How To Make Pickles

Doesn’t your mouth just water up at the ring of the word pickles? They are spicy, juicy and tasty, in a very scrumptious way. Pickles appeal to our taste buds like nothing else. No jam or sauce on earth can possibly replace the place that pickles have in an Indian kitchen. These tangy, spicy delights are more than just side dishes with the main Indian course - they are the taste enhancers and make meals tastier than they are supposed to be. Not only that pickles are very easy to make and last really long. The best part about pickles is that when properly made, they keep getting better with time. Pickling is an ancient tradition of sorts and is the most common way of preserving fruits and veggies. It all started when man discovered that salt, sugar and vinegar can preserve the fruits and vegetables longer, after which, there has been no looking back. So read on for some easy pickle recipes and make a treat of sorts for yourself.

Easy Pickle Recipes

Onion Pickle

Ingredients

1 cup Mustard Oil
4 tbsp Black Mustard Seeds
2 tsp Red Chili Powder
1 tsp Ground Turmeric
3 tbsp Vinegar
2 ½ tsp Sugar
½ tsp Salt
3 tbsp Dry Mango Powder
15-18 Green Chilies
30 cloves of Garlic (Peeled)
1 ½ tsp Ginger (Crushed)
900 gm Onions (Sliced)
½ tsp Ascorbic Acid

Method

Heat oil to smoking point in a pan and then set it aside to cool.
Now blend mustard seeds, chili powder, turmeric, vinegar, sugar, salt and dry mango powder together to make a thick paste.
Add this mixture to oil and stir for a minute. Now add all other ingredients.
Mix everything well and store the mixture in sterilized jars covered with a film of oil.
Refrigerate for 3-4 weeks.

Lemon Pickle

Ingredients

1 kg Lemons
240 gms Salt
½ litre Mustard Oil
2 big pieces Asafetida
4 tsp Red Chili Pepper
½ kg Ginger
30 grams Mustard seeds
120 grams Whole Fresh Red Chillies
60 grams Fenugreek Seeds
1 cup Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Salt, for lime juice

Method

Wash the lemons and dry them with a cloth.
Make 4 slits in each lemon and pack the salt inside. Also rub a little salt outside till the skin is tender.
Heat oil in a pan till smoky and remove from the fire
Add asafetida to the oil and crush it with a spoon when it swells up and place the pan back on flame.
Add chilli powder and stir till red colour appears.
Remove the pan from fire and add mustard seeds while stirring constantly.
Place the pan back on flame and stir in lemons, fresh red chillies and ginger and cook until a little tender.
Roast Fenugreek seeds and powder them.
Mix fenugreek powder and lemon juice mixed with one tablespoon salt and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove from the fire, pour the lemons with the juice into a clean jar, and cork tightly.

Sweet Mango Pickle

Ingredients

675 gms Green Mangoes
575 gms Sugar
2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp White Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Brown Cardamom Seeds
1 tbsp Poppy Seeds
1 tsp Red Chili Powder

Method

Peel and grate the mangoes in a large bowl and make sure the flesh is about 450gms.
Mix sugar and salt well in the bowl.
Roast cumin seeds, cardamom seeds and poppy seeds and stir in chili powder when done.
Mix the above seed mixture with the sweetened mango.
Place the pickle into a sterilized jar, cover with a clean cloth and leave out in the sun or in warm, light place for about a week.
Shake the jar at least once a day and refrigerate only when the pickle is 3 weeks old.

How to Cite

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Art & Entertainment'