Dates pickle

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Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Serving : 6 to 10 members

Description

Dates pickle . A pickle that I make every year after the holy month of Ramadan as my refrigerator will be loaded with dates . The first dates pickle I tasted was when my buddy sulu got a bottle from her home . I still remember how I dipped my finger right in and  licked out the entire bottle With the goodness of tanginess , spiciness and sweetness all in one .   This combination of sweet encroaching into savoury territory was new to me as in ravuthar  cooking it is far from blasphemous and any ravuthar would raise their eyebrow at this idea .the sweet element with the savoury and tart together does high light  the flavours and creates a balanced pickle . This recipe is  sulus with slight changes tailor  made to fit my convenience . Two days back was in to a cleaning spear . Ended up cleaning my refrigerator too , finding loads of left over dates  as usual resulting in making dates pickle and now I have two huge jars full of dates pickle that are full of feisty contrasts with a symphony of sweet , savoury and tart .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Dates(whole and deseeded) 250 grams
Ginger (chopped) 1 1/2 inch piece
Garlic 1 pod peeled cut length wise
Fenugreek seeds 1/4 teaspoon
Asafoetida 2 huge pinches
mustard seeds 1 tablespoon
Tamarind pulp1 tablespoon
Vinegar1 cup
Dry red chillies 7 to 10 ( whole )
Poppy seeds1 teaspoon soaked in little water
Raisins 15 grams
Jaggery1/4 cup grated
Nutmeg powdera pinch
Curry leaves1 sprig
Salt to taste
Gingely oil1/2 cup

Method

  1. Wash and drain the dates. Slice into halves.Grind the red chillies with vinegar to a smooth paste and keep aside.
  2. Grind together poppy seeds, raisins, jaggery and tamarind pulp to a smooth paste.Add the jaggery paste to the previously prepared vinegar paste and stir well.
  3. Heat gingely oil add mustard seeds , fenugreek seeds . once they crackle and garlic .  Remove the garlic and set aside .
  4. Add  ginger, curry leaves , asafoetida  and chilli vinegar jaggery paste . switch of the flame .
  5. Add the dates and fried garlic . Mix gently.To the above mixture, add nutmeg powder and required salt. Stir the dates pickle .
  6. Cool down completely to room temperature and store in an air tight ceramic container . Keep aside for two days.

Notes

  1. Make sure you use hard dates not soft ones as the soft dates tends to get mushy and gives a jam consistency to the pickle .
  2. Add hot water to get the desired consistency in case the pickle gets too thick .Soak the prepared pickle for 2 or more days .
  3. Make sure not to use a wet spoon or else the pickle gets spoilt .Store in the fridge and it stays for 6 months to a year.

Fish Pickle

fish

This is an authentic malabar dish as we ravuthars don’t make pickle with fish . This ricepi is my moms . Don’t know from where she got the recipe . Even this fish pickle in the picture was prepared by her . She had gone to Cochin for a cousins reception and came bake with 10 kgs of fish and prawns together . Results I was made to clean the entire 10 kgs of fish duringmy holiday visit to moms place Loads of work done in hubby’s placeis not a problem at all ( wonderfrom where Iget the energy and streanth )but when at moms place I hate to even move a cup from here to there . I guess every woman has the same motto in them .

Ingredients
Bone less fish – 1 kg cut into small pieces , turmeric powder -1/2 teaspoon , chilli powder – 1 teaspoon + 1 1/4 cup , salt – to taste , gingily oil – 2 cups , vinegar -2 cups , ginger juliens – 100 grams , garlic juliens or whole – 100 grams , green chillies -3 juliens , fenugreek – 1 tablespoon , mustard seeds -1 table spoon , curry leaves -1 strand , hing powder -1 tablespoon , hot water -1 1/4 cup .

Method
Marinate cleaned drained fish with turmeric powder , chilli powder 1 teaspoon and salt to taste for 1/2 an hour . Heat the gingily oil and fry the fish , drain and put it into the vinegar to soak . In the same fish fried oil fry the ginger juliens , garlic and green chillies separately to golden colour and add to the fish marinating in the vinegar . Mix well . In the same fried oil add mustard seeds , fenugreek seeds and curry leaves . Fry to splatter add hing powder switch of the flame and add the remaining red chilli powder . Mix well adding the hot water . Put it back on flame and bring to boil . Add the marinating fish , ginger , garlic , green chillies , vinegar mixture and mix well . Lower the flame , once the oil floats on top remove from heat . ( about 2-3 minutes not more than that as the fish might break ) cool and store in a dry clean air tight container . Best served with boiled rice for lunch .