Pickles
have always been a very indispensable part of Indian cuisine. Many of us are
under the impression that only our grannies can make those delicious and
mouth-watering pickles...they are not all that difficult. I am giving below
some "tried and tested" pickles...These are very easy to
prepare. My husband loves them.... And I am sure you will like them too.
So,
friends..get ready to receive all those compliments and praises from your
friends and relatives. And yes....these are very handy for bachelors &
forced-bachelors too......JJ
Ingredients:
Hunt’s Tomato paste : 1 big tin
Cooking Oil : 2 - 21/2cups
Chilly Powder : 12-15 Tblsps (you may add more if you are fond of
hot pickles)
Turmeric Powder : 4 tsps
Dry whole red chillies : 15 nos.
Fenugreek seeds (methi) : 2 tsps
mustard seeds : 2 tsps
Tamarind paste : 3 tsps
Curry leaves: a few sprigs
Asafoetida (hing) : 1/2 tsp
salt : to taste
Method:
1. Take a heavy-bottomed vessel and switch on the gas. Non stick
kadhai or pressure pan is best for this purpose.
2. Put the tomato paste and add chilly powder, turmeric powder and
salt and keep stirring on low flame till the paste loses its raw flavour. Add
tamarind paste and stir for some more time.
3. Switch off the gas.
4. In a separate kadhai, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and once it
splutters, add methi seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and hing. Pour this
heated oil in the tomato paste and mix well.
5. Switch on the gas again and keep stirring the tomato mixture.
The mixture will become homogeneous and the oil will become red after some
time. Keep stirring till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
6. Remove from flame and wait till it cools down.
7. It is now ready to eat. This pickle can be stored upto 2 months
if kept in the refrigerator.
8. Goes best with hot rice and ghee.
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(See next page)
Mixed Vegetable
Pickle:
Ingredients:
Cauliflower : 1/2 big or 1 small
Carrots : 2 Nos.
Beans : About 15- 20
Turnip : 2 Nos.
Capsicum / Green pepper : 1 big
Green chillies : 20 nos.
Ginger- garlic paste : 1/2 cup
Kalonji : 2tsps
Chilly Powder : 10- 15 tsps
turmeric powder : 3 tsps
Mustard / Rai powder : 2 tbsps
Garam Masala powder : 4 tsps
Mustard Oil : 2 Cups
Vinegar : 1/2 cup
Jaggery / sugar: 5 tsps
salt : to taste
Method:
1. Wash all the vegetables and let them dry so that there is no
water
2. Peel the carrots, turnip, string the beans and cut all the
vegetable except green chillies into 1” pieces.
3. Heat mustard oil in a big flat-bottomed kadhai. Let the oil lose
all its smell. It should become a little smoky but e careful not overheat it.
4. Add kalonji to it and once it splutters, add the ginger-garlic
paste. Keep stirring till the paste becomes pink in colour.
5. Add all the vegetables and keep frying them in the oil. The
vegetables should be half cooked and should still be crispy. This will take
about 12 - 15 minutes.
6. Switch off the gas and allow it to cool.
7. Meanwhile, put vinegar in a cup and dissolve the jaggery/sugar
in it.
8. Once the vegetables are cool, add salt, turmeric powder, chilly
powder, garam masala powder and the vinegar with the sugar.
9. Switch on the gas again and keep stirring the pickle till all
the masala assimilates well with the vegetables. This should take about 8-10
minutes.
10 Add the rai/mustard powder just before switching off the gas.
11. Allow the pickle to cool and store in air-tight container. It
takes about 8-10 days for the pickle to be ready.
12. This pickle can be stored for upto 2 months. Goes best with
chapattis and puris.
