Ingredients

Cooking sesame oil – 1 1/2 tbsp

Ridge gourd (cut into cubes) – 3 cups (beginners, check notes to learn how to prep ridge gourd!)

Salt – 1/2 tsp (or to taste)

Fresh curry leaves – a handful

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Moong dhal – 1 tsp

Fresh coriander leaves – a handful

Thick tamarind extract – 1 1/2 tbsp

Green chillies – 4 (or to taste)

Walnuts – handful

Yield
2 cups

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
15 mins

Method

1)   Heat a shallow frying pan and add 1 tbsp oil. When it is warm add cubed ridge gourd, salt and jaggery. Mix once, cover and cook for nearly 10 mins on medium heat. Open the lid and mix intermittently to avoid charring. Once the ridge gourd cooks and shrinks to almost 1/3 of its original quantity add curry leaves (reserve few for tempering) and saute for a further 2 mins. Set this aside to cool completely.

2)   In a tempering pan heat 1/2 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Now add moong dhal and fry until golden. Add the reserved curry leaves and saute for a few secs. Transfer this to a serving dish.

3)   In a mixer jar add the cooked ridge gourd, coriander leaves, tamarind extract, green chillies and walnuts. Pulse a few times. Now add 2 to 3 tbsps water and grind to a chutney consistency. Transfer this spicy ridge gourd chutney to the serving dish. Mix the tempering into the chutney.

4)   Serve this healthy chutney with any Indian savoury tiffin and enjoy. Stays fresh for 2 days when refrigerated.   

Notes

1. Take your time to cook the ridge gourd and make sure it cooks well, shrinks and most of the moisture evaporates before grinding. Otherwise your chutney will have an uncooked raw flavour which is not good.
2. The spice level in this chutney is according to my taste preference. I like my chutneys hot and spicy. If it is too spicy for your taste then reduce the number of chillies.
3. You can add some chopped onions or grated carrots to the chutney after adding the tempering. This will enhance the taste and give a bit of crunch/texture to the ridge gourd chutney.
4. Try this yummy chutney with Yam Paratha. One of my favourite lunch box options!

Beginners tips

1. Make sure to buy ridge gourd that is tender to touch and not hard. Take the gourd in your hand and try twisting it a bit. You should be able to twist it slightly with ease. This means it is fresh and tender.
2. Wash the ridge gourd properly, and cut it into big pieces. Hold the piece vertically and slice off the ridges/rough edges with a knife. Now gently scrape the leftover skin of the gourd and wash the pieces once more.
3. When your ridge gourd is tender you can use the entire pulp after getting rid of the ridges fully and scraping the skin roughly. You don’t have to discard the outer skin completely or the seeds inside. If your gourd is old then it becomes very fibrous and the seeds become hard, the outer skin is difficult to cook and difficult to digest too. You may have to discard if it becomes old.

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In fact on a day when I feel like skipping a full meal, I have fruit and a glass of buttermilk mixed with this cut mango pickle. Perfect and yum!

Here’s the recipe for yet another interesting combo that is super easy to make and great to taste.

Ingredients

For Curd Rice:

Rice – 1 cup (see note 1)

Water – 2 cups

Milk – 1 1/4cups

Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp (optional)

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Sugar – 1 tsp

Fresh curd – 2 to 3 cups

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dhal – 1 tsp

Dry red chilly – 1 (cut into pieces)

Green chillies – 1 (finely chopped) (optional)

Ginger – 2 tbsp (finely chopped)

Curry leaves – a few (hand torn to pieces)

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (finely chopped) (optional)

For Cut Mango Pickle:

Raw/green mango – 2 medium sized

Salt – 1 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder – 3 tbsp

Sugar/Jaggery – 1 tbsp (if your mango is too sour)

Asafoetida – 1 tsp

Cooking sesame oil – 1/4 cup

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Flavour enhancer powder – 1/2 tsp  (refer my tamarind rice recipe to make this powder)

Yield
Serves 2

Prep time
30 mins

Cook time
15 mins

Method

1)   Wash the rice twice, add water, unsalted butter and 1 cup milk (refrigerate the remaining 1/4 cup) to it. Mix once and cook until rice is done completely to a soft and mushy consistency. Once cooked, remove from heat and allow it to cool down a bit.

2)   While the rice is cooking, wash the mangoes thoroughly and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Make sure the mango is completely dry before chopping. Now chop the mangoes finely and add salt. Mix well and set aside for 10 mins.

