Quite a pickle

The path to hell is paved with good intentions.

Well, that's quite a drastic start to this story. But that's exactly how it started. Early last summer, I made a really good batch of lemon squash, and then decided to make another batch while the sun was shining. With one thing and another I suddenly realized that I was starting to wear sweaters everyday, the days were getting visibly shorter, and HELP... the lemons in the refrigerator were nearing the end of their limited shelf life.

And so I decided to make PICKLES.

Before I get started with my story on pickling, I have to thank two wonderful people. Manisha, who's blog Indian Food Rocks is a real lifesaver and Indosungod who writes her Daily Musings, took time out of their busy lives to help me out of this pickle.

A healthy amount of time was spent trawling the internet for suitable recipes. With the number of lemons I had in hand, and keeping in mind that I am the only pickle-eater in our home, it had to have a long shelf life. After some R and D, I decided that cooked pickles were out. And since the weather was turning cold at an alarming rate, the sun-cooked variety was not that good an option. I finally decided that these two recipes fit the bill well.

Once I took the lemons out of the fridge, I saw that quite a few of them were unsuitable for pickling. That left me with (hold your heart) 30 large lemons. I let them get to room temperature, washed and dried them thoroughly, cut them and then got down to spicing said pickles. I made up a spice blend that was a combination of Manisha and Indosungod's recipes. And pickled the lemons in two batches. One batch was totally oil free. For the second batch, I heated some oil, let it cool and added it to the pickle jar. Whenever I could see the sun and feel some warmth outdoors, I left the jars outside. On other days, the two jars sat close to the stove, the warmest place in my kitchen.

After three weeks, the jar that had no oil in it had a very thick layer of pale gray furry looking stuff growing on it. And it all went straight to the dustbin. Jar 2 seemed alright, so I let it be. And continued to keep it near the stove for another month.

Then I went on my holiday. I cleaned up the kitchen before I left, put things away, and totally forgot about the pickles for nearly two months.

A week ago, a Japanese friend was having dinner with me, and asked if Indians really eat pickled lemon. That reminded me of that experiment, and I rushed to bring out that jar from the back of the kitchen cupboard. I opened it and it looked alright. And smelt alright too.

I took a deep breath. "A-san, would you like to try some pickled lemon??"

A-san looked torn. The idea of pickled lemon seemed quite alien to her, but she also wanted to know what the fuss was all about. "May I try some?" she asked, and I could see that curiousity won out.

She took one bite, and her knee jerk reaction was "Supai desu ne!" (It tastes sour)

And then after a few seconds, she said that it didn't taste sour anymore. She asked for a second helping and a third, and then asked if she could take some home for her family.

And I must admit they were awesome. Just perfect with hot parathas!

If you want to try the straightforward method, choose any of these two recipes.

Or if you like to do things the complicated way:

Prep the limes the was Indosungod does in this recipe.

Follow Manisha's instructions exactly.

The spice mix I used was as follows:
1 tsp methi seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida or hing powder
1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)

Roast these ingredients individually till browned (about 4-5 minutes)
Let cool completely.
Grind to a fine powder.

Finally, heat 1/2 cup of oil till almost smoking.
Add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds and let them splutter.
Let it cool completely.
Add to the jar of pickles along with 1/2 cup sugar and shake gently till well mixed.

Cross your fingers and pray for lots of sunshine.

The finally result was quite nice. It was a nice blend of sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavours.

Next time however, I plan to follow any one recipe, and do it properly.

Thank you again, Manisha and Indosungod.

And maybe you're thanking your lucky stars that I'm too far away to send you a sample.

Minty-tangy Onion Relish

I can't think of anyone who dislikes onion relish. It does add a certain dash as a condiment with north Indian food. What if the same onions are served with a minty dressing? The result is absolutely fabulous. Hot, minty, tangy and totally yummy. Goes great with Biriyani... just remember to make a generous quantity. It disappears faster than the eye can see.

Minty Onion Relish
makes about 4 cups

2 large onions (sliced fine)
2 cups mint leaves
1 cup coriander leaves
1 green chili
1 tsp jeera powder
2 tbsp grated coconut
1 marble sized ball of tamarind
2 tbsp hot water
salt to taste


Wash and clean the coriander and mint leaves.
Soak tamarind in about 2 tbsp hot water. Dissolve and extract as much juice as possible. Strain and keep aside.
Add all ingredients except the onions, and grind to a fine paste.
In a serving bowl, combine sliced onions, and the mint-paste.
Cover with cling film, and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes:
More green chilis may be added, depending on taste.
Dessicated coconut works well, but nothing like fresh coconut of you can get some.

Crystallized Ginger

What's a girl to do when it snows all the time, and it's kind of not so great an idea to venture outdoors with a 3 month old in tow?? That girl experiments in the kitchen. And comes up with some interesting outputs.

The problem with these outputs is that after a while, she tends to get very gassy due to lack of exercise, and the littlest one comes down with a bad case of colic. After consuming lots of ajwain, jeera and other not-so-tasty stuff boiled in water, she's desperate for a change.

That girl is yours truly and she's at her wits' end!

Stuff like crystallized or candied ginger isn't easy to find in these neck of the woods. After a few futile efforts, I thought I'm make a batch at home. What could go wrong after all???

Actually, to tell the truth, nothing went all that way off base, but I made this mistake of starting with way too much ginger, and that made the process way too time consuming. But the end result(s) were more than worth it.

Sweet on the first bite, and then the spicy tang hits you. This is the perfect way to end any bout of overindulgence.

Crystallized Ginger
makes 2 medium bottles

1/4 kg ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 kg sugar (divided)
400 ml water
1 cup sugar (for coating)

Bring ginger 1/4 kg sugar and 200 ml water to boil, stirring occasionally, till sugar dissolves.
Reduce flame to lowest setting, and cook for about an hour, till ginger starts to turn translucent.

Add remaining 1/4 kg sugar, and 200 ml water.
Continue to cook till all the ginger turns translucent (about 2 hours)


Using a slotted spoon, drain ginger slices and transfer to a baking sheet.
Toss with one cup sugar to coat.
Let cool overnight.
Store in clean, dry jars with tight fitting lid.

Reserve the liquid for use in flavoring sauces, or as a dessert sauce.