Pssst. Restoration Hardware 20% Off Sale!

Just received this notice from Restoration Hardware.

Great deals!

Use Code FFP2010 on their web site.

Peggy

Lemon pickle

Pickles are an essential part of every Indian's meal. There will be no one who will not like the tangy and spicy pickles.Being a very avid fan of pickles, I decided to make lemon pickle for the first time.It has turned out really very very yummy,just the way my dear Granny used to make.

Ingredients:

Lemons - 5 (5 lemons in US , you can use 10 if Indian lemons)
Sesame oil - 1 1/2 cups
Asafoetida - 2 teaspoons
Red chillies - 20-25
Mustard seeds - 1 tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt - About 3 tablespoons (I eyeballed the salt measure)

Red Chilli powder - 2 tablespoons (optional instead of whole red chillies)

Method:

• Wash the lemons and pat dry them well. The lemons have to be completely dried.
• Cut the lemons into wedges and add them into a clean and dry glass bowl.
• Add the salt and mix them well with a dry spoon.
• Close the bowl with a lid or cover the mouth of the bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil (If the bowl does not have a lid) and keep it aside.
• Keep the bowl in a sunny place for 4-5 hours daily for about 10-12 days.
• Let the salt get incorporated well into the lemons and the lemons will turn very soft in due course of time.
• After 10-12 days the pickle can be made.

After 10-12 days:

• Take a pan and dry roast the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and the red chillies.All of these have to be roasted separately.
• Instead of dry roasting the red chillies, you can even use red chilli powder. I prefer using dry roasted chillies and powdering them because of the freshness and the distinct flavor it gives.
• Grind all these dry ingredients into a fine powder.
• Heat 1tablespoon sesame oil in a tadka pan/any pan and once the oil is hot, pop some mustard seeds and add the asafoetida and set it aside and let it cool down completely.
• To the bowl of lemons, add 2 teaspoons turmeric powder, the ground masala powders and mix well with a dry spoon.
• Add the rest of the sesame oil and mix well.
• Add the cooled sesame oil mixture of mustard seeds and asafoetida.
• Mix all the ingredients well and store it in a clean and dry bottle.
• Let the mixture sit for a day or two so that all the ground masalas get well blended into the lemon and form a pickle.
• Enjoy the pickle with rotis, rice or even just like that..

Instant Mango Pickle/ Manga Thalar Oorgai

Mango pickle and Ripe mangoes are my all time favorite..I have never made this pickle in the 2 years that I have stayed here. I found the raw mangoes a few days back at the local grocery store and I decided that I would make this quick and easy instant pickle. You can store this pickle for almost a week but I am sure that the pickle will be empty from the refrigerator in a jiffy. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Raw mango - 1
Oil - 2 tbsp
Asafoetida - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - According to taste

Method:

• Wash the mango and pat it completely dry. Make sure that there is no moisture on the mango.

• Cut the mango into small bite sized pieces and keep it aside.

• In a pan heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds and allow the seeds to pop. 

• Turn off the flame after the mustard seeds pop up. Allow the oil to cool down a little.
• Do not cool the oil completely. Add Asafoetida to the warm oil.

• Then add the turmeric powder, Red Chilli powder and salt to the oil and mix it all well.

• Allow the oil to completely cool down .

• Add the cut mango pieces and mix well.
• Keep the pickle aside for about 2 - 3 hours.
• This pickle stays good for about 1 week.
• Enjoy the pickle with any mixed rice or curd rice.