3)   After 10 mins add red chilly powder, sugar/jaggery and asafoetida on top of the finely chopped mangoes. Let it all be a blob on top of the mango pieces. Do not mix it.

4)   In a tempering pan heat sesame oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Remove the tempering pan and let the spluttering settle down. After about 30 secs pour this tempering on the spices.

5)   Finally add the flavour enhancer powder and mix everything thoroughly. Let it sit for 10 mins for all the flavours to soak into the mango pieces. Your instant, delicious cut mango pickle is ready.

6)   When the rice is still warm, add salt, sugar and 1/4 tsp asafoetida to it. Gently mix everything once. Add curd and the remaining refrigerated milk. Mix nicely and set aside.

7)   In a tempering pan heat ghee. When ghee is medium hot (take care not to heat ghee until it becomes smoky) add mustard seeds and let it splutter.

8)   Now add urad dhal and red chilly pieces and fry until the dhal turns golden. Then add the remaining 1/4 tsp asafoetida, just mix and add chopped ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute for a min and transfer this tempering to the curd rice.

9)   Add finely chopped coriander leaves to the curd rice and gently mix everything. It is now ready to serve with the pickle on the side.

Notes

1. To make authentic south Indian curd rice use any short grain, non fragrant rice like sona masoori or ponni rice. Try and avoid fragrant rice varieties like basmati or jasmine rice. These fragrant rice varieties have a distinct fragrance which will not go well with the typical taste of curd rice. In case you don’t have non fragrant rice varieties, you can make curd rice with millets too. Millet curd rice is equally tasty and much more nutritious.
2. I’ve used ponni rice to make curd rice. This variety takes 3 times water for each cup of rice to get cooked perfectly. However I’ve taken 2 parts water, 1 part milk (instead of all 3 parts water) and a tbsp of butter to cook the rice. Addition of milk and butter with water makes curd rice rich, creamy and tasty. Adjust the amount of water according to the variety of rice or millet you are using. Remember to add some portion of milk and a tbsp of butter.
3. Choose a raw mango variety that is not extremely sour for this kind of instant pickle. If possible wash and allow the mangoes to air dry before you make the pickle. Even the slightest moisture would reduce the shelf life of any pickle. Ensure to keep the bowl in which you are making the pickle and your hands dry as well.
4. The amount of salt, oil and flavour enhancer powder is important to maximise the taste and shelf life of this pickle. So try to stick to the quantities given here as much as possible. 
5. If your mango is not sour enough then add juice of a lime/lemon to the pickle and mix. This helps to add some sourness and also acts as a preservative.
6. This pickle stays fresh for a week when refrigerated.
7. I’ve given the recipe for basic curd rice. There are many things you can add to this basic version to enhance its taste and nutritive value. Finely chopped cucumber, grated carrot, finely chopped mango, cashew nuts, pomegranate pearls,  chopped fresh grapes are some of the options.

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Traditional peanut chutney has peanuts and coconut, but adding carrot to it gives it a bit more depth of flavour by introducing some sweetness. This spicy Carrot Peanut Chutney is a great side dish for idli, dosa and any kind of indian bread. This chutney can also be used as a spread in your sandwich or as an accompaniment for plain steamed rice.

Ingredients

Peanuts – 3/4 cup

Dry red chillies – 6 (or to taste)

Carrot (grated) – 1 1/2 cups

Onion – 1 medium sized

Tomato – 2 medium sized

Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)

Peanut oil – 3 tbsp

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Moong dhal – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Sambar powder – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 2 tbsp (optional)

Powdered jaggery or brown sugar – 1 tsp

Yield
3 cups

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   Heat a shallow frying pan and add 1 tbsp oil. Add peanuts and dry red chillies to this oil. On low heat fry these until crisp and remove the peanuts and chillies from the oil, transfer to a plate and let it cool.

2)   For tempering, heat the same pan, add 1/2 tbsp more oil and add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. When the mustard seeds splutter add moong dhal and fry until golden. Now add curry leaves and mix once. Transfer this tempering to a plate and set aside.

3)   Chop onion and tomato roughly. Set aside.

4)   In the same frying pan take the remaining oil and heat it. Add chopped onion and fry until translucent. Now add grated carrot and chopped tomato. Add sambar powder, asafoetida and salt. Mix well, cover and cook until soft. Allow the cooked vegetables to come to room temperature.

5)   In a mixer jar add the peanuts and chillies. Grind coarsely. Now add the cooked vegetables, coconut and jaggery. Grind everything to a chutney consistency (add water as required to bring the chutney to a smooth cake batter consistency).

