INSTANT ORANGE PEEL PICKLE (Sweet & Sour)

INSTANT ORANGE PEEL PICKLE

(Sweet & Sour, without oil)

Oranges are juicy, sweet and not only the most popular fruits of the world but also they are great in their awesome colour, aroma, taste and they are full of vitamin C. Apart from these qualities, they have a lot of health benefits. Their peels have the same colour as the fruit inside, and orange peels are loaded with nutrients, good for overall health. Orange peels have more fiber than the fruit itself. Orange peels are dried in the sun and then its powder is used in many cosmetics, as it is considered as a boon for skincare and face for the blemish-free and glowing skin.

Check this website for lots of health benefits of orange peel -

Orange zest, which is the top layer of an orange peel, is a fabulous ingredient for bakers throughout the world. The coloured part of the orange skin is called the orange zest which gives the best aroma and flavour to a recipe. It is used in many cakes, cookies, biscotti’s, ice creams, yoghurt and many vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes of different cuisines of the world. According to this article - Never throw your orange peel, you might find orange peels are your new secret ingredient to a healthier and happier you. Check here-

My mother-in-law used to make a similar pickle (like this recipe) with lemon peel, which we enjoyed a lot. I had seen her, cutting the lemon peels with a pair of scissors. She was a great cook, I always admired her dishes and I learned a lot of cooking from her.

When I made this pickle the very first time, basing on my mother-in-law’s recipe of lemon pickle, I only changed the main ingredient that is orange instead of lemon and added some orange and lemon juice instead of only lemon juice as it was in the original recipe. But I did not change the other spices and method of cooking.

At the end of the day, it came out fantastic, I was very happy, and also increased an inch of self-pride because I had invented a new recipe based on an old one. As my pride grew more, I thought, let me go and check on Google, and assumed that when I type ‘orange peel pickle’ on Google, I will find no link at all. But, to my surprise, it was already there, I felt, as if somebody popped the balloon of my pride, oh no, poor me, I was totally disappointed, but later realised that those recipes were very different from mine, only one main ingredient that is orange peel was common. I thanked God, and said to myself; at least my recipe is unique. Today I am delighted to share my own creation with my readers, and I am very sure once you will make it, you will really enjoy this wonderful recipe.

I can say that if your choice is like mine and if you like pickles, you will love this orange peel pickle. This is a sweet, sour, tangy, spicy, recipe and a whole package of beautiful colour and taste together with lots of health benefits. I have already posted 4 pickles on my blog and as I have already mentioned that pickles and chutneys play an important role in Indian cuisine and that a lot of varieties of pickles and chutneys are enjoyed in India with their main meal.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 4 navel oranges peels
• Oranges juice of 4 oranges
• lemon juice of 2 lemons
• Salt and paprika to taste
• One tsp garam masala (optional)*
• 100 grams sugar and 25 ml water

* Check how to make you own garam masala on my blog.

METHOD

• Cut the oranges in half and remove all the juice, and with the help of a pair of scissors cut the thin strips of the peel.
• Add salt, paprika, orange and lemon juice to this cut orange peel strips and leave it overnight.
• Mix water and sugar and make a sugar syrup, mix the orange peel with the juice and cook for another10 minutes, stir continuously, leave it to cool.
• Pickle is ready: cool and fill in a glass bottle and store, it can last on the shelf for two weeks but can last in the fridge for two months.

I am sharing this recipe as my blog post entry with Meatless Monday, and with   Cook blog share and with Cook once and Eat Twice and with we are pinnable party and Simple and in Season and with Sweet Inspiration Partyandd with Fiesta Party  and with Full Plate Thursday,  and with Hearth and soul blog party

RICE PUDDING IN SLOW COOKER AND A POST ON A SPICE- SAFFRON

RICE PUDDING IN SLOW COOKER AND A POST ON A SPICE- SAFFRON

Saffron is an exquisite and luxurious spice which is the most expensive spice in the world. I checked the price if I can buy online, yes it is available but I will have to pay $20 only for one gram or $500 for an ounce. I was always wondering why the price of this spice is always high, though I am using it from decades in my recipes and even seen my mom using this spice. But never did the investigation why the price is so high.

