Fish pickle/Meen achar (Broiler method)

Ingredients

1. Tilapia fillets 1 lb
2. Red chilly powder 1 TBSP
3. Turmeric powder 1 tsp
4. Oil 1 TBSP
5. Salt as needed

• Clean and wash the fish fillets and cut to small cubes. Add all the ingredients and allow to marinate for 10 minutes.
• Set the oven to BROIL mode.
• Arrange the marinated fish onto an aluminum foil lined baking tray and slide into the oven and broil for 12-15 minutes. Take the fish out immediately or it will get burned!

1. Ginger 2 inch piece, julienned
2. Garlic 1 whole, julienned
3. Curry leaves a handful, chopped
4. Red chilly powder 1 TBSP
5. Vinegar 5 TBSP
6. Salt as needed
7. Oil 2 TBSP

• Heat oil in a deep heavy bottomed pan and saute ginger, garlic until golden brown.
• Add the curry leaves and saute for a minute.
• Now reduce flame and add the red chilly powder and salt. Saute for 2 minutes and add the broiled fish. Mix well and switch off flame. Allow this to cool for few minutes and then add the vinegar. Mix well and when completely cooled transfer onto an airtight container and let the pickle rest for a couple of days before digging in…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

1. I have made the dry version here, but if you prefer the wet piickle, add 3/4 cup water after adding fish and cook till boiling. Switch off and once cooled add vinegar.. 
2. You can use Salmon fillets also and follow the same method, keep in mind to broil for 20 minutes.
3. If you prefer deep frying, you can do the same and then continue with the pickling directions…

Cheers!!!
Suji

Pickled beetroot/Beetroot achar

Homemade pickles are always great, isnt it? I used to wait for my holidays to India to bring back all those goodies and enjoy it back in US. But slowly I learnt that it is much more easier to make at home than I thought it would be, say pickles or other readymade powders like puttu, appam, idiyappam powders (will share recipes soon). This is a little different from the traditional kerala style pickles, but yet tastes great. Serves well with rice and even as a relish for burgers and sandwiches..

Ingredients

1. Beetroot 2 large, thinly sliced to strips
2. Water ½ cup
3. Garlic 1 TBSP, finely chopped
4. Curry leaves 2 sprigs, finely chopped
5. Granulated sugar 3 tsp
6. Black pepper powder 1 tsp
7. Bay leaf 1 no
    Cinnamon stick 1
    Cloves 2 nos
8. White vinegar ½ cup
9. Olive oil/any cooking oil 2 TBSP
10. Salt as required

Preparation

• Cook the beetroot with ½ cup water and ingredients numbered 7 in a pan till tender and allow the liquid to evaporate completely. Set aside.
• In another pan, heat oil and saute garlic and curry leaves till aromatic, about 2 minutes.
• Now add the cooked beetroot, sugar, pepper powder and salt. Mix well to combine and cook for another 5 minutes at low heat.
• Lastly add the vinegar and mix well. Increase heat to high and cook for 3 more minutes. Switch off flame and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container and use within a week.

Cheers!!!
Suji

Kumquats Pickle

Ingredients

1. Kumquats 1 kg, thinly sliced into rounds
2. Ginger 2 TBSP, finely chopped
    Garlic 2 TBSP, finely chopped
    Green chilly 8 small, finely chopped
    Curry leaves 3 sprigs, chopped
3. Kashmiri chilly powder 5 teaspoon
    Turmeric powder 1 tsp
    Jaggery/brown sugar 3 TBSP
4. Asafetida ½ tsp
    Fenugreek seeds ¼ tsp
    Mustard seeds 1 tsp
5. Vinegar 2 TBSP
6. Oil 4 TBSP
7. Salt as required

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparation

• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add the asafetida and mix.
• Now add ingredients numbered 2 and sauté till aromatic.
• Reduce flame and add ingredients numbered 3, salt and stir well.
• Next add the sliced kumquats and mix well. Increase flame to medium and cook this for about 15 minutes.
• Lastly add the vinegar and mix well. Remove from flame and allow to cool.
• Once cooled store in an air tight container and enjoy!!!

Cheers!!!
Suji

Oil free lemon pickle/ Naranga curry

A pickle without oil, that’s something strange, isn’t it? Below recipe is an easy to make, healthy pickle which tastes great with anything and everything..So dear friends, do give it a try and see for yourself….

Lemon 8 nos, cut to 8 pieces
Garlic 8 big pods, roughly chopped
Green chilly 2 big, roughly chopped
Fenugreek powder ½ tsp
Red chilly powder 2 tsp, heaped
Curry leaves a few
Salt as needed

Preparation

In a deep pan, add lemon pieces, salt and fenugreek powder. Mix these well to combine and then turn on stove to medium heat. Cook this for 10-15 minutes and you will notice water oozing out from the lemon pieces. Let it cook for few more minutes and when they are half cooked, add garlic, green chilly and curry leaves, mix well and again cook for 10 more minutes. At this point, you can add ¼ cup water if you want gravy for your pickle. Otherwise add red chilly powder, mix well and switch off the flame. Continue stirring for 3 -4 more minutes. Allow to cool and store in airtight container for at least 24 hours before consuming. Store the pickle in refrigerator to increase shelf life.

Mango pickle/ Manga Achar

Achaar or pickle is a very spicy condiment which has to be eaten in very small quantities. Any Indian meals without pickle is unimaginable. Mango pickle can be considered to be the queen of pickles. It is easy to make and great to taste. We thought we would delight you with this easy to make mango pickle today, specially when this is the mango season in our god’s own country. We are sure that most of you have nostalgic memories about spending your good old days amongst the mango groves in your ancestral homes!!! Let it bring a lotta memories!

Unripe mango/pacha manga 1 lb, cut to small cubes
Red chilly powder 4 TBSP
Turmeric powder ¼ tsp
Asafetida powder ¼ tsp
Fenugreek powder ¼ tsp
Gingelly oil ½ cup
Salt as needed
Water ¼ cup
Mustard seeds ¾ tsp
Dry red chilly 4 nos
Curry leaves 2-3 sprigs

Prepration

In a mixing bowl, add the cubed mango pieces along with turmeric powder and salt. Mix these together well and set aside for atleast 2 hours. After that, add red chilly powder, asafetida and fenugreek powder. Mix all well to combine.

Heat oil (until fumes start to develop) in a heavy bottomed pan. Switch off flame and immediately add mustard seeds, dry red chilly and curry leaves. Add this over the mango pieces and mix well. Continue mixing until the froth from oil is completely disappeared and the raw smell from the chilly powder is gone. Transfer this to another bowl and set aside.

Now in the same pan, boil ¼ cup water and add to the prepared mango pickle. Mix well to combine and spicy, tasty mango pickle is ready to serve..

Tips

Add 3-4 TBSP yoghurt to 1/2 cup of pickle for an extra richness while serving..