6)   Now transfer the carrot peanut chutney to a serving bowl and add the tempering. Mix well and serve with idli, dosai, upma, pongal (all Indian tiffin varieties), any Indian bread or plain steamed rice. This chutney is a great combination for Pidi Kozhukkattai too.

7)   When refrigerated, carrot peanut chutney stays good for 2 days.

Notes

1. To enhance the flavour and taste of peanuts I’ve used peanut oil for this recipe. As an alternative you can use sesame oil or any neutral oil.
2. Take your time to roast the peanuts and chillies on low flame. When roasted on low heat the peanut gets roasted inside out completely and adds an intense peanut flavour to the carrot peanut chutney. And the chillies have to fry and become crisp without changing colour as much as possible.
   If you don’t have dry red chillies, you can use chilli flakes instead. If you use chilli flakes, don’t fry it with the peanuts, just add it directly to the blender.
3. The spice level in this chutney is according to my taste preference. I like my chutneys hot and spicy. If it is too spicy for your taste then reduce the number of chillies.
4. You can add some chopped coriander leaves to the chutney after adding the tempering. This will enhance the appearance and nutritional value of the chutney.
5. If you make the chutney without fresh coconut it increases the shelf life by a day or two.

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In this recipe I’ve not completely added all the tastes because I did not have neem flowers (to bring in the bitter taste) and when the mango is used with the skin the astringent taste also is incorporated. But personally I don’t like my maangaai pachchadi to have the outer skin of the mango. So this recipe is tailor made for my taste buds. If you want to include all six tastes then use mango with skin and in the tempering add neem flowers after the mustard seeds splutter and fry till it turns dark brown.

So here’s my recipe for a tasty Maangaai Pachchadi.

Ingredients

Sliced Mango – 3 cups (heaped)

Jaggery (powdered) – 1 cup

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Dried Red Chilly – 1

Water – 1 3/4 cups

Yield
3-4 cups

Prep time
20 mins

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   Wash the mango, peel and slice it roughly.

2)   In a wide heavy bottomed pan take the sliced mango and add 1 1/4 cups water and salt. Mix once, cover and cook on medium heat until soft and mushy. Stir in between to avoid the mango sticking to the bottom of the pan.

3)   While the mango is cooking, take the jaggery in another pan and add 1/2 cup of water. Cook this on medium heat, stirring continuously until the jaggery melts. Allow the jaggery water to boil for 5 mins. After 5 mins switch off the heat and set this aside.

4)   Once the mango cooks completely, reduce heat and strain the jaggery water (to get rid of any impurities) on top of this cooked mango. Stir, cover and cook on low to medium flame.

5)   Keep stirring periodically to avoid the maangaai pachchadi sticking to the bottom of the pan. The mango-jaggery mixture might splatter at this stage, so use a long handled stirring spoon to mix. After 10 to 12 mins of cooking, the pachchadi will thicken to a preserve consistency. Reduce the heat completely.

6)   Now heat a tempering pan and add the oil. Heat the oil a bit and add mustard seeds. Wait until it splutters and add dried red chilly. Fry for 30 s and add the tempering to the maangaai pachchadi. Mix once, switch off the heat and cool to room temperature.

7)   Transfer the maangaai pachchadi to a clean sterilised container and refrigerate. This pachchadi will stay fresh for 8 to 10 days when refrigerated.

Notes

1. I used a mango that was quite sour and hence added 1 cup jaggery. I prefer maangaai pachchadi to be sweet and sour equally. You can increase or decrease the amount of jaggery according to your taste preference and also according to the natural taste of the mango.
2. If you don’t have powdered jaggery and have only big chunks of jaggery, then try grating it in your vegetable grater. If it is too hard to grate then just heat up the lump of jaggery in microwave for 40 to 50 s. The hard jaggery will soften and you can easily grate it.
3. Traditionally, jaggery is used to make this dish. If you don’t have jaggery then try this with raw/brown sugar.
4. This recipe is safe for children. In this case, you may choose to leave out the chilly.

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Turmeric and, more specifically, fresh turmeric root is extremely healthy and filled with anti bacterial, anti fungal and anti viral properties. The main active component in turmeric is ‘curcumin’ – the key ingredient to all the healthy benefits turmeric offers, and it is present more in fresh roots than in processed turmeric powder. So, I prefer to use the fresh roots when it is in season, in different recipes and enjoy the benefits fully. 

