Tomato Pickle

We Indians love our pickles!!! It is an ubiquitous part of all our meals!! Served and eaten in minuscule quantities, this condiment adds flavor to our meal like none other!!

Our pickles are nothing like the western pickles! Our pickles are fiery and usually bright red in color due to the presence of red chillies in them. Even our green colored pickles or pickles of any other color are still spicy. There are very few that are on the sweeter side and they too have chilli powder in them. While most of our pickles has vegetables that have been soaked in brine, it is not a requirement. We can make pickles without brine. Of course, the shelf life of pickles made without brine is much lower than those made with brine.

It is pickle season now in India. We pickle all kinds of vegetables, some fruits like mango and even fish!! It is truly delicious!!

Those who follow me know that I don't make anything that is tedious or time consuming!! Simply because I don't have that kind of time! Check my quick zucchini pickle!
My husband loves pickles and goes through a whole bottle in 3-4 days!! The reason being that I don't cook with too much spice any more and he finds the food too bland for his palate. He compensates by using pickles!

Today I am bringing you a very easy pickle that requires very few ingredients, is easy to make and does not require too much attention while making it. It has a wonderful shelf life! The recipe courtesy goes to an individual whom I look up to: Radha Natarajan. She blogs at Your Everyday Cook. You can check out her recipe here.  Her blog is full of simple recipes that bachelors and students living in hostel can make!!

I have made a few modifications, but mostly followed her recipe! Being that tomatoes are in season and are bountiful, I decided to bring this today to you.

Servings: makes one 8oz bottle.

Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 30-60  minsTotal time: 40-70 mins

Ingredients:

Sesame oil: 3-4 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Roasted fenugreek powder: 1 tbsp
Tomatoes: 6 medium sized, chopped
Kashmiri red chili powder: 3-4 tbsp
Asofoetida powder ( Hing): 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Tamarind pulp: 1/2 tsp
Jaggery or brown sugar: 1/4 tsp
Salt: 1 tsp ( adjust as needed)

Method:

Heat sesame oil on medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or wok. 

Add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the chopped tomatoes. 

Add the turmeric powder, Asofoetida powder, red chilli powder, fenugreek powder, salt and jaggery. 

Reduce the flame. 

Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring intermittently  or until they are almost homogenous and starts leaving oil at the top.

DO NOT ADD WATER. The tomatoes give out a lot of water and will start boiling vigorously. Just continue boiling under low flame until all the water content has evaporated and it stops boiling.

Turn off the flame.

Once the pickle has slightly cooled, transfer it to dry glass jar that is completely dry.

It stays fresh at room temperature for upto 7 days and fresh in the refrigerator for upto 30 days.

Enjoy!

I am so excited today to be co-hosting Fiesta Friday#172 with my dear friend and a very talented blogger  Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook!  Angie is just amazing and a great hostess!! If you have never been to the Fiesta, you definitely should! It is so much fun! You can check the guidelines here. I know I don't visit you guys often, even though I want to.. There is only so much time in one day and only so much energy in one person. Work is very busy.. You see.. I am moving up people you see..I guess that is all good. So, I will party with you guys when I can. I am definitely here for this Fiesta! Do stop by to say hello. It will be nice to catch up.

Cooking made easy:

Using a thick bottomed dish is good because it keeps the pickle from burning. Same is true for cooking on low flame. So, for these kind of recipes, you need patience. I usually do it when I am cooking my regular food and I am present in the kitchen so that I can periodically stir it. Another way to do it is to use a timer and stir every 5 mins until it is done.

Tip for healthy living:

There is nothing like home-made pickle as you can control the amount of salt that goes into it. Too much sodium can increase your blood pressure.

Food for thought:

The opinion which other people have of you is their problem, not yours. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Sour Mango Chutney; no garlic recipe. Meatless Monday

At our home, we love mango chutneys. We make raw mango chutney, ripe mango chutney. You name it, we make it. This particular one came along by accident. When I went to the grocery store the other day, I saw some yellow mangoes at an inexpensive price. I decided to get  some to eat. When I sliced it and sat down to eat, I was very disappointed! They were horribly sour! Not even salt could help! I decided to salvage them by making chutney out of it. Usually raw mango chutney is made with garlic. However, this one was ripe but sour. Therefore I decided to make it a no garlic recipe. I used asofoetida ( hing) instead, which made it perfect for the Navratri fasting. Here is the quick and easy recipe for a delicious chutney that can be devoured with dosa, idli, chapati or as a side dish with rice!

Servings: makes 2 cups of chutney

Ingredients:

Sour mango: 1 medium sized
Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Green chillies: 2-3 medium-sized
Asofoetida: a pinch if using powder, 1/2 tsp if using solution.
Salt: to taste
Water: 1/4 cup

Method:

Peel and slice the mango. Add the sliced mango pieces with all the above ingredients to the blender/ food processor. Blend until it is a smooth, fine paste.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve with dosa, idli, chapati, rice and even in sandwiches.

You can store it in the refrigerator for upto 7 days and for longer in the freezer.

Cooking made easy:

If you think you will not be using all of the chutney in the next few days, freeze half of the chutney in a freezer-safe container as soon as it is made.  To use frozen chutney, just remove it from the freezer and leave it on the counter-top for a few hours to bring it to room-temperature. Alternatively, you can take it from the freezer and keep it in the refrigerator section of your fridge, overnight.

You can alter the mango-coconut ratio to your liking. If you don't wish to use too much coconut, use half the amount of the mango slices that you have.

You can use dried red chillies or red chilli powder if you don't have green chillies.

Tip for healthy living:

Raw mangoes are rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber.

Food for thought:

A charming woman doesn't follow the crowd. She is herself. Loretta Young.