Sesame Red Chilli Garlic Pickle

Few days back, I went for a family dinner while my husband was away and in between the chit chats rose the topic of pickles and how everyone loved my recently made chilli pickles. That was when one of my cousin's Mom-in-Law shared a chilli pickle recipe with sesame and garlic which she had prepared for her daughter, an avid chilli eater. With husband away for a whole week and not much cooking to do, the pickle was the first thing I wanted to do. So this it, a very Assamese fiery hot Red Chilli Pickle with bits of Garlic and soaked in sesame, vinegar, and oil. If you love chillies and homemade at that, you must try this extremely easy classic recipe!

                             

Ingredients

250 gms red chillies

6 tbsp black sesame seeds, powdered

3 tbsp rock salt

6 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

15-20 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (you can add or reduce as per your liking)

Mustard oil, just enough to cover the chillies till the brim

Direction

Wash the chillies thoroughly and air dry them completely on a kitchen towel. Now, remove the stems and diagonally slit the chillies. 

Take the sesame seeds and grind them to a coarse powder. I did not dry roast them as I used store bought ground sesame. You can dry roast if you would like to.

In a air tight jar, add the chillies, garlic, sesame powder, salt, sugar, and vinegar and mix well. You can also close the jar lid and vigorously shake it till everything is properly mixed. 

       

Put the jar in the sun for 2 days, lid on. On the third day, heat the mustard oil to smoky hot and then let it cool. Add the cooled oil to the chilli jar and mix well. Keep it at room temperature for 2 more days before serving.

                                       

Mixed Chilli Pickle

Pickling is a fun and exciting process and I am quite enjoying it. It is in fact quite easy and requires minimum effort. All you need is a bit of good sunshine, which is again optional and can be managed even without it. I was lucky to get some hot and sunny days in the beginning of the pickling process, but thereafter the sun started playing peekaboo, which only prolonged the process by a day or two without any adverse effect. I had made one red chilli pickle in the past as well and even that was super yummy. That was an oil free version while this is not. In this pickle I have used a mix of green and red chillies to cater to mine and my husband's spice tolerance levels. Do try this easy peasy pickle and see how it takes your regular meals a notch higher. You can also use the flavored oil in this pickle for spicing up your curries and veggies.

                                

Ingredients

150 gms green chillies

150 gms red chillies

7 tbsp yellow mustard seeds

3 tbsp rock salt

1/2 cup lemon juice (juice from 5-6 lemons)

2 tsp turmeric powder

3/4 cup mustard oil

Direction

Wash the chillies thoroughly and let it air dry overnight by spreading on a kitchen towel. Now cut 1 inch pieces or basically halve the chillies in the middle after removing the stems. Put the chillies in a clean and sterilized glass jar or a non reactive food grade jar. Take the mustard seeds in a coffee grinder and make a coarse powder. Add this powder to the chillies in the jar. Add rock salt and close the lid. Shake the bottle vigorously for 2-3 times so that everything gets mixed properly. 

Leave it in a sunny place, with lid closed, for 2-3 days. If you have good sunshine, 2 days is good enough. 

At the end of the third day, add the lemon juice and turmeric powder. Close the lid and mix again. Leave it in the sun for 2 more days. Ensure that you shake the jar at the end of each day.

In a pan, heat the mustard oil to a smoking point and then let it cool. Add this completely cooled or slightly warm mustard oil to the jar and mix well. Close the lid and let it remain at room temperature for 3-4 days. Keep shaking the jar at the end of each day. Your pickle is now ready to be served. Make sure you use a clean spoon to serve the pickle everytime. If you live in a very hot and humid place, you may keep it in the refrigerator.

Sweet and Spicy Iranian Carrot Pickle

I saw this recipe almost 3 months back and ever since, it was on my mind. In fact, I had bought my first pack of dried apricots just for this recipe and while I still kept fiddling with the thought of making it, the apricots managed to score highest on my favorite dry fruit list and now a regular in my pantry. Some more months would have still passed by before I could make this pickle when finally yesterday I did some jar shopping and I knew now is the time. Not that the recipe is difficult to make, in fact it is one of the simplest ones to make. I was just occupied with a few more important things and today when I finally made it, I realize what I had been missing all this while. The recipe was shared by a very talented fellow food blogger Amrita Gill which was passed on to her by her Iranian friend in her college days. A must try recipe, especially if you love your pickles and chutneys!

                                

Ingredients

2 cups carrot grated

1 1/2 cups fine grain sugar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (can be replaced with sugarcane vinegar or apple cider vinegar or any sweet vinegar)

1/3 cup dried apricots sliced

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup dates (I did not add as I do not like)

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp heaped red chilli powder

Salt to taste

Direction

Soak the apricots and raisins in the vinegar overnight in the refrigerator, preferably in a glass bowl. 

Heat a pan and add the carrots followed by the sugar. Strain the soaked apricots and raisins and add the soaked vinegar from the bowl. Let the mixture come to a boil while stirring continuously on a medium flame. Now add the chopped garlic, soaked and strained fruits followed by the spices. Mix everything well and let the mixture reduce while stirring in between. When all the liquid evaporates, remove from heat and transfer to glass jar or bowl and keep the lid open.  Refrigerate once completely cool. Enjoy with a wide range of Indian breads, fritters, samosas, or anything that you fancy!

                                     

Red Chilli Pickle

Pickle at home and made by you!! That was my mom's first reaction when I narrated my success story to her over the phone. She could not believe her youngest can now even make pickles at home, leave aside running a food blog. Well, time flies Maa. Maybe oneday I will feel the same for my baby.

Ingredients

150 gms Green or red chillies (the original recipe called for 250 gms)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp methi seeds

1/4 tsp hing

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp garam masala

2 tbsp olive oil (I added 2 extra tbsp of oil while mixing the next day)

2 lemon or 2 tbsp lemon juice, whichever is more

Direction

Chop your chilles, ideally into three parts. Make sure the chillies are washed and patted completely dry before chopping. Roast the cumin seeds and methi seeds in a pan. Turn off the heat and add hing while the pan is still hot. Transfer the contents into a blender and add mustard seeds. Make a smooth powder and empty the masala into a bowl. Add turmeric powder, garam masala, and 1 tbsp lemon juice and half the salt. Keep aside. 

In another bowl, preferably a glass one, put the chillies, salt, turmeric powder, oil, and the remaining lemon juice and mix well. Cover with a tight lid and either keep it in the room or in sunlight for few hours for best result. After 5/6 hours, add the prepared masala and mix everything well again. Now keep covered in the same bowl for 1 day occasionally stirring in between. Next day, transfer the pickle into a glass jar and add a little more oil. Keep bathing the pickle in the sun for a few days for best results. Remember to keep shaking the jar once in a while for proper mixing. Enjoy!