Lemon, Ginger and Green Chili Pickle

An Indian meal without PICKLE.... very unlikely. Be it a vegetarian or a non- vegetarian meal...Indian pickles perfectly complement any meal.

At the peak of summer, pickle-making was and still is a ritual in many Indian households. I remember these rituals of pickle-making, papads, saanage (my kids call it farfar and they still enjoy these) at my grand-mother's place every summer. My aunts in Belgaum also made the pickles with Ambli ( tender mangoes) marinated in salt  and I loved to eat them even before they were spiced up.

I started my blog with the intention of  documenting and sharing recipes from my family and friends, so we never have to say "Its too late".. to get hold of a traditional recipe..

Last summer we reaped a good harvest of green chilies. After sharing with everyone and freezing some for winter we still had loads left over. "What do we do with these" was my question as I could not share any with my american friends...My husband Salil came up with the idea of making pickle. His grand-mother made the best chili pickle. So I asked his aunt if she had the recipe by any chance..and fortunately she remembered.

So last year we made it together and it was so easy....I started wondering why I even thought it was such a laborious process.

Always store the pickles in porcelain or glass jars with air-tight lids. Though commercially produced pickles use preservatives like citric acid and sodium benzoate, the concentration of salt, oil and spices in homemade pickles acts as preservatives. You can store them in the refrigerator.

So here is grandma's  recipe for Lemon Chili pickle - grandma's way - (meaning a pinch of this and a handful of that.....! Enjoy this delicious spicy, and tangy pickle...!

LEMON, CHILI & GINGER PICKLE

     INGREDIENTS

• 10 Fresh Lemons (Chop 6 lemons into small pieces and reserve the juice of 4 lemons)
• 3" piece Ginger, chopped fine
• 3 cups Green Chili, chopped fine
• 2 cups Corn Oil
• 3 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 3 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Methi (Fenugreek) seeds
• 2 tsp Asafoetida
• 3 tbsp Mustard powder ( Blend mustard seeds in a spice blender)
• Salt to taste

    DIRECTIONS

• Chop the green chilies, ginger and 6 lemons into small pieces.
• Reserve the juice of 4 lemons,.
• Combine all the ingredients including turmeric powder, mustard powder, salt and lemon juice, and mix well.
• In a saucepan, heat 2 cups oil. When the oils is heated all the mustard seeds and methi (fenugreek) seeds. 
• When the seeds start crackling add the asfoetida and turmeric powder and turn off the heat. 
• When the oil cools down to room temperature, add it to the mixed ingredients and mix well. 
• Check the taste and add some more salt if you need.
• Transfer to a clean glass jar with airtight lid and store in the refrigerator. 

You can keep this pickle in the refrigerator for more than a year. I still have some made from last summer. My family enjoys this with parathas, theplas, rice and even sliced chicken sandwiches.

Hope you enjoy this.....and see you soon.......

Stress and Food !

What can you do to De Stress yourself ? I am positive that all my health conscious friends and doctors will say....... " Engage in a pleasurable activity that does not involve calories."... sounds like a logical and sensible solution. But, what if that activity itself is the reason for stress... Then you will apparently turn to comfort food....and believe me stress-eating is not such a bad thing if you put the right food on your plate.


With 9 days to go for the Art and Craft Show, I am as nervous as I can be.
I decided to put my brush and paints down and dish up some comfort food.


A few years ago, I would have catered to my stress with a big bowl of ice-cream and fresh fruit, or a bar of chocolate - a big one. But not today...Of course it would be cruel to deprive oneself of these pleasures. It is important to indulge in a bowl of your favorite ice-cream or a big chunk of chocolate once in a while.


I decided to comfort myself with a big bowl of Salad  and a small bowl of Vanilla Ice-cream topped with fresh mango and strawberries. The No-Fuss food....and trust me - it was as comforting as a large size bag of fries or a super bowl of ice-cream or a big chunk of chocolate.


So here I go clickety click on my keyboard with this delicious salad recipe.