(This is not an advertisement, just showing the spice to my readers which  I used in this recipe.)

When I started writing this post, the first question in my mind came is to find out, why it is so expensive, after so much googling I got the following answer. The price is so high because it is the most labour-intensive crop. It is stated in the following website that 80,000 crocus flowers must be grown, cared, hand harvested and processed to make one pound of saffron. This is considered to be the most precious spice in the world. Ccheck this website.

One more reason for the high price is that it is produced in very few countries, India is one of them. It is grown in the Kashmir valley of North India. Even though it is very expensive, it is worth using because of its color, exotic flavour and is qualities. It is popularly known as “Kesar” in the Indian sub-continent and it is also called a gold spice.

In Indian cuisine, saffron is used in many sweet items particularly those prepared with milk or milk products like puddings, milk fudge, beverage in which milk is used, smoothies, home-made ice creams and many more. Apart from milk products, it is also used in Mughlai vegetarian and non veg dishes, stews, rich curries and in rice dishes like biryani etc. Saffron is used in European, Indian, Pakistani and Arab cuisine.

The aroma, flavour and colour of saffron are unique. When I use in cooking, I mix few threads of saffron in a small amount of warm milk and leave it to dissolve its colour and then mixed in the recipe to release its colour and aroma. Very small amount of these threads are used in cooking.

Saffron is used as medicine in many traditional Asian, Chinese, Unani and African methods of healing. In Indian Ayurveda, which is the ancient healing system, and is a science of healing with natural herbs and natural means, it is the best and most unique medicine, which can suite anybody, which improves the body immunity and gives energy to the body. Saffron improves circulation and purifies the blood. Saffron has a lot of minerals and vitamins. This spice has a lot of health benefits and some other uses are also there, which are explained nicely and in detail in the following website.

Apart from food, saffron is used in many skin products and face washes for a smooth and healthy skin.

I enjoy cooking using the slow cooker; it is not only easy and convenient but also aromatic and healthy. In Indian cuisine, we use a lot of spices to get the maximum health benefits, taste and aroma of these spices. Slow cooking is best in many recipes like this one. I have experienced that whenever I use the slow cooker, the aroma of the spices are really enhanced and that is when we can get the real benefits of these spices.

This is my mom's recipe, I am glad to share her recipe on my blog. I used the slow cooker for her recipe to enhance the flavour of this exotic spice saffron. This is a very simple recipe with very few ingredients.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• One liter milk
• 100 grams white rice
• 200 grams sugar
• Few threads of saffron
• Pinch cardamom powder

METHODS

• Mix few threads of saffron in 2 tbs warm milk and mix it well, leave it for ten minutes to release its colour.
• Rinse rice 2-3 times in water, till you get the clean water.
• In a slow cooker add milk, rice, the mixture of water and saffron and cardamom powder and cook on high for four hours. Stirring after one hour.
• When the pudding is thick enough add sugar and leave it for 15 more minutes.
• This can be served hot or cold from the fridge depending on the taste.

I am sharing this recipe with Cook blog share, Meatless Monday  and with Happy, healthy and green party and with Hearth and Soul blog party and with Simple and in season and with Cook once and eat Twice blog party  and with Sweet inspiration link party and  with Full Plate Thursday and with I am pinnable  and with Fiesta Friday

CORIANDER CHUTNEY AND A POST ON A HERB AND A SPICE -CORIANDER/CILANTRO

CORIANDER CHUTNEY AND A POST ON A HERB AND  A SPICE -CORIANDER/CILANTRO

EDITED: This recipe was featured in the weekly blog party called Healthy happy and Green party, on 12-7 2017, Check here.

