Tips

Pickles or Achcharu’s are really something special. No rice and curry meal is complete without these sweet and sour, tangy and spicy masterpieces! Labelled as “rice pullers” these Pickles and Moju’s really work and can be served as a relish or as a side dish with any main meal. Here are some of our tongue tingling favourites:

Add mustard seeds, chilli powder, garlic, ginger, and vinegar in a food processor (or using a mortar and pestle) and grind until it get into a thick paste. Put the paste into a large sauce pan and cook for about 2 minutes on medium high heat. Then add sugar into the sauce pan stir well, cook for another 1 minute. Then add carrots, shallots, green chilli, dates and cucumber into the sauce pan and mix well. Cook for a further 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cool and store in airtight jar or bottle. 

Cut each lime into 8 wedges. Place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Cover and set aside in a cool dry place, stirring occasionally, for 2 days. 

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook for 30 seconds or until the seeds start to pop. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander and chilli powder. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Stir in the lime mixture, water, sugar and vinegar and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the mixture is thick. Spoon into glass jars and set aside for 1 week to develop the flavours.

Cut the carrots, onions, chilies, vinegar and turmeric in a pan with 150 ml water and season with salt.

Bring to boil and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Preparing pickling paste; put the vinegar, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, chili powder and sugar in a small food processor and blend until fairly smooth. Season with salt and transfer to a mixing bowl.

Add the drained vegetable mixture and toss to coat evenly. Transfer to a jar. Seal and store in a cool and dark place for 2 weeks before eating. Store in the fridge after opening 

First peel and seed out the papaya and cut into bite-size or 1/2 inch size pieces. Take these pieces into a wide large bowl. Add Turmeric Powder, salt, red chili powder. Add lime juice. Grind the fenugreek and mustard seeds separately into fine powder and add it in. Crush the garlic in the mortar and add to bowl. Mix all the ingredients in the bowl until they get well blended. (use your hand for mixing than spoon or spatula to get best results.) Taste and adjust the salt and spices according to your taste. Let it sit in the bowl for 5 hours and then transfer it to the air-tight container and store it in the cool place.  The longer it gets stored the best taste it will acquire.

Cut carrot into julienne strips. Break cauliflower into florets and steam for a few minutes.

Slice the green pepper and onion. Grind together the mustard seeds, garlic and ginger in a little bit of the vinegar. In a saucepan, put the ground paste and the balance of the vinegar, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and sugar and bring it to a boil and take it off the stove. In a large bowl mix all the vegetables. Then pour the boiled dressing and mix well. When cool mix in the dates, pineapple pieces and the chopped mango and serve.

Slice Brinjal length wise (1cm x 3cm) and mix with turmeric powder and salt. Deep fry until golden brown and drain oil.

Heat 3tbsp oil in a large pan and add green chilli, red onion and fry for about 1 minute. Then add garlic paste, ginger paste, clove, mustard paste, salt, curry leaves, chilli powder, soya sauce, turmeric powder, sugar and vinegar. Mix together and cook for 2 minutes. Mix in the fried brinjal and serve after 45 minutes. 

Slice the brinjals and capsicums into ½ inch strips, add turmeric powder, salt and keep aside to marinate for about 15 minutes. In a deep frying pan add oil and when hot, fry the capsicums and brinjals until light brown. Set aside. Mix in the crushed chillies and crushed pepper to the fried brinjals and capsicums. In a deep frying pan add oil and when hot, add the garlic paste, curry leaves, onions and green chillies and fry until golden brown. While frying add the mustard seeds. Add the brinjal and capsicum mixture to the onion mixture and fry well. Add sugar and salt to taste and take off fire.