PICKLES

PICKLES

My maternal uncle (Mama) was an agricultural officer, and he specialized in growing sugar cane. He lived in cool serene villages surrounded by trees and green fields. He had a ready stock of fresh green vegetables and fruits, and other farm produce at home. We visited him quite often and he took us round to show the age old temples and forts, and the forests and river sides around his place.

His wife (Mami) was a very enthusiastic hostess. She treated us with all the ethnic dishes which she prepared with great zest. She was a specialist in pickles, jams, chutneys, vattals (salted and sun dried vegetables used in various preparations), and vadams (these are prepared with lentils, puffed rice, raw rice, beaten rice or sago, and sun dried and stored during summer. This could be fried and used as side dish or as a snack just like chips.)Mama took us on awesome walks through the gentle stream which wound through at the bottom of our lane and Mami fried hot bajjis and sent them to us with a boy with a delicious and pudina (mint) chutney to go with it.The eroding sand grains tickling our feet under the soothing cool water, and the melting of the hot bajjis in our avaricious mouths was a unique experience which can not be explained in words.I can never forget the speed with which Mami pickled the freshly picked mangoes though her hands were full with all the cooking and packing the picnic lunch for our trips with Mama. Her mantra for a good pickle was “pick fresh, cook fresh and eat late.” Pickles do taste good as they age, as all the spices and seasoning take time to settle down in harmony.

VADU MANGAI OR BABY MANGO PICKLE
Ingredients
1. Baby mangoes – 500 gms
2. Salt – 200 gms
3. Red chilly powder – 50 gms
4. Turmeric powder – 2 tbsps
5. Castor oil or olive oil or gingili oil – 4 tbsps
6. Mustard seeds – 1 tbsp
7. Fenugreek seeds -1 tbsp
Method:
1. Wash and dry the mangoes thoroughly.
2. Mix oil and turmeric powder into a paste and rub over all the mangoes.
3. Lay a fistful of mangoes in a clean and dry jar.
4. Spread little salt on the mangoes.
5. Add another fistful of mangoes
6. Again cover it with salt, and repeat the procedure till all the mangoes and salt are over.
7. Cover the jar and allow it to stand for 2 or 3 days.
8. On the third day you will find the shrunk mangoes floating in a large volume of brine.
9. Stir well and drain excess water.
10. Add red chilly powder.
11. Powder the mustard and fenugreek seeds raw, and add it to the pickle.
12. Stir well and enjoy with curd rice.

HOG PLUM PICKLE (Amtakai) can also be prepared similarly.


LIME PICKLE
Here is Mami’s recipe for a mouth watering pickle prepared with the fresh juicy yellow lime, each the size of a badminton ball- which hung on the tree in her back yard.
Ingredients
1. Lime - 12
2. Salt – 250 gms
3. Red chilly powder – 250 gms
4. Turmeric powder -1 tbsp
5. Sesame oil - 2 tea cups
6. Mustard – 1 tsp
7. Asafoetida – a small piece
8. Fenugreek seeds – 2 tsps
Method:
1. Wash and wipe lime thoroughly. Cut each into 8 or 16 pieces.
2. Lay the pieces and salt alternately in layers in a clean dry jar. Cover and let the lime soak and soften in the salt for about 4 or 5 days.
3. Add chilly powder and turmeric powder, and do not stir yet.
4. Heat oil in a pan.
5. Fry the asafoetida .
6. Add the mustard seeds into the hot oil and allow it to splutter.
7. Pour the seasoning and the oil over the powders.
8. Dry roast fenugreek seeds until dark in colour.
9. Powder fried asafoetida and roasted fenugreek seeds and add to the pickle.
10. Stir well and store after it is thoroughly cooled.

When the pickle settles a thin film of oil stands on the top protecting it from molds. Enjoy with curd rice, chapattis, dosas, bread or any other dish of your choice.

RAW MANGO PICKLE
Follow the same directions as for lime pickle for 6 mangoes. Care should be taken to dry excess mango juice after cutting. Use a tissue to blot away the juice or allow it to dry in air before pickling.

AVAKKAI MANGO
Ingredients:
1. Firm raw mangoes - 6
2. Chilly powder -250 gms
3. Salt – 250 gms
4. Turmeric powder – 50 gms
5. Mustard seeds -100 gms
6. Fenugreek seeds -100 gms
7. Chick peas (kadalai) - 100 gms
8. Sesame oil – 2 tea cups or more

Cutting raw mangoes for Avakkai is an art. With the help of a sickle the mango is cut along with the tough seed so that each piece holds on to a small piece of the seed .This type of cutting needs a lot of tact and precision. If this is not possible, cut the mangoes into large pieces excluding the seed.
Method:
1. Wash and dry the mangoes before cutting.
2. Sponge off the excess juice and let the mango pieces to dry.
4. Powder mustard seeds and keep it aside.
5. Take a bowl with a wide mouth and spread the mango pieces in it.
6. Add the chilly powder, salt, turmeric powder, mustard powder, whole raw fenugreek seeds and the chick peas.
7. Add oil and blend all Ingredients thoroughly with a wooden spatula.
8. If the pickle is still dry, add more oil and blend for a pickle consistency.
9. Store in a clean dry jar.
10. Allow the chick peas and the fenugreek seeds to soak and swell in the spice for a week.
11. Keep stirring the pickle with a dry spoon every day.

Enjoy the hot and pungent spicy pickle with curd rice. It can even be relished with steaming hot rice.

