Amba: the Iraqi mango pickle you won't be able to live without

When I think of amba my brain immediately pulls up in the front garden of my auntie’s house in Baghdad. It feels like a lifetime ago now, but I can still see the garden and the steps leading up to her house as though we were there just yesterday.

I can smell the memory. And, it kind of makes sense because when you smell amba, you’re smelling every traditionally-Iraqi household.

Synonymous with Iraq and Iraqi culture, amba is a tangy, pickled mango condiment thats typically enjoyed with eggs, fish, meat, falafel, as a dip, even on its own in traditional diamond-shaped Iraqi bread (sammoun). Or, if you’re anything like me, straight out of the jar in front of an open fridge, lying to yourself that this is the last bite.

It’s a condiment packed with flavour and heat; and, I wanted to see if I could make a batch at home.

Traditionally, to prepare a jar of this bright, over-the-top-yellow condiment, it would take you a few days. Normally, I’d say who really has time for that? But, given the unique circumstances we find ourselves in, I accepted the challenge and fell down a rabbit hole on amba, the family who (allegedly) came up with it and the culinary link between Iraq and the Indian sub-continent.*
(More on the history below, if you’re interested).

But first: the pickle.

There are so many variations on this condiment, depending on which part of the world you find yourself in. And as with everything, everyone has their own preferences and opinions as to how crunchy or soft the mango should be. So, I found and tested three methods of preparation - using pretty much the exact same spices in all three methods, with really minor changes here-and-there. For example: I used apple cider vinegar in one batch, and white vinegar in the other.

There are about 7 spices that make up the foundation on which the sauce is built. These are: Fenugreek + Turmeric + Cumin + Mustard seeds + Salt + Chili (any form of heat) + Vinegar.

But like any good home-made recipe, you can build on the holy-7 to make it your very own, adding and adjusting the flavours so that they hit your spot.

What I really wanted to test was the consistency of the fruit itself, and whether leaving it out for a few days, marinating in the sun, makes too much of a difference.

Here’s what I found…

: SAME-DAY METHOD

For those times you have a mad hankering
for pickled mango. To go with that leftover
steak you plan on making a sandwich with.

The easiest, quickest method to achieving a great pickled mango.

• Peel and slice your mangoes
  (into pinky-sized sticks, or cubes - the choice is yours)

• Immediately combine it with your spices and let it simmer
  over a low-heat

• Pour it into a clean, sterilized jar, allow it to cool completely

• “Taste” for flavour, or until you make your way to the bottom of the jar

• Alternatively: leave it to cool then seal tightly, and stick it in the fridge for no less than 3 hours (only if you want those flavours to really melt into each other)

THE RESULT

Taste test: Immediate:
Extremely silky in texture, with an al-dente crunch to the mangoes.

Taste test: a few days later:
Slightly softer but maintains just the right amount of al-dente bite.

Taste for flavour:
Tart, sharp and very mango-forward, which balanced the heat nicely.

Final thoughts:
This was by far the most mango-forward out of the three methods.
The sauce in which it sat was silky and remained so, the longer it sat. The fruit had a ripe-mango quality to it, while maintaining just the right amount of crunch (as-it-were). no matter how long it sat; making this a truly satisfying mango-forward experience.

: TWO-DAY METHOD

For the days you crave a few tart slices
to go with the fish you’re going to stick
in the oven tomorrow, for lunch.

The idea here is to extract whatever moisture you can out of the fruit before you mix it with the spices. But the rest of the process is the same.

• Peel and slice or cube your mangoes

• Brine

• Combine with the spice

• Simmer over low-heat

• Pour it into a jar, allow it to cool

• Seal and refrigerate for ±3 hours before tucking in

THE RESULT

Taste test: Immediate:
The softest out of the three methods.
Jam-like in texture of the mix

Taste test: a few days later:
No changes, pretty consistent in flavour and texture.

Taste for flavour:
Mango flavour takes a bit of a back seat, allowing the spices to come forward.
Not as tart as the first method.

Final thoughts:
If you enjoy a softer bite experience with more of a focus on the spices and a nice subtle fruity flavour then this is the one for you.

: FIVE-DAY METHOD (The OG way)

Five-day method / Step one: Fermentation

For the rare times you plan ahead.

This method is the traditional way of preparing amba,
and starts with the greenest mangoes your supermarket has to offer.

• Slice (or cube, if you like) your mangoes and place them in a jar, add a bit of salt and leave them in a sunny spot to ferment

• After a few days, when the mangoes have turned pale,
  remove them from the jar and set the juice that was released aside

• Lay the slices out on a tray to bask in the sun for a few hours

• When the time finally comes, combine the juice with sugar and vinegar over medium-high heat before mixing it in with your mango slices and spices

• Allow the mix to simmer for about five minutes
  (making sure it doesn’t dry out), before pouring it into a clean jar

• Let it cool, then seal it and stick it in the fridge for a few hours so that all the flavours are absorbed

THE RESULT

Taste test: Immediate:
Has a bite and is chewy in texture - almost like that of dried fruit.