This pickle recipe is extremely easy to make and loaded with health benefits, but the only disadvantage is that the shelf life of this turmeric pickle is just about 4 to 6 days when refrigerated. This is a great accompaniment for curd rice, sambar rice or as a topping for your oothappam. So go ahead and make this in small batches and consume within this period. If you have lots of fresh turmeric in your pantry, then do check out my Fresh Turmeric Thokku recipe for a longer shelf life pickle!

Ingredients

Fresh turmeric (finely chopped or grated) – 1 cup

Fresh ginger (finely chopped) – 1/4 cup

Green chillies (roughly chopped) – 3

Salt – 1/2 tsp (or to taste)

Sugar – a pinch (optional)

Lime juice – 2 tbsp

Cooking sesame oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida (hing) – 1/4 tsp

Yield
1 1/4 cups

Prep time
20 mins

Cook time
5 mins

Method

1)   Wash the turmeric and ginger to remove any impurities. Then peel and grate/finely chop. Keep in a wide bowl.

2)   Add salt, sugar (if using), green chillies and lime juice to the turmeric and ginger. Mix well. Let this sit for 10 mins.

3)   In a small tempering pan heat the sesame oil and add mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Then add asafoetida, mix and transfer the tempering to the pickle. Mix everything properly. Your turmeric pickle is ready! Transfer this to a clean glass jar and store in the refrigerator. Stays fresh for 4 to 6 days when refrigerated.

Beginners Tips

1. Select and buy very fresh reasonably fat turmeric roots. Small tender ones don’t have the rich golden yellow colour.
2. Adding sugar to this turmeric pickle is optional, but I suggest to add a small amount to balance out the sour, spicy and salty taste from all the ingredients and enhance the taste.
3. Cool the pickle completely before storing it in clean, sterilised glass/porcelain jars. Even the slightest moisture will spoil the pickle with fungus formation. As a general rule, use dry, sterilised containers to store pickles and use a clean, dry spoon to serve. Don’t keep the pickle jar open for a long time to avoid any accidental spilling of liquids which will lead to spoiling of the pickle. 

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Ingredients

Ripe tomatoes – 1.5 kg

Oranges (Mandarin variety) – 4 to 6

Sugar – as required (see method point 3)

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Lemon/lime juice – 1 tbsp

Yield
1000 – 1250 gms 

Prep time
25 mins

Cook time
~40 mins

Method

1)   Wash the tomatoes and chop them roughly. Transfer to a mixer/grinder jar and grind to a pulp (without adding water). Set aside. 

2)   De-skin and separate the orange segments. De-seed the segments and cut them to chunks.

3)   Take the pureed tomato and the orange chunks together in a bowl. Measure the pulp with the orange chunks, using a cup. Take equal quantity of sugar and add to the tomato-orange pulp.

4)   Now transfer the tomato, orange and sugar mixture to a heavy bottomed pan/kadai. Heat the pan and bring the mixture to a boil on medium heat. Keep stirring the mixture constantly. The sugar will melt due to heat and the mixture will become slightly watery, continue to cook (stir the mixture constantly). Add salt and mix.   

5)   After about 15 mins of cooking on medium heat, reduce the heat and allow the mixture to cook on minimum heat for a further 15 to 20 mins. By now the tomato orange preserve would have thickened. Add the lemon juice at this stage and mix well.

6)   Just allow the preserve to cook for a further 5 mins on minimum heat and switch off the heat.

7)   The preserve should now be in the right consistency with a glossy look. (if you’ve never made a jam/preserve before, check out the tips section of Mango Plum preserve!). Remove the pan from the stove top and let it cool completely.

8)   Transfer the preserve to a clean sterilised bottle and refrigerate. This Tomato Orange preserve will stay fresh for 6 months when refrigerated correctly.

Notes

1. Use fully ripe tomatoes to make this Tomato Orange Preserve. Also, I’ve used mandarin type oranges which were sweet and pulpy. I like the orange chunks in the preserve for added zing. You can also use any other pulpy, sweet variety like tangerines or blood oranges.
2. Do not remove the inner most skin of the orange segments. This way the chunks don’t disintegrate that much and become mushy while cooking. The chunks in the preserve are an amazing addition.
3. Any kind of sugar can be used for this recipe. I’ve used white crystal sugar, but any variety of brown sugar can be used for this recipe. The colour of the preserve will change according to the type of sugar we use.
4. Adding a small quantity of salt helps to balance the sweet and sour taste present in the sugar, tomatoes and oranges.
5. You may increase or decrease the amount of sugar slightly to suit your taste preference, but one thing to remember – if the ratio of fruit to sugar changes too much then the preserve will end up either too unevenly watery (too little sugar) or solidify and crystalise (too much sugar). Equal amount of sugar is ideal.
6. Use heavy bottomed pan/kadai so that the heat is spread evenly and stir constantly. This helps to cook the preserve without it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
7. The lemon juice added at the end serves three purposes: it gives an attractive gloss to the preserve, it acts as a natural preservative and it stops the sugar from crystallising after a few weeks of storage.
8. Use a clean, dry spoon with the preserve. Also the bottle used to store the preserve should be sterilised and dry. Any external moisture will spoil the preserve.