MIXED SALAD

     Ingredients

• 1 cup Romaine Lettuce 
• 1 cup Red Leaf Lettuce
• 1 cup Green Leaf Lettuce
• 1 cup Escarole
• 1 Vine-ripe Tomato, chopped 
• 1 Cucumber, chopped
• 1/2 cup Apple, chopped
• 1/2 cup Grapes
• 1 tbsp Dried Cranberries
• 1 tbsp Walnuts, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp crumbled Feta Cheese, Blue Cheese or any cheese you prefer
• 1 tbsp Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing , on the side.

    Directions

• Assemble salad by arranging lettuce leaves in bottom of a large serving bowl. 
• Add tomatoes, cucumbers, apple and grapes.  
• Top with dried cranberries and walnuts. 
• Sprinkle crumbled feta or blue cheese. 
• Serve dressing on the side. 

    Make sure all the ingredients are chilled to enjoy a cool delicious salad.

  

Finish the meal with a scoop of Vanilla Ice-cream topped with chopped  mango and strawberries.

Pav Bhaji - Favorite Fast Food Dish of India

Pav Bhaji - literally means Bread and Vegetable. Does not sound very exciting when you portray it this way, does it?  But this is a very popular dish in India and a favorite with everyone - a Classic Mumbai dish. It is a blend of a variety of vegetables seasoned with the popular Pav Bhaji Masala.
My family loves this dish. My mother made the best Pav-Bhaji I have eaten and I follow her recipe. The Pav Bhaji Masala is available at most Indian and Asian Grocery stores.
Hope you enjoy the Pav-Bhaji as much as we do.

PAV BHAJI

     Ingredients

• 4 large Potatoes - boiled, peeled and mashed
• 2 large Onions - finely chopped
• 5-6 medium Tomatoes - pureed
• 1 cup Green Bell Pepper - finely chopped
• 2 cups Cauliflower - steamed and grated
• 1/2 cup Zucchini - finely chopped
• 1 cup Green Peas - optional
• 3-4 cloves Garlic - finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Butter + 1 tbsp for garnishing
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala (You can adjust the Masala according to your taste)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Cilantro
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Parsley (I like the lemony flavor of parsley, you can skip this if you like)
• 6 Dinner Rolls Toasted and lightly spread with some butter

    Directions

• Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the oil. When it heats add the chopped green bell pepper. 
• Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.
• Then add onions and cook until they are transparent.
• Add the tomatoes and let cook until it blends well with the onions.  
• Add the cauliflower, green peas, potatoes and zucchini. Mix well.
• Add the Pav Bhaji Masala and salt and mix well.
• Cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Stir in some lemon juice and butter.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and parsley.
• Serve hot with toasted and buttered dinner rolls.

Enjoy..!

Simple and Delicious - GUAVA PICKLE

During Christmas vacation, we had our friends over for dinner. They love Indian food, so I thought it would be a good idea to let them taste a few unusual dishes. One of them being 'Guava Pickle' - a side dish my mother-in-law prepared with ripe guavas - and one that I loved very much. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Guava is a great fruit, rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Folic Acid, Potassium, Calcium and Iron. Above all Guava's are low in fat and calories and high in fiber. The Guava fruit should not be refrigerated unless it is very ripe. The seeds of the guava fruit are edible. Guava can be eaten raw, added to smoothies or when they are too ripe you can get creative and make some pickle.

GUAVA PICKLE

    Ingredients

• 12 small Guava fruits (size of ping-pong balls). If large use 3-4. Commonly known as Mexican Guava in the US
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Dry Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp Asafetida
• 1 tbsp Jaggery (unrefined whole cane sugar)
• 1/2 tsp Salt

    Directions

• Wash and dry the guavas. Chop them into 4 pieces.
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan. 
• Add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When they begin to splutter add turmeric powder, asafetida and dry cayenne pepper cut into two.
• Add the chopped guava and mix well. 
• Add the jaggery and salt and mix well. Add 3/4 cup water and let boil. Once the pickle starts boiling, lower the heat and let cook for another 7-8 minutes.
• The Guava Pickle is ready. 
• Serve with Rice, Dal, Roti (Indian flat bread) and Vegetable.
• The pickle can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. See you again soon.