GOOSEBERRY PICKLE IN CURD
Ingredients:
1. Gooseberries – 500 gms
2. Sesame (also called til) oil – 2 tbsps
3. Mustard seeds -1 tsp
4. Asafoetida powder – ¼ tsp
5. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
6. Salt - 2 tbsps
7. Chilly powder -2 tbsps
Method:
1. Wash and dry gooseberries thoroughly .With a sharp knife, make slits in the berries taking care not to cut them to pieces.
2 . Heat oil in a pan and add asafoetida and mustard seeds.
3. After the mustard splutters add the prepared gooseberries and mix in half the salt and cover with lid.
4. Cook over low flame for 2 minutes till the berries are done.
5 . Remove lid and add the remaining salt, chilly powder and turmeric powder and cook for 2 more minutes.
6. Remove from fire and allow it to cool.
7. Add one cup of whipped curd and blend well.
8 . Store in a clean dry jar.
The pickle with spicy curd gravy tastes excellent with plain hot rice. If you like the pungent aroma of raw mustard and fenugreek powder add the powder and blend just before removing from the stove.

SWEET AND SOUR MANGO PICKLE
Ingredients:
1. Grated raw mango – 1 cup
2. Sugar – ½ cup
3. Salt – ¼ tsp
4. Chilly powder – ¼ tsp
5. Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
6. Cooking oil – 1 tsp
Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add the grated mangoes and salt.
2. Stir in the red chilly powder and turmeric powder .
3. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes in low flame.
4. Remove cover and add sugar and stir.
5. Stir vigorously till the sugar melts completely in the mango juice.
6. Now cook in high flame till it boils once and switch off the flame.
7. The pickle will have the consistency of a jam
Enjoy it with bread, dosas or chapaties and poories.

SALTED LIME AND GREEN CHILLY PICKLE
Ingredients:
1. Lime – 6
2. Salt - 10 tbsp
3. Green chillies – 10
4. Fresh ginger – 1 finger length
5. Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
6. Mustard seeds -1/2 tsp
7. Asafoetida powder – ¼ tsp
8. Sesame oil – 2 tbsps
Method:
1. Wash and dry lime and cut them to pieces.
2. Wash and dry green chilies and slit them length wise.
3. Wash and dry ginger, remove the skin and cut it into thin slivers.
4. Combine all these with salt.
5. Heap the turmeric powder on the pickle .
6. Heat oil and season with mustard seeds and asafoetida powder.
7. Pour this seasoning on the heaped turmeric powder.
8. Shake all the ingredients together and store in a clean dry bottle.
This pickle is ready to use after 4 or 5 days.

Baked Chocolate Cheesecake

I have been waiting to bake this cheesecake for quite some time. Due to the high fat of cream cheese, I don't think we would like to eat a whole cheesecake just by two of us ( though how I wish :P ). So, I was waiting for some guests to pay me a visit so that I could bake cheesecake and share it together.

I was so pleased to have my friends with me weeks ago and shared this cheesecake together with them. I drizzled over some chocolate glaze before serving to make it much chocolaty.

This is a very strong and rich chocolate cheesecake. You would rather let it melt slowly in your mouth for few minutes and swallow it slowly before the next bite.
Chocoholic will not miss this!

Original recipe from Nigella Lawson (Nigella Feasts)

For the base:
125g digestive biscuits
60g butter
1 tablespoon cocoa

For the filling:
175g dark chocolate
500g Philadelphia cream cheese
150g caster sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
150 ml sour cream
½ teaspoon cocoa, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

For the glaze:
75g dark chocolate, finely chopped
125ml double cream
1 teaspoon golden syrup

To make the base, process the biscuits to make rough crumbs and then add the butter and cocoa. Process again until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then tips them into a 23cm springform tin. Press the biscuit crumbs into the bottom of the tin to make an even base and put into the freezer while you make the filing.
Preheat the oven to 180’C. Put a kettle on to boil. Melt the chocolate either in a microwave or double boiler, and set aside to cool slightly.
Beat the cream cheese to soften it and then add the sugar and cornflour, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water and the melted chocolate, and mix to a smooth batter. Take the springform tin out of the the freezer and line the outside of the tin with a good layer of clingfilm, and then another layer of strong foil over that. This will protect it from the water bath. Sit the springform tin in a roasting pan and pour in the cheesecake filing. Fill the roasting pan with just-boiled water to come about halfway up the cake tin, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it.

Peel away the foil and clingfilm wrapping and sit the cheesecake in its tin on a rack to cool. Put in the fridge once it’s no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with clingfilm, overnight. Let it lose its chill before unspringing the cheesecake to serve,
To make the chocolate glaze, very gently melt the chopped chocolate, cream and syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Let it cool a little, and then Jackson Pollock it over the chocolate cheesecake on its serving plate. Use the remaining glaze as an accompanying sauce.

Potato Paneer Cutlet

There is no hard and fast rules to make the stuffing for cutlet. Be creative and mix whatever veges you like.
This is how I made it-

Ingredients:

1. 2 potatoes -cooked and mashed
2. Slightly steamed cabbage and peas(microwave cabbage and peas with little water for 6 minutes and drain well so that there is no moisture) - 1 cup
3. Grated paneer - 1/2 cup
4. Chopped ginger - 1 tsp
5. Chopped garlic(optional) - 1 tsp
6. Salt
7. Chopped green chillies- 1 tsp
8. Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
9. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp
11. Chopped coriander leaves - a handful
12. Maida - 3 tbsp
13. Bread crumbs made with 4-5 bread pieces
14. Oil to deep fry
    

Method:
Mix ingredients 1 to 10 and roll into small balls and flatten them in the shape of cutlet. Heat oil in a pan. Make a thick paste of maida and water. Dry grind 4-5 bread pieces and keep it aside.
Dip each flattened ball in maida paste and roll it in bread crumbs.
Deep fry till golden brown on medium flame.
They are too tasty to resist!