Taste test: a few days later:
No changes, pretty consistent in both flavour and texture.

Taste for flavour:
Balanced between spice and mango; darker in colour with a caramelised quality.

Final thoughts:
I was very hopeful until I let them dry in the sun. I really thought the fruit would reconstitute in the mix after a few days of marinating but was surprised to see that it remained consistent in flavour and fruit texture, no matter how long I let it sit. If anything, maybe some of the spices come through a little more after a few days of resting. but the mangoes remained slightly chewy and dried-fruit-like in texture.

: FACTORS TO CONSIDER

• The vinegar is there to help preserve your mangoes

• If you choose to brine the fruit before you cook it,
  that will allow for maximum preservation power — IF it lasts that long.

• However, brining may also change the texture of the fruit.

• The more time your amba sits in the spices, the more the flavour develops.

Given the time-frame of each method,
by the time the 5-day method is complete, the same-day method is going to taste pretty phenomenal. Purely down to the fact that it had that extra time to marinate and develop in flavour.

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: IN SUMMARY

WINNER-WINNER slathered-all-OVER A CHICKEN DINNER

Having tested and tasted each method, often; and conducting a focus group of-sorts with willing friends and family, the clear winner - the one that consistently came out on top - was the same-day method. It hit all the right spots, was balanced in flavour and heat and, perhaps most importantly, had just the right amount of bite to it.

Of course, the experimentation is never really over. I will continue to test, taste and adjust the 5-day method to see if it ever really does change in texture. Until then, I will continue
to indulge in same-day amba batches.

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: A LITTLE HISTORY

When I experimented with home-made amba, I went down a rabbit hole on Iraq, Baghdadi-Jewish history, the alleged family who created this wonderfully spicy condiment, and the impact the Indian Ocean trade had on Baghdadi cuisine.

I mean, to say, I fell into this rabbit-hole of history.

There is the history of amba and then there is the legend of how it was created.

The legend goes it was created in the 19th century by members of the Sassoon family of Bombay. Originally Iraqi Jews from Baghdad, they were known as the ‘Rothschilds of the East’ and took up fairly prominent positions in Baghdadi politics and society; serving as financial advisors to Iraqi rulers at the time, and treasurers of Baghdad.

However, following the persecution of jews in Baghdad by the last Mamluk ruler of Iraq, David Sassoon moved to Bombay with his huge family of 13 kids.

There, his discovery of mango led him to pack and ship barrels of the fruit, covered in vinegar, across the seas back to his home country.

I couldn’t find too much more on this alleged origin story of amba, but I did learn a few great facts on the man and his family. For example: The family did so well that by the 18th Century, they were one of the wealthiest families in the world, with a corporate empire spanning the whole of Asia.

David Sassoon was a philanthropist, businessman, cotton merchant and - at one point - essentially a drug lord. He had a descendant who eventually did marry into the Rothschild family and actor Jack Huston is his great-great-great-great-grandson. (Honesty check: I had to google Jack Huston).

It’s a great story, and part of me would like it to be true. But, the reality is probably not as romantic.

The reality is probably a little different…

Amba’s origin story is deeply rooted in the history of the Indian Ocean Trade network.

The lesser talked-about sister of the Silk Route, the Indian Ocean Trade was made up of a long-standing network of merchants who sailed back and forth with goods, spices, textiles, people, cultures, new ideas and recipes - for centuries.

It’s because of this trade route that communities of Hadrami Arabs from Yemen settled in India and parts of Asia; Indian merchants made their way to countries like Oman and Zanzibar; while Iraqi merchants settled in India, China and other parts of Asia.

Then, Europe got involved; rather than work together with merchants of this network, they saw it as an opportunity to take over and expand on their colonial plans. Merchants were followed by armies who were followed by missionaries, and it wasn’t long before the Indian Ocean Trading network was essentially dismantled.

The Baghdadi Jewish trading communities survived this unfortunate time in history and by the 20th century, in Iraq, the influence and impact the Indian Ocean Trade had on Iraqi cuisine was evident. Alongside the Baghdadi Jews, thousands of Indian merchants, scholars and students made their way into the country - most of whom remained and set up new lives there, long after the first world war was over.

Naturally, with spices and goods, recipes rich in flavor and cultural influences made their way back to Iraq and amongst them was Amba. Today, although many variations exist, this bright yellow, spicy condiment remains indisputably, authentically Iraqi.

David Sassoon
b. Oct 1792 – d. Nov 7, 1864
Source: Alchetron

David Sassoon (seated) with three of his eight sons.
Source: Wikipedia

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Sources + Reference links: Forever Amba, by Sasson Somekh / It Happened on Friday - A short story Abd al-Malik Noori / Shuk: From Market to Table / David Sassoon: Wiki / Recalling the legacy of David Sassoon to Mumbai / Baghdadi Jews: Wiki / Amba: Wiki / The Mango Sauce Connecting Indians, Israelis and Palestinians - and Taking High-end Restaurants by Storm / Amba: the Iraqi mango pickle from India that tops Palestinian shawarma / The Indian Ocean: A Maritime Trade Network History Nearly Forgot