1 cup melon cucumber (diced)
4 tbsps mustard seeds
4 tbsps red chilli powder (use 3 tbsps for less spice)
1 1/2 tbsp salt (if required more salt can be added later)
2 tsp turmeric
½ tsp asafoetida
4-5 tbsp sesame seed oil (nuvvulu nune in Telugu)
 
Preparation
Wash a medium sized dosakaya (melon Cucumber) well and wipe it with a dry cloth before cutting.
Cut it into two halves, de-seed and again cut them in to small pieces Approx 1″ size, along with the skin.
Powder the mustard seed along with chilli powder and salt. (We powder mustard seeds with chilli powder and salt because if mustard is ground alone it might turn oily and sticky.)
The combination of all these dry ingredients is an aromatic spice mix called the avalu pindi in Telugu, which means mustard powder.
Mix these spices along with turmeric, asafoetida in a wide bowl.
To this, add dosakaya pieces and mix well.
Add oil and mix slowly and gently until all the pieces of cucumber are coated well.
Transfer the pickle into a clean airtight jar.
Leave it for 24 hours and next day gently toss the pickle with a ladle. The cucumber absorbs the spices and is ready to eat with rice and ghee.
Dosa avakai is best consumed within 2-3 weeks of preparation.