slightly fruitier, softer tang.