Mango Pickle - Instant one

This is a recipe handed over to me from my mom. She is an expert cook in all what she make. I still crave for her version of pickles.

I love making this mango pickle during mango season. Its very instant to make and tasty too. More over there is no waiting time for the pickle to set. and I just love it.

Ingredients are

Raw mango -2 nos
Mustard -2 big teaspoons
Red chilli powder -1& 1/2 tspn to 2 tspn (depending on the size of the mango)
Oil and salt as per requirement.
Curry leaves - few

courtesy - google images for raw mango picture

Cut the mangoes and chop it into tiny bits. Mix it with red chilli and salt for few minutes. Heat oil in a small kadai. Crack the mustard seeds. Add 1 tspn red chilli powder and switch off the burner. Remove the kadai from stove and add curry leaves and saute. Add the chopped and marinated mangoes to it and mix very well. Can use instantly once cooled.

Garlic Pickle

Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for both medicinal and culinary purposes. Garlic is one of the most valuable and versatile foods on the planet.

Garlic is a widely recognized health enhancing supplement. Garlic promotes the well-being of the heart and immune systems with antioxidant properties and helps maintain healthy blood circulation. One of garlic's most potent health benefits includes the ability to enhance the body's immune cell activity.

The active component in garlic is the sulfur compound called allicin. Allicin is the chemical produced when garlic is chopped, chewed, or bruised. Allicin is quite powerful as an antibiotic and a potent agent that helps the body to inhibit the ability of germs to grow and reproduce. In fact, it's said that 1 milligram of allicin has a potency of 15 standard units of pencillin. 

There are now over 12 studies published around the world that confirm that garlic can reduce cholesterol.

Even with much of these health benefits people dont like to have Garlic due its pungent nature and strong odour. But these healthy vegetable can be made into a pickle and enjoy the same qualities forever. 

This is how I made the pickle.

Garlic -200 gms
Peel the garlic and slightly prick using a pin or just crush it a little bit.
Ingredients required are red chilli powder, asafoetida powder and fenugreek powder (can roast the fenugreek seeds & grind to powder), salt, oil and vinegar as required. 

Heat some gingely oil/mustard oil in a kadai, splutter few mustard seeds, add the garlic pieces and saute (no need to cook), add few curry leaves too. Simmer the heat and add the chilli powder, hing powder, and fenugreek powder along with salt and mix well. Finally add vinegar and let it boil for some time. Remove from fire when the required consistency is reached. Fill in bottles once it is cooled.

Dates Pickle

I am an ardent fan of dates pickle. 

Dates are edible sweet fruits and are rich in natural fibers  vitamin and mineral. These natural products contain oil, calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium, manganese, copper and magnesium which are advantages for health. It is said that consumption of one date daily is necessary for a balanced and healthy diet. dates help in fighting constipation , intestinal disorders, weight gain, heart problems,sexual weakness, diarrhea and abdominal cancer.

But most of us dont like to eat it as fruit. This pickle is for all those (like me :D) who doesnt like to eat dates in fruit form.

This goes well with Biriyani 's Kichdi's pulav's etc. This has a blend of sweet and spicy taste.

Recipe:
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Dates -100 gms (Deseeded and chopped) you can either chop it to small bits or can slit into 4 halves.
Chilli powder - 4 tspn
Salt -1tspn (or as required)
Fenugreek powder-1/2 -3/4 tspn
Asafoetida -1tspn (can add extra if required because some hing brands wont give the required smell and flavour. so adjust according to your taste)

you can also use pickle powder if available instead of adding hing and asafoetida powders seperately. Add 3-4 tspn of pickle powder if using the same.

Oil - (mustard oil or gingely oil is the best) - as required .
curry leaves - 10 leaves
Mustard seeds - few

Chopped garlic -2 tspn

Chopped ginger -1/2 tspn

Vinegar - 1/4 - 1/2 cup
Water -1/4 cup

Heat oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds, add chopped dates pieces, curry leaves, garlic and ginger pieces and saute well in oil for few seconds. Add chilli powder and salt now. Mix well. If required can add some more oil as the pickle shouldnt be too dry. Add hing+ asafoetida powder (or pickle powder), Mix again. Now add 1/4 cup water to this mix and allow it to boil and cook the dates. The dates will become a bit softer now. Once the water is dried add vinegar and allow to boil. Switch off the burner when the gravy is not too thick and not too loose. Fill in the bottles and use after 2-3 days. You can use this pickle on the same day also but it tastes much good after 2-3 days.

Those who want the pickle to be more spicier can add extra chilli powder. You can saute the required amount of chilli powder in oil and mix with the pickle later also. I like the mix of sweet and spicy taste in this pickle.