Sirka pyaz or onions in vinegar.

Sirka pyaz or onions in vinegar are common at any hotel in North India. The trend has caught up in the other states of India as well.

Though this cannot be termed as a pickle per se, no meal is complete without onions and green chillies in North India.

The onions are steeped in vinegar to soften the sharpness. The vinegar too lends its sourness to them. Absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

½ cup water


1/4 of a beetroot cubed


1 tsp sugar


2-3 cloves


1 inch piece of cinnamon stick


1 cup peeled pearl onions/ shallots


1 cup white/ synthetic vinegar


2 teaspoons salt.

Method:

Pour the water into a pan. Add the beetroot, sugar, cloves and cinnamon to it.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer the mixture for about 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly.
Tip the pearl onions into a glass jar. Pour the white vinegar, salt and the cooled water mixture over the onions and stir gently.
Tightly cap the jar and refrigerate it. Use the onions after a day for up to ten days.

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Copyright © 2023 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

Pickled radish and turnip.

One can make a number of water based pickles with choice of vegetables. They take about a week to mature and can then be eaten over the next few weeks. Do refrigerate them to avoid deterioration.

Ingredients:

1 cup juliennes of tender baby white radish


1 cup slices of turnip


20 pepper corns crushed


2 inch piece of cinnamon


200 gms sugar


1 heaped tbsp salt

1 cup vinegar

Method:

Tip the vinegar, sugar, crushed pepper corns, cinnamon, salt and 150 ml water into a pan. Bring to a boil, stirring the mixture till the sugar dissolves. Allow the solution to cool completely.
Pour it into a clean sterilized bottle and add the pieces of radish and turnip. Mix well. Allow the pickle to mature for a couple of days. It can be stored at room temperature for four weeks.
Enjoy it with Parathas, roti or even as a filling inside bread.

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Copyright © 2023 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

Raw mango pickle North Indian style.

Pickles are usually made with raw, unripe mangoes. The semi ripe ones go into making of murabba and the sweet and tangy variety of pickles. This Mango Pickle or Aam Ka Achar as it is called in North India is a recipe which is sour and makes for the tastiest accompaniment with any Indian meal because of the choicest of spices that are used to make it.

Ingredients:

250 gms raw mango


1/2 cup mustard oil or oil of choice


6 tsps salt


1/2 tsp turmeric powder


2 tbsps red chilli powder


1 tsp asafoetida/ Hing


1 tsp fennel seeds/saunf


1 tsp onion seeds/ kalonji


1 tbsp mustard seeds


1 tsp fenugreek seeds/ methi.

Method:

Wash and dry the raw mangoes thoroughly. Cut them into bite sized pieces. Heat the oil to smoking point and allow it to cool completely. Roast the fennel, onion seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds lightly to facilitate pounding in a mortar. Pound them coarsely. Mix together salt, red chilli powder and asafoetida along with the coarse spice powders. Gently mix this spice mix with the raw mango pieces. Immediately transfer into a glass or ceramic jar.

Cover with a muslin cloth and sun daily for about 3-4 days. The pickle can be used after four days.

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Pickled vegetables.

Crunchy pickled vegetables tickle the taste buds and can be served along with a salad or a meal.. My most favourite is a tablespoon of the pickle placed inside two slices of buttered bread. This pickle has a short shelf life so should be refrigerated.

Ingredients:

I used around 100 gms each of the following vegetables:

Raw mango

Cauliflower

Carrot

Ivygourd

A three inch piece of ginger grated

4 lemons

Salt as required

5 tbsps oil

1tbsp mustard seeds

A kidney bean sized piece of asafoetida powdered

1tsp turmeric powder

3 green chillies slit lengthwise.

Method:

Wash and dry the vegetables, green chillies and ginger thoroughly. Cut them into bite sized pieces. I did not slice the ivygourd since I prefer it whole. Grate the ginger and slit the green chillies. Tip everything into a glass bowl. Add salt and turmeric powder and mix thoroughly. Allow to stand overnight. The next day toss it once every five hours so that all the vegetables are well marinated. The following day heat the oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard seeds. After they crackle add the asafoetida and give a quick toss. Pour the seasoning over the vegetables. Mix thoroughly and bottle. They are ready to be used… Care should be taken to keep this refrigerated at all times. Prepare in a small quantity.

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Kaapsukuntayi.

The name sounds intriguing isn’t it? Kaapsukuntayi is a tangy, sweet and spicy dish which is popular at my friend Nirmala Kamath’s place. It goes well with rice, chapati or even as a dip with cutlets. Extremely flavourful and delicious.

Ingredients:

100 gms tamarind soaked in warm water

100 gms or more of jaggery grated depending upon how tart the tamarind is

9 green chillies finely chopped

2 inch piece of ginger grated

A small fistful of raisins.

Salt.

Method:

Extract the pulp from the soaked tamarind. Sieve it and tip it into a pan. Add the jaggery, salt, finely chopped chillies and grated ginger and bring to a boil. Lower heat and keep simmering till it becomes semi solid. Switch off the stove and add the raisins. Cool thoroughly and bottle. Stays good in the refrigerator for a long time.

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Raw mango sweet and tangy chutney

This sweet and tangy mango chutney goes well with Chapati, thepla, dal rice and also with poori. This is one chutney I always make when mangoes are in reason. The best mangoes for this preparation are the raw Rajapuri mangoes which are fleshy and tart. If unavailable any other raw mango like Totapuri or Ladva too works equally well. Do ensure that the mango is totally raw as even the slightest hint of ripeness can decrease the shelf life of this chutney.