MOONG DAL & RICE KHICHDI - A simple meal after the festive season..!

After enjoying the wonderful and festive holiday season, and the scrumptious and mouthwatering meals, snacks and sweets..its time to enjoy a simple, light yet delicious meal of Moong Dal-Rice Khichdi. This simple meal is another one of my family's favorite. This a starter food for little babies by the time they are 8 months old minus the spices. This meal is healthy, easy to digest and provides a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fiber. 

For dinner today I am making Dal-Rice Khichdi, and thought it will be a good meal to share with you all. I cook the Khichdi in the microwave, but you can cook this on the stove top if you desire. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does.

MOONG DAL & RICE KHICHDI

     Ingredients

• 2 cups Basmati Rice, washed
• 1 cup Moong Dal, washed
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Butter or Ghee
• 2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 Dried Red Pepper, whole - optional
• 2 tsp Goda Masala (if not available powder 2 cloves, 2 peppercorns, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp cumin seeds in a spice grinder) 
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• A pinch Asafetida
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt (or according to taste) 

   Directions

• Combine moong dal and basmati rice in a microwave safe glass bowl. Make sure the bowl is big enough to hold the rice after it is cooked. Ideally the bowl should be at 4 times the combined volume of the rice and water. Wash and rinse well 2-3 times in water.  Add 6 cups warm water and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat 2 tbsp oil.
• Add cumin seeds, turmeric powder, asafetida, a little of the goda masala.
• Pour this into the bowl of rice and dal mixed with water.
• Add salt and mix well.
• Place in bowl in the microwave and set the time for 22 minutes.
• Let the khichdi sit in the microwave for 5 minutes after it turns off.
• Fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot with Sweet Lemon or Spicy Mango Pickle, Indian Papad or Papad Koshimbir (Salad) and Kadhi.

P.S I normally don't make the Kadhi as my picky eaters do not eat yogurt. But I will make it soon and post the recipe.


Below is the recipe for Papad Koshimbir

PAPAD KOSHIMBIR (PAPAD SALAD)

     Ingredients

• 2 Urad Dal Papad
• 1 small Onion, finely chopped
• A pinch of Red chili powder
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice.
• 2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh grated coconut - optional

    Directions

• Cook the Papad by frying them in oil or roasting over an open flame or microwaving. I roast them over an open flame. For microwaving place the papad on a microwave safe dish and microwave on high until done. Takes about 30-45 seconds. Find your perfect time by trial and error.
• Crumble the roasted papad in a bowl. Add the onion, red chili powder, lemon juice, cilantro and grated coconut.
• Mix well and serve with the Khichdi.
• Prepare the Papad Salad just before serving so it stays crisp.

With this I want to thank all my readers for your support and see you more often this year with delicious but healthy recipes.

HAPPY 2011 to all my readers...

It is 11:24 pm on December 31, 2010....With 36 minutes to go for the beginning of 2011..its time to make some resolutions..!

As the clock is ticking it is getting harder to put my thoughts into words. Many of us make a list of the resolutions we intend to achieve by the end of the year. But how many of us achieve what we have planned. One of the things I have learned over the years is that we should set goals that are realistic and achievable rather than ambitious. 

The best decision I made this year I think was to quit my second job as a Tax Preparer. I loved it, but given the time I spent away from my family and the effect on my health - it was definitely not what I wanted. Now I am much more at peace with myself, as I can spend more time with my family and pursue my passion for art, cooking (not so much of a passion really, but I do like to cook) and writing.

So with that here are my resolutions for 2011..

Have fun - something that had taken a backseat in the last few years.

Focus on finishing projects that I have started.

Write my blog as often as I can.

Make healthier but fun meals for the family.

Last but not the least .. take good care of myself so I can take good care of my family..

Whooo it is 12:02 am on January 1, 2011..

Wising you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR.....

Signing of with the promise to see you all with exciting but healthier recipes in the new year :)