Indian Apple Pickle

Sala @ Veggie Belly — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:40:43 +0000

This is my grandmothers recipe. The granny smith apples in this pickle make a tart, sweet, spicy condiment that is perfect with rotis and breads. Make sure you use the roasted fenugreek powder, it makes a big difference! Also make sure you use tart cooking apples (I love granny smiths!); the mealy sweet apples wont work.

Indian Apple Pickle
makes about 1 1/2 cups

2 large granny smith apples or other tart, cooking apples
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/8 tsp fenugreek powder (lightly roast fenugreek seeds in a dry pan over low heat and then grind to a powder)
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1-2 green chillies
3/4 tsp urad dal
a few curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt
4 tbsp vegetable oil

Core the apples and dice them into tiny cubes. Toss with lemon juice and set aside. Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add fenugreek powder, asafoetida, green chilies, urad dal and curry leaves. Stir on medium high heat for about 1 minute. Then add diced apples. Cook, stirring occassionally till the apples are slightly soft, about 10 minutes. Add turmeric, chili powder, and salt to the apples and cook another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt and lemon juice. Once cool, store the pickle in an air-tight container in the fridge. Pickle will last about a week.

Green Mango Pickle

Sala @ Veggie Belly — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Somebody pry me away from this pickle! It’s becoming a dangerous addiction! All I’ve been eating is curd rice and mango pickle! Its that yummy. But then, what’s not to like about my grandmother’s recipes? Like all her recipes, this one is full of tasty, south Indian goodness. The secret ingredient in this pickle is roasted, ground fenugreek. I always have some on hand to add a rich, nutty, slightly bitter punch to recipes. Unlike pickled cucumber which is sweet and vinegary, this Indian pickle is spicy, salty and pickled in oil. It packs a lot of flavor, so a little goes a long way!

Make sure you buy raw (not ripe), green, rock hard mangoes for this recipe. The pickle will keep up to 3 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge. It tastes the best after the second day, when all the flavors have soaked into the mango pieces.

Green Mango Pickle
makes about 2 cups

1 large firm, green mango
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
2 pinches asafoetida
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chili/cayenne powder. Use paprika for less heat.
¼ tsp fenugreek powder, see below for method
¾ tbsp salt

How to make fenugreek powder: toast fenugreek seeds in a skillet on a low flame. Once they are fragrant, about 2 minutes, turn off heat and let the fenugreek cool. Then grind in a food processor to a fine powder. Store in an air tight container.

Using a sharp knife, cut the mango and discard the core. Chop the mango into very tiny pieces. Or you could zip it through a food chopper.

Place the chopped mango in a bowl. Place the turmeric, chili powder and fenugreek powder in a little mound on top of the chopped mango.

Heat the oil in a small skillet and add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the asafoetida and turn off the heat. Pour the hot oil with the mustard seeds and asafoetida over the mound of turmeric, chili powder and fenugreek. Add the salt. Stir till everything is well combined.

When the pickle is cool, put it in an airtight container and refrigerate.

This pickle is great as a condiment with Indian food. I also enjoy it with pita bread and hummus or stirred into pasta or couscous.

Veggie Belly » pickle

Indian Apple Pickle

Green Mango Pickle