GREEN CHILI PICKLE AND A POST ON A SPICE/HERB CHILI/HOT PEPPER

GREEN CHILI PICKLE AND A POST ON A SPICE/HERB CHILI/HOT PEPPER

Chili is the most valuable spice of the world and is gaining its popularity throughout the world, and now it is used in more and more cuisines of the world. India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of chilies, which is 40% of the total world production. Chili production requires sunny, tropical, humid conditions with a good amount of rainfall. We have grown a lot of chilies in our kitchen garden when I was in Kenya. We had around 25 plants of 3-4 feet high and were producing a lot of green chilies, being small as a family we were not able to consume a lot, so were leaving the chilies on the plants itself to ripen. When their colour turned red, I used to collect and dry them in the hot sunny area of my garden, and later was grinding in my dry grinder to make red chili powder, which I used in my kitchen.

There are many different types, colors, shapes and mild to a very hot pungent taste of the chilies are available in the world. This spice - chili and chili powder are used in many cuisines of the world. Raw chilies are normally green in colour, but ripened chilies are yellow, orange and red in colour. Since it is impossible to tell how spicy a chili is just by looking at it, you will have to taste it to get an idea. Once you know how spicy it is then you can use it according to your taste.

In Indian cuisine, chili powder is used from ages, some chili powders are giving only a red colour to the recipe and are not very spicy like Kashmiri chili powder, it is more or less like paprika. But some chili powders are very hot, and people use it depending on their taste and the requirement of the recipe. In Southern states of India, whole red dried chili is used a lot in tempering many recipes. Red chili flakes/crushed chili is also used a lot in the Indian cuisine throughout India. Some people have the misconception that Indian food is very spicy, but that is not the case, yes, we do use different types of chilies in its different forms but how spicy the food absolutely depends on individuals choice. Green chilies are a good source of vitamin C; so many people eat raw green chilies with their food.

Some people think that chili pepper is consumed only to put fire on your tongue or to get tears in your eyes but the surprising fact is that chilies do have a lot of health benefits like natural pain relief, boosting immunity, clearing congestion, preventing stomach ulcers, and reducing weight. Check this website for detailed study of all this and a lot of useful information about chilies.

According to Ayurveda, there are six tastes by which all food can be categorized: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. Pungent taste is hot and spicy as found in chili pepper and astringent is dry and light as found in popcorn. Ayurveda suggests that all these tastes should be included in every meal for optimum health and to get initial spark to the digestive system. These six tastes satisfy each of the major dietary building blocks and these six tastes also guide our body to accomplish its nutritional needs. Each taste feeds our body, mind, senses and spirit in its own unique way. Ayurveda is a traditional healing system of India, which gave us yoga and breathing exercises and still successfully practiced in India. Check this website-

Chili powder is eaten by one-quarter of world population every day, in all countries all over the globe. But chili powder was completely unknown to the most of the world until Christopher Columbus discovered America. Check this website which explains very nicely that of course, Columbus was not looking for chilies, but was looking for a trade route. This website further explained that, until well after the middle ages, almost all through the world, pepper travelled from the Malabar coast, India to Europe and then to America.

Coming to the recipe, this is my mom's recipe as it is in which she used mustard oil. I get mustard oil from the local Indian grocery store, so I have also used mustard oil, but you can use any other oil instead if you prefer. Mustard oil is used for cooking in Punjab and many other Northern States of India. This is a simple and quick recipe which can be enjoyed using mild to hot chilies basing on your taste.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 200 grams long green chilies (around 25-30)
• 20 grams of black mustard seeds (rai)
• 20 grams of fennel seeds (saunf)
• 10 grams of fenugreek seeds (methi )
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons oil (I used mustard oil)
• 10 grams chili powder (optional) *

* Normally these green chilies are not spicy/hot at all, so if you need some spice in this pickle you can add some additional chilli powder

METHOD

• Mix the fennel, mustard and fenugreek seeds and grind it coarsely in a dry spice grinder.
• Wash and dry the chilies or wipe with a kitchen towel.
• Slit the chilies in the middle lengthwise.
• In the already ground spices, mix salt and chili powder and fill ( stuff) through the slit in all the chilies and leave aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, when hot add all the chilies, mix slowly and cover it after 5 minutes add the remaining spice mixture on top of the chilies.
• Cook for 8-10 minutes till the chilies are cooked and changed in colour.
• Cool it and serve with meals as a condiments/pickle/chutney

I am sharing my recipe as my blog post entry for Cook once and eat Twice and with Hearth and soul blog party and with Fiesta Friday and the  Sweet Inspiration link party and with Cook blog share  and with Meatless Monday and with Full plate Thursday

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

GREEN APPLE PICKLE

GREEN APPLE PICKLE

Hare seb ka achhar

My daughter is not only a very good cook, she is an expert in making Kerala dishes because her hubby is from Kerala. Once she invited some guests for lunch, in which she planned to serve traditional Kerala food to the guests, called ‘sadya’. In that menu, she decided to make many kerala dishes together with some freshly made pickles and chutneys which were a must accompaniment in the meal. ‘Sadya’ is a traditional kerala feast comprising of many side dishes that come together to make one grand meal. My daughter gave me a few items to make, (which I knew how to make from Kerala cuisine), mango pickle was one of them.