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Turmeric and, more specifically, fresh turmeric root is extremely healthy and filled with anti bacterial, anti fungal and anti viral properties. In traditional Indian medicine, turmeric plays a vital role in managing many health issues. The main active component in turmeric is ‘curcumin’ – key ingredient to all the healthy benefits turmeric offers, and it is present more in fresh roots than in processed turmeric powder. So, I prefer to use the fresh roots when it is in season rather than the store bought turmeric powder.  

I love this time of the year when lot of fresh vegetables, exotic varieties of fresh herbs and spices are available in my region. I love to try out new recipes with the fresh produce available in the supermarkets and local vegetable and fruit markets. Fresh turmeric thokku is the latest variety of pickle I made last week and I simply keep finding reasons to include this in every meal!

Ingredients

Fresh turmeric (peeled and grated) – 1 cup (tightly packed)

Thick tamarind extract – 4 tbsp (or 2 tbsp tamarind paste diluted in 75 ml water)

Dry red chillies – 8 (or red chilly powder 1 1/2 tbsp)

Salt – 3/4 tsp (or to taste)

Sugar (or jaggery) – 1 tbsp

Asafoetida (also called hing) – 1/2 tsp

Sesame oil (for cooking) – 3 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Yield
1 1/4 cups

Prep time
15 mins

Cook time
20 mins

Method

1)   Wash the turmeric thoroughly to remove any impurities, peel and grate.

2)   Fry the dry red chillies to make your own flavourful chilly powder (refer fenugreek grape pickle recipe on tips to make chilly powder for pickles). You can ignore this step if using readymade red chilly powder.

3)   In a heavy bottom pan, take sesame oil, add mustard seeds and let it splutter.

4)   Then add asafoetida and fry for 30 secs. Immediately add the grated turmeric and fry for 3 to 4 mins or until it softens a bit.  Fry on low flame so you don’t burn the turmeric.

5)   Now add the chilly powder and mix. Add the tamarind extract and salt. Mix and cover the pan. Keep the heat in low to medium and cook for 5 mins or until the raw smell of the tamarind goes.

6)   Now add sugar/jaggery to the turmeric thokku and simmer. Allow it to cook for another 3 to 4 mins or until the oil separates and starts to float on top (meaning the turmeric thokku is ready).

7)   Switch off the heat and allow it to completely cool down, before storing it in a dry, clean airtight bottle or porcelain jar. This spicy, turmeric thokku can be served as an ideal accompaniment for idli, dosai, roti, puri, plain rice or thayir sadham (curd rice). 

Beginners Tips

1. Select and buy very fresh reasonably fat turmeric roots. Small tender ones don’t have the rich golden yellow colour.
2. Always use cooking grade sesame oil for pickles, unless the recipe calls for any other oil. There is a reason for this – in most of the Indian pickle varieties,  lot of chillies are used. Though it tastes great, for some people who have sensitive stomach, it may not be tolerated well. Sesame oil has lot of cooling properties and hence added in pickles to offset the heat produced by the chillies.
3. Keep the heat in medium to low while making this pickle. High heat will dry out the turmeric and make the pickle less moist.
4. Cool the pickle completely before storing it in clean, sterilised glass/porcelain jars. Even the slightest moisture will spoil the pickle with fungus formation. As a general rule, use dry, sterilised containers to store pickles and use clean, dry spoon to serve. Don’t keep the pickle jar open for a long time to avoid any accidental spilling of liquids which will lead to spoiling of the pickle. 

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Every supermarket section has a variety of jams/preserves but nothing beats the fresh home made ones. I don’t buy supermarket preserves anymore because it’s so easy to make them at home, especially in a healthy way – fresh fruit, no food colours, no artificial preservatives and no excessive sugar.

