CAULIFLOWER, CARROT AND TURNIP PICKLE

(Gobhi, Gajar, Shalgam ka aachar)

“One best book is equal to hundred good friends, but one good friend is equal to a Library”.... Dr A.P.G. Abdul Kalam.

What a wonderful quote by our ex-President. I am lucky to have a library, I mean a friend like Meera, she is not only a good friend but also a great cook. I have tried many of her recipes successfully and now they are made in my kitchen on a regular basis. She is very good at heart and she has many good qualities, one of which I admire is that, she is always active. She enjoys two things most, one is playing golf and the other one is walking. She walks everyday around 5-6 km; for her every weather is fine (hot, rainy or cold) for walking.

Last summer when she came to Canada to visit me, her schedule was tight because we wanted to show her all the beautiful places around Calgary like Lake Louise and many more but I told her to keep one day aside for cooking, so that we can all enjoy her fabulous cooking.

This veg pickle is very famous in north India, especially in punjab. Traditionally it was made in winter because the vegetables used in this pickle were only available in winter in olden days, unlike these days when all vegetables and fruits are available in all seasons.

This veg pickle recipe is Meera's recipe. It has very little oil and can last on the shelf for one year. Vinegar and jaggery serve the purpose of being the preservative. Jaggery is a concentrated product of cane sugar without the separation of molasses, this type of sugar is used in Asia and Africa.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• ½ kg Carrots
• ½ kg Cauliflower
• ½ kg Turnip
• 70 grams grated ginger
• 7-8 cloves of grated garlic
• 100 grams Jaggary or brown sugar
• 100 ml Vinegar
• 100 grams coarsely crushed mustard seeds
• salt and chilli powder to taste
• 1tbs garam masala
• 100 grams oil

METHOD

• Soak jaggery in vinegar and keep aside.
• Keep water in a big pot for boiling, when it reaches a rolling boil, add the carrots and boil for one minute, then take it out and spread on a kitchen towel to dry in the sun for 2 hours. Do the same with cauliflower and turnip.
• Heat the oil in a fry pan and fry the ginger and garlic well in oil, add all dry ingredients in it and mix well, leave it to cool.
• When cold add vinegar-jaggary mixture in it, and fold in all the vegetables.
• Fill the pickle in a clean dry glass jar, put it in the sun for two days.
• Now pickle is ready to use, which can last for one year on the shelf.

I am sending this recipe as my blog entry for Recipe of the week event., and for Tasty Tuesday, and for Cook blog share, and with tuesdays-table-for January, and Inspire Me Monday, and with Delicious dish Tuesday event, and with Hearth and soul, and with Fiesta Friday.