EDITED: This recipe was featured in the weekly blog party called Sweet Inspiration Party, on 15-07-17 Check here.

Coriander is also called cilantro in Northern America, which is a very popular herb and used in many cuisines of the world. Its fresh green leaves are used for garnishing because of its nice green colour and earthy aroma and also its many health benefits.

 

In Indian cuisine, coriander has been used from ages, not only as the fresh green leaves for garnishing but also the seeds and in ground form as seeds powder. In Hindi which is the national language of India, it is called “Dhania.”. Roasted Coriander seeds are also used in spice blend like sambhar powder of South India. In some parts of India, these roasted seeds are mixed in mouth fresheners and eaten as it is. In North India, it is commonly used in almost all curries and stews of lentils and vegetables, yoghurt dishes, lassis (savoury smoothies), fresh green salads, fruit salads, side vegetables and lentil dishes, either as seeds or as seeds powder. I mean, you just name it, and it can be used in most of the preparations.

 

In Indian cuisine, a lot of spices are used in everyday cooking. In a typical Indian kitchen, we use a special spice box, where we keep all the spices which we use in our everyday cooking, coriander powder is a must in that spice box. When I am talking about spice box, I remember one more incidence. The following photo of my spice box was published on a full page of Airdrie Life magazine together with my two recipes in April 2015. Those two recipes, I have already shared on my blog-Lentil Crepe and Carrot Halwa.

  

When the photographer from the magazine came to my house to take photos of those recipes, out of so many items in my kitchen, he really liked this spice box and said this is a unique piece because he had never seen it before. He even asked me, “How do you remember all the spices in it?” I told him, “This is very easy because I am the one who is filling these spices and I use them every day”. Normally the spices which are kept in this spice box are the common ones which we use every day in our kitchen. These type of spice boxes are normally a round stainless steel box with 7 or 9 individual stainless steel small bowls inside them. They come with a tightly fitted lid or a plain thin lid between the main lid and those small bowls so that spices do not mix when holding the whole box.

 

This spice coriander or cilantro is highly appreciated in Ayurveda (Ancient healing system of India) as a cooling spice. Cooling, in the sense that it helps in digestion and cools the stomach. It is mentioned in this website that by enhancing digestion, it works to alleviate the root cause of allergen reactions.

Coriander has many health benefits because it is a wonderful source of dietary fiber, magnesium, iron and other minerals. Green leaves have vitamin C, vitamin K and protein in it. Check this website for 16 amazing health benefits of Cilantro

Coming to the recipe, this is one of the most famous chutney of Indian cuisine, which is served in almost all Indian restaurants in India and abroad with snacks, samosas and other food items. In Indian cuisine, food is always served with pickles and chutneys and this is one of the famous ones. This is a simple recipe with few ingredients. Whenever this chutney is made, care should be taken about its consistency, it should not be watery or liquid. It should be thick enough like Jam which we can easily spread on a toast or a cracker, then only you can enjoy this chutney. This recipe is tried and tested; you can never go wrong with it.

 

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• Two bunches of fresh green coriander leaves
• Two tbs Chana dal/yellow flat lentil
• 1 tbs oil for roasting the lentil
• One medium onion
• 3-4 green chilies (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbs white vinegar
• 1 tbs sugar ( optional)

METHOD

• Heat the oil in a frying pan and roast yellow lentils till they turn light brown and leave them aside to cool.
• Rinse and chop cilantro, onion and green chilies.
• Add all ingredients in a blender and pulse for 2-3 minutes till it is turning to a nice green, thick paste.
• Keep it in the fridge, it can last for one month.

Serve cold with any snack, fritter, samosa etc.

I am sharing this recipe as my blog post entry with Meatless Monday, with Cook Blog Share, Hearth and Soul blog hop and with I am pinnable and Sweet Inspiration party and with Cook once and eat Twice and with Simple and in Season and with Eat your greens and with Fiesta Fridda with no so creative cook and My Baja kitchen and with Happy Healthy green and natural party