Ingredients:

One large Rajapuri mango weighing around half a kg.

Sugar depending on the tartness of the mango. Here I used about 150 gms.

Salt

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Chilly powder as per preference

1 tsp methi seeds dry roasted and powdered

A kidney bean sized piece of Hing/ asafoetida

1 tbsp sesame oil/ oil of choice

1 tsp mustard seeds.

Method:

Wash the raw mango and pat it dry. Peel and then grate it. Add salt, sugar and the turmeric powder to it and keep it aside for ten minutes. The mango releases water. Heat the oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard seeds and after they crackle switch off and add the chilly powder. Immediately add the mango mixture to avoid burning of the chilly powder. Mix well. Turn on heat and after one boil, lower heat to minimum. Add the roasted methi seed powder and continue to cook till you see the mixture coming together. Transfer a spoon of the mixture on a plate. Tilt the plate. If the mixture doesn’t run, the chutney is done. Immediately switch off the gas and allow the chutney to cool thoroughly before bottling. It stays good for a fortnight in the refrigerator.

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Carrots in brine

One of the brined vegetables that goes well with Dal rice, curd rice or even in wraps or as a topping over salads is the versatile carrot. I love mine spiced with a few green chillies and ginger added to them. You may also use sliced garlic or baby onions if you wish to.

Ingredients:

4 carrots sliced into strips

3 green chillies slit but kept intact at the base

2 inch piece of ginger either sliced or just crushed

1 lemon sliced into thin roundels

200 ml water

1 tbsp salt

5 tbsps vinegar

Method:

Arrange the carrots, green chillies , ginger and sliced lemon into a thoroughly washed and dried glass bottle. Drop in the water, salt and vinegar. Screw on the cap or use an air tight bottle. Leave it outside for a day and then refrigerate it. You can start using them from the third day onwards.

Note: I have not boiled the water to make brine as I have used just four carrots. Always boil the water to which salt has been added to brine larger quantities of carrot or any vegetable.

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Pineapple Menskai

This is a must when pineapple is in season. A traditional dish of Udupi , it is made during weddings and all auspicious occasions in South Kanara. Sweet, spicy and tangy, it goes well with both rice and roti.

Ingredients:

1 pineapple cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 of a small coconut

2 tbsps coriander seeds

10 seeds methi/ Fenugreek

15 pepper corns

2 tbsps Chana Dal /Bengal Gram Dal

1 tbsp Til/ Sesame

A kidney bean sized piece of hing/ asafoetida

A pinch of haldi /turmeric

12 roasted Byadgi chillies

2 tbsps Tamarind paste

5 tbsps Jaggery syrup

Salt

1 tbsp mustard

3 tbsps coconut oil

Method:

Boil the pineapple pieces with a little salt till done. Dry roast the coconut to a rich brown on a gentle flame. Roast the Byadgi chillies in half a tsp of oil till crisp. Roast the coriander, chana dal, sesame, methi and pepper corns in a tsp of oil to a golden yellow. Drop in the hing and roast to a nice golden brown. Remove from flame and add the haldi. Mix thoroughly. Grind the roasted coconut, roasted red chillies, tamarind and the roasted spices to a smooth paste with as much water as required. Drop the paste into the cooked pineapple pieces. Add the jaggery and adjust salt. Boil well. Heat oil. Add the mustard. After it splutters drop it into the boiling Menskai. Switch off, cover and keep aside for half an hour for the flavours to infuse.

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Kairi ki Launji/ sweet and tangy raw mango pickle

This sweet and tangy raw mango pickle comes from the state of Rajasthan, the land of camels and home to the Thar desert. It can be served with Parathas, Roti or even with Poori. This is an instant pickle and is ready in no time. Every household adds spices and condiments as per personal preference, so no two pickles taste the same. My heartfelt thanks to my friend Anita Hegde who shared her recipe with me.

Ingredients:

3 medium sized raw mangoes/ 250 gms

1/2 cup jaggery

1 tbsp Kashmiri Lal chilly powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt

1 tbsp coriander powder

For the tempering:

2 tbsps of oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp saunf/ fennel seeds

1/2 tsp Methi/ Fenugreek seeds

1/4 tsp Hing/ Asafoetida

Method:

Wash, pat dry and peel the raw mango. Chop into large sized pieces as shown in the picture. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and after they splutter add the cumin seeds, fennel, asafoetida and fenugreek seeds. Add the turmeric, chilly and coriander powders, toss and immediately drop in the raw mango pieces and salt. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add one glass of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and when the raw mango is seventy five percent done, add the jaggery. Cook till the jaggery dissolves and then simmer further for another five minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly before bottling.

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Lemon pickle -2

This is a Lemon pickle which I made with the used peels. I had used the juice to make a mixed vegetable pickle, but didn’t have the heart to throw the rind away as it was so fresh and fragrant. I used some vinegar to preserve the pickle instead of adding more lemon juice to it.

Ingredients:

  • Rind of 32 small lemons
  • 150 gms Guntur chillies
  • 150 gms Byadgi chillies
  • Marble sized piece of hing
  • 100 gms mustard
  • 2 tbsp methi seeds
  • 200 gms salt
  • Half a cup of vinegar
  • Half a cup of oil heated well and cooled thoroughly

Method:


Roast the chillies with 2 tbsps of oil .Dry roast the methi till a rich brown. Dry roast the mustard till it splutters. Dry roast hing till it gives it’s aroma. Powder the ingredients together. Quarter the lemon rind. Mix the masala, salt, vinegar and oil and store in a glass bottle or ceramic jar. Use after a month.

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