 

When we went for shopping to an Indian grocery shop, where we get all Indian vegetables, we didn't get any green raw mangoes for the pickle and we came back disappointed. My daughter told me, “Mom, you are a blogger and a foodie, think, change the ingredient and make something similar, I want the pickle with a similar taste and flavour”. That was a big challenge for the blogger and a foodie mother like me, I told myself that I will accept this challenge and do something to please her.

 

While I was still thinking, my grandson came to me and demanded an apple, as he was hungry.  I chopped an apple and gave it to him, that is when, the idea of using green apple, (instead of mango in this pickle), clicked in my mind.  I discussed with my daughter and finalized it, as green mango has the same colour and sour taste which is needed for this pickle.

I used the same spices, in the same proportion and the same method as with mango pickle and tried with only two big green apples, and the end results were fantastic, it was super tasty, as good as mango pickle. One more interesting thing happened that afternoon when everybody was enjoying the meal, they had to solve the quiz of – taste and tell the main ingredient of this green pickle, which was difficult to guess, everybody thought that it was a mango pickle, at last, a lady gave the correct answer.

 

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 kg hard, green apple (granny smith)
• 200 ml oil
• 30 grams salt
• 25 grams black mustard seeds (rai)
• 25 grams fennel seeds (saunf)
• 25 grams fenugreek seeds (methi)
• 10 grams turmeric powder (haldi)
• 20 grams chilli powder

Method

• Wash and chop the apples into very small pieces and remove the seeds.
• Mix salt and turmeric powder and leave it in a covered stainless steel pot for 24 hours, apples will release some water.
• Remove the water and spread the apples on a clean dry cloth for 2-3 hours.
• Grind the fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and chili powder coarsely in a dry grinder.
• Heat the oil on a high flame, switch off the gas and leave the oil to cool.
• When apples are dry, mix all dry ingredients, pour the oil and fill it in a sterilized glass jar.
• Oil should be on top of the apples.

It can last in the fridge for six months.

I am sending this recipe as my blog post entry with Tasty Tuesday and Sunday food and fitness party
and Cook blog share and Hearth and Soul blog hop and Way wow party and Fiesta Friday and Real Food Friday  and Sweet inspiration link party and Meatless Monday

 

INSTANT LIME PICKLE (WITHOUT OIL)

INSTANT SWEET LIME PICKLE

(without oil)

In olden days, it was the tradition in Indian homes that 3-4 types of pickles were always available in the kitchen for family, friends and guests. In those days ready-made pickles were not available in the market, so housewives were making and keeping different types of pickles at home.

 Indian pickling is different to the way they pickle in the west. Instead of using only salt and vinegar, in indian pickles several spices and oil is also used. Some amount of latent heat is also used to slow cook whatever is being pickled.

This is the recipe of my mother-in-law, in her kitchen this lime pickle was always available. Now I make sure that it is available in my kitchen too. The reason behind is not only that it tastes good but this is a home remedy for stomach disturbance and for nausea. Traditionally in Indian homes, home remedies are used for simple problems we experience in our daily life, before we go and see the doctor.

The best part of this recipe is that neither oil is required in this pickle nor any preservative. Salt and sugar serves the purpose of preservative in pickles in our traditional kitchens.

                  ( This is six months old, which is more drier and more darker)

When my mother-in-law was making this pickle, she was keeping it in the sun light for 10-15 days to get it cooked. She used to remove the lid of the jar and was covering the mouth of the jar with a piece of muslin cloth around the neck, to allow the lemons to breathe in the jar and for easy penetration of sun light.These days, women are working, they don’t have time and we are living in an instant era, so now I am cooking the same pickle on gas stove, and it has no difference in taste or longevity.

It can last on the shelf for 12 months or more, if it is more than 6 months old the colour will change to a little bit darker but the taste will not change.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• l kg lemon or lime
• 400 grams sugar
• Salt to taste/50 grams (This much is required for preserving the pickle)
• 50 grams red chilli powder (optional)
  or Paprika for colour only
• 15 grams carom seeds (ajwain)
• 25 grams garam masala
• You also need a sterilized glass jar for storing the pickle.

Note-If you like less spicy, reduce red chilli powder to 30 grams and garam masala to 10 grams.

METHOD

• Wash and chop the lemons in very small cube shaped pieces, remove the seeds.
• Add salt and pepper and leave it overnight.
• Next morning on a slow fire, cook lemons in an stainless steel pot for 10-15 minutes with lid covered so that lemons are tender and cook properly.
• When lemons are tender, add sugar, carom seeds and garam masala and cook on slow fire for 30 more minutes or till the sugar syrup is thick enough with nice glaze around the lemons.
• Leave it to cool. When cold fill in a sterilize jar, it is ready to serve.

This pickle can stay on shelf for one year time.

I am sending this post as my blog entry for Funtastic Friday party, and with Meatless Monday, and with Hearth and Soul hop link, and with tasty tuesday creative kids, and with Cook Blog share, and with delicious dish tuesday, and with Recipe of the week, and with Two favourite things, and with Full Plate Thursday party,and with Fiesta Friday, and with Fabulous Friday, and what'd do you do this weekend, and with Way wow blog hop,