My Mum in law’s recipe of Yumilicious “Green Chilli & Mustard Pickle”

In India, any meal is incomplete without a spicy pickle or chutney (dip) to accompany the delicious food served. In India there are umpteen types of pickle that can be made. Oil and salt act as a preservative to the pickles that help it stay fresh for long. Chutney is quite similar to the Indian pickle, salsa of Latin America and the European relish.

Most Indian homes make signature pickles; recipes that have been passed down through generations of women. My mother-in-law is one such. My belief is that she can make chutney or pickle out of any damn thing in the world. Even if she tries to do something with a brick or stone it will turn out to be divine in terms of taste. When I say this, I truly believe that she has mastered the art of pickling and many of friends will vouch on my belief.

All her pickles are instant ones which can be consumed quickly and it doesn’t require any sun drying time. They will keep fermenting on their own if they are bottled properly and kept in warmer temperature.

Pickles originated in India and the traditions of making pickles are associated with specific season of the year. At the height of summer, when the sun is scorching high on everyone, women in the neighborhood get together, spending days cutting, preparing, and drying fruit and vegetables for pickling.

The pickling season started quite early, this year at our home and the first entrant in our kitchen is “Chilli Mustard Pickle”.

It is an incredible pickle made with small pieces of green chillies seasoned with Asafetida ( hing), turmeric powder, fresh crushed mustard powder and other aromatic spices. The green chillies have an excellent sharp punch when it is combined with mustard powder. This pickle is capable of increasing the sensitivity of our taste buds by adding a spicy kick to the palate.

Green chillies are rich in vitamins and low in fat and cholesterol and are considered as an excellent ingredient that enhances flavor and taste of the food. There are number of ways where one can enjoy the taste of the chillies by using them fresh, dried, ground, canned or pickled. They have got many health benefits as they are rich in vitamin A and C while the dried ones are higher in vitamin A and the fresh higher in vitamin C. I love to imbibe the heat in form of pickle.

Ingredients:

Green Chillies: 250 gms

Whole Coriander Seeds: 2 Tblsp

Fennel Seeds: 1 ½ tbsp

Fenugreek Seeds: 1 tsp

Black Mustard Seeds:150 gms

Asafetida: 1/8 tsp

Dry Mango powder: 2 tsp

Turmeric: 2 tsp

Salt: 3 tbsp

Mustard Oil: 200 ml

Method:

1.    Wash and completely dry the green chillies. Wipe them with a kitchen towel, spread them on another kitchen towel and allow it to dry. Allow the water to dry completely.

2.    Cut each green chilly into 2-3 pieces of 2cms each. Mix it with salt, turmeric powder asafetida and leave it overnight for drying the water content/moisture. Ideally you should leave it in the sun for some time to make it waterless.

3.    Dry roast the whole coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds before grinding it coarsely in the mixer. Keep aside this mixture to prepare the mustard seed mixture separately.

4.    Now grind the black mustard seeds and mix it with the reaming dry powder.

5.    Always make sure that the ratio of black mustard seeds powder should be equal to the dry roasted powder made out of other whole seeds.

6.    Now take a big bowl, ideally a wide ceramic container to mix the chillies (seasoned with salt, asafetida and turmeric powder) and the dry powder together. Slowly pour the mustard oil to the mixture and give it a good mix with your hands. All the spices should be uniformly mixed and at this stage be careful about the oil content. It should be enough to mix it tighter but should not be overflowing.

7.    Now transfer the chilli mixture to a jar and pour the remaining oil on it so that it is enough to get fermented.  Don’t let it submerge in oil because oil will automatically rise to the top when the pickle will leave water from the bottom and with the fermentation process it will adjust the oil accordingly. In any case oil can be added later on also if you feel it requires more oiling.

Mostly people like to use hot oil for pickling but my mum in law prefers to use raw mustard oil which enhances the pungent taste of the pickle. It gives you an aromatic punch and you will forever relish the taste.

Rest assured this pickle is divine in its taste and this pickle would leave you awestruck for sure.

Relish the taste and savor the food for life!