Mixed Pickle

Pickle is  an essential accompaniment  to rice and curry.And it can be of any kind.Here’s a delicious preserve which  can be enjoyed  on any occasion.This  is  a necessary side dish, skillfully prepared during  festivals or  any formal meals  hosted at home.I can assure you the guests  will greatly savor the taste.

Mixed Pickle

250 grams red onions ( the small variety)

10  small green chillies (seeds intact)
1 medium carrot
250 gr. Dates
2 cups vinegar
2 tbsps.Mustard seeds ( coarsely grind)
3 cloves. of  Garlic
A piece of   Ginger( about an inch)
1 1/2 tbsp. red chilly powder
1 ½  tbsps  Sugar
A sprig - curry leaves,
3 cloves,
A piece of cinnamon stick broken into half.
4-5 cardamom pods
Salt to taste

Optional:  dried& salted lemons/mangoes

step 1

Peel,wash and cut the carrot into julienne pieces.
Peel the onions wash and keep aside.Wash the green chillies and keep them whole
Take half quantity of dates, remove seeds .(The other half, with seeds intact,keep aside).
 

Step 2

I used the blender to mix the, garlic, ginger and  half of the dates (deseed) with the 2  cups of vinegar.this will make a thick paste.Remove from blender and pour the contents into a clay pot or a glass container.

Step 3
Stir into the paste, the red chilly powder, sugar , salt, the mustard seeds,cardamon and the cinnamon stick

Now add the remaining  dates with the seeds intact ,the small  onions ( whole : do not cut or chop) green chillies , carrot pieces  and the sprig of curry leaves .Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon to coat the paste evenly  so that the vegetables   soak up  the paste .

Optional tip  For that extra zing and a tangy flavor, add  into the pickle 2-3 dried salted lemons cut into quarters or dried  mangoes .(If you add the lemons and the salted mangoes, reduce the salt  when  you make the paste in step 3.

 

If the paste in step 2 is too thick ,add a little vinegar.

I usually serve mixed pickle  with an array of  curried vegetables, meat dishes and steamed rice.

 

This pickle will keep fresh,tightly sealed  in a  clay pot or a glass jar,for upto about three weeks in  the refrigerator.

 

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Colourful Bell Peppers

Bell peppers have a lot of nutrients.They are loaded with vitamin c and folic acid.They are tangy and crunchy and have a very smooth texture.They can be used in salads,sandwiches,pastas and meat.Bell peppers come in a variety of colours like red,green,orange and yellow.Recently I bought bell peppers from the supermarket  to make a special dish for my daughters birthday.I fried beef and then cooked it with all the colourful  bell peppers.Not only was this dish  presentable at the table,it was greatly relished by  the party guests who were all in their teens.I  used  a lot of spices and herbs to give it an unbeatable aroma and flavour.

You could also use bell peppers  to garnish food.I love to top them on pizzas and my meat curries.The coloured peppers actually tempt your tastes buds and  your senses too.I cannot wait to try another recipe using these colourful peppers.

You can follow this beef recipe and add the colourful bell peppers in the final stage of cooking.