FOOD SPECIAL.... THE PICKLE STORIES

THE PICKLE STORIES

Take advantage of abundant winter veggies to make these delicious and simple homemade pickles from across the country

While it’s difficult to trace the exact origins of the Indian pickle, it is believed to be one of the earliest known form of food preservation. “It was also a way to preserve the season’s excesses and stock up nutrients for the whole year. In cold and arid areas, perishable foods were dried in the sun and cured in brine,” says food writer Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal who adds that pickling is an important food tradition that is passed down the generations and the wide variety of regional ingredients and traditions pertaining to the region. “For example, vinegar is popularly used on Goan pickles, Parsis use sugarcane vinegar from Navsari while Bengalis mostly use mustard oil,” she adds. With the weather cooling off, it is time to put the seasonal fruits and vegetables to good use and an instant pickle which Gujaratis make during this time is with mango ginger. “My grandmother used to make this when tender, fresh mango ginger came into season. It has a strong aroma reminiscent of mango and is added to fresh root turmeric. It can be served with grilled dishes, paratha, khichdi, dal-chawal and virtually everything on the Indian menu,” explains Ghildiyal.

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GHARAB NU ACHAAR

The best known Parsi pickle is the rich, carrot-based lagan nu achar, a staple at wedding feasts. “The community developed a taste for pickles after their arrival in India. They have created pickles which are typically their own such as bafenu (made with whole ripe mangoes), gajjar meva nu achaar (as it is made with pink carrots n lots of plum nuts), Kolmi nu achaar (made with prawns) but gharab nu achaar with fish roe and the indispensable Navsari sugarcane vinegar always stands out in is a classic accompaniment,” says home chef Mahrukh Mogrelia of Mahrukh’s Kitchen. Navsari vinegar is a special cane vinegar that comes from Navsari, a small town near Surat. It is still brewed in wooden casks and follows the same process since 1885. No two families will have the same recipe as these are passed from one generation to other.

INGREDIENTS:

1 fish roe, cut to 5-6 pieces
100 gm red Kashmiri chilles
50 gm cumin seeds
50 gm coriander seeds
100 gm garlic
100 gms mustard seeds
1 and 1/2 bottle Navsari
vinegar
Half kilo jaggery
Oil as necessary
Salt as per taste

METHOD:

1 Clean fish and apply salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and a tbsp of oil.

2 Steam cook till done.

3 Grind the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and garlic and mix in one bottle of sugarcane vinegar. Soak jaggery in the remaining vinegar.

4 Heat oil and fry ground masala nicely and add half of the jaggery soaked vinegar. Allow to simmer till oil floats on top and assimilates into a thick paste.

5 Garnish with salt as required and add the steamed roe and allow it to marinate.

6 Once it cools down, store the pickle in air tight jars.

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MIRCHI ACHAR

Almost every community has their own take on the chilli pickle and as the weather cools off, the fiery red coloured chillies make an appearance. “One of my earliest memories of eating pickle is from way back when I was in primary school. One of my bus mates would share his Punjabi style parathas with mango pickle. I would often barter mine with her as I found the Punjabi style pickle more appetising than the fiery red Maharashtrian variety,” says food writer Saee Koranne-Khandekar who makes a version that is easily adaptable “For instance, I didn’t have mustard oil or nigella seeds, and I only had champagne-style vinegar. Also, I think I threw in an extra bit of fennel seeds, because, for me, that’s the star of this pickle,” she adds.

INGREDIENTS:

10 red chilies
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
3 tbsp. mustard seeds
½ tbsp. cumin seeds
¾ tsp. fenugreek seeds
¼ tsp. asafoetida
1 tbsp. + ¼ cup of mustard oil
2 tsp. salt (I used coarse sea salt)
1 ½ tsp. turmeric powder
½ tbsp. vinegar (I used champagne-
style)

METHOD:

1 Wash and dry the chilies on a kitchen towel until completely dry.

2 Slit and deseed the chilies.

3 Meanwhile, grind all the other ingredients (except the oil and vinegar) into a coarse powder.

4 Remove into a small mixing bowl, and add the tablespoon of oil and the vinegar. Mix with your hands.

5 Stuff the chilies with this spice rub of sorts and place them quit tightly together in a dry, sterile jar.

6 Top with the remaining spice mix and the ¼ cup of oil.

7 Place in a sunny spot on your kitchen window.

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LEELI MARI NU ATHANU

Green peppercorns are unripe pepper berries that would be dried into black and white pepper if their development were not arrested. “I love green peppercorns for their bright, intense aroma, accented with hints of freshness. Their flavour is fresher than dried peppers and brings a piquant accent to dishes. The pickled ones work just as well as the fresh peppercorns,” says Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal who uses the ground pickled peppercorns to flavour plain yogurt in the summer, or stir it into cream sauces to go over pasta or chicken for festive dinners. “A few bunches added whole to a Thai curry at the end, adds the pleasantly pungent surprise as the peppercorns burst between your teeth,” she adds. The pickle does not require refrigeration and will last for over a year. The peppercorn stalks will change to a somewhat dull, olive green colour. This is normal and doesn’t change the quality of the pickle.

INGREDIENTS:

150 gm pickling salt (salt
that isn’t iodised)
3½ tbsp lime juice,
strained
100 gm fresh green pep-
percorn sprigs picked
over, washed and air-dried
50 gm limes, quartered

METHOD:

1 Mix the salt with about 2 cups of water in a pan on high heat and bring to a boil. Continue to boil, till a rim of salt crystals forms on the sides of the pan.

2 Skim and strain off any debris and cool.

Stir in the lime juice. 3

4 Add the peppercorns and limes, mix well and bottle.

5 Close the bottle and keep it at room temperature in a cool, dark place. It will be ready to eat in a week.

Note: This pickle tends to acquire a little mould on top where the peppercorns surface.

Don’t worry, simply pick out and discard the mouldy bits.

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OUU TENGA

Ouu or elephant apple is an exotic looking fruit that is found in the states of Odisha, West Bengal, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Assam. It bears fruit in the winter months. The Charaka Samhita, an Ayurveda treatise from the first century BC, was the first book to describe its medicinal properties and a sweet and sour pickle made from the fruit is very indigenous to the Oriya community. “Our pickles are mostly on the sweeter side and we use berries, sweet potatoes and wood apple among others. Since elephant apple is sour, there is no need of a souring agent as it balances the sweetness from the jaggery,” says home chef Sweta Mohanty who cautions about the process of handling the fruit. “You have to be careful while cutting, as gum inside the fruit makes it very slippery. Cut through the middle and discard the central part as it has the most number of seeds. Then, separate the layers and cut into thin strips, lengthwise,” she adds. The pickle is best had with rice and dal.

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole wood apple
Mustard seeds : ½ tsp
Jaggery : As per taste of your sweetness
Ginger, grated: ½ tsp
Curry leaves : 10-12 leaves
Mustard paste - 2 - 3 tbsp

METHOD:

1 Cut the wood apple length wise.

2 Pound the pieces slightly and mix it mustard paste, mustard seeds, jaggery, grated ginger and curry leaves and cook it on flame till everything comes to a boil.

3 Cool it and store in fridge. It will last for 6-8 months.

| Sayoni Sinha
MM 26NOV17