I’ve been experimenting with jams and jellies for a while now and I always try to make combinations we don’t usually see at the store. Here’s my latest creation – a Mango Plum Preserve. While the predominant flavours are mango and plum, I’ve added some gooseberry for a citrus kick and just a hint of bitterness. It also doesn’t hurt that gooseberries are packed with vitamin C and antioxidants! It really is quite an interesting and nutritious fruit, and it pairs really well with traditionally sweet flavours like mango.

So without further ado, here’s a super easy recipe for a Mango Plum Preserve that you can try the next time you have a hankering for something sweet and sour. It can be enjoyed in sandwiches, bread rolls, as an accompaniment for Indian breads like parathas and pooris and in lots of other ways!

Ingredients

Ripe mango – 1 medium sized or large

Plums (sweet) – 5

Gooseberry – 4 medium sized

Sugar – 250 gms

Salt – 1/4 tsp 

Lemon/lime juice – 2 tbsp

Red chilly powder – 1 tsp (recommended, not necessary) (see note 2)

Yield
~750 to 850 gms 

Prep time
30 mins
(to boil and cool the plums, chop the mango and grate the gooseberries)

Cook time
30 mins

Method

1)   Wash all the fruits thoroughly. Grate the gooseberries. Peel the mango and roughly chop it.

2)   In a wide pan boil the plums in water until the skin starts to peel off. Remove from water and set aside to cool slightly. 

3)   Once the plums cool a little, remove the seeds and transfer the pulp to a heavy bottomed pan. Add the chopped mango and the grated gooseberries. Gently mix these, making sure to retain the mango and plum chunks. Don’t over mash and make it gooey – the chunks are the best part!

4)   Cook the fruits with sugar and salt and the chilly powder on medium to low heat for nearly 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Now reduce the heat to minimum and allow it to cook for a further 6 to 8 mins.

5)   The preserve should have thickened and started to look glossy now. At this stage add the lemon juice and stir for a further 2 to 3 mins, keeping the heat at the lowest. 

7)   The preserve should now be the right consistency (if you’ve never made a jam/preserve before, check out the tips below!). Turn off the heat, remove the pan from the stove top and let it cool completely.

8)   Transfer the preserve to a clean sterilised bottle and refrigerate. This mango plum preserve will stay fresh for 6 months when refrigerated correctly.

Notes

1. I have used purple plums in this recipe, but any sweet variety of plum can be used. Sour ones will make the preserve too sour and you’d be forced to add extra sugar to balance the taste. The same goes for the mango. Avoid unripe or semi ripe mango as it will make your preserve too sour. 
2. The chilly powder is optional but I’m a big fan because it balances out the other flavours very well. It won’t make the preserve spicy or anything, it will just pack a very tiny punch. Oftentimes, store bought preserves are too sweet and can make you feel saturated when eating them. The chilly powder helps to reduce that feeling of saturation. Feel free to experiment with the quantity of chilli.
3. The lemon juice added at the end serves three purposes: it gives an attractive gloss to the preserve, it acts as a natural preservative and it stops the sugar from crystallising after a few weeks of storage.
4. This recipe is safe for children. In this case, you may choose to leave out the chilly powder.
5. You can make any other fruity jam/preserve with the same technique. It’s just a matter of choosing the right fruit combinations so you maximise on natural sugar (instead of adding sugar separately) and tangy flavour. The sky is the limit!

Beginners tips

1. So how can you tell if your preserve is ready to take off the stove? The right consistency is sometimes hard to gauge because the preserve will thicken after it has cooled down. Here’s a little trick to help you out:
   – Take half a tsp of the preserve after step 6 and put it on a flat plate kept at room temperature. Leave it for about 10 secs. Then slowly tilt the plate and watch the preserve slide. If it separates (i.e., the liquid flows down faster than the solids) it’s not ready yet. Cook it a bit longer. If it slides down homogeneously, congratulations, you’ve nailed it. If it sticks to the plate and has trouble sliding down, you’ve gone too far.

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In addition, fenugreek and asafoetida are both digestive aids. Fenugreek especially is a diabetic friendly ingredient (has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels). Sprouting the fenugreek largely reduces the bitter taste of the seeds and also increases its nutritional value in the process. (See this other recipe that uses asafoetida!)

This pickle can be used as a taste enhancer in wraps/sandwiches, as a dip (when mixed with yogurt) or as a chutney (when diluted and blended) for literally anything!

This lovely dish is now featured on Buzzfeed Tasty. Click here for the full recipe!

Ingredients

Image only decorative! For exact measurements see ingredient list on the Tasty website.

Yield
~ 250 gms

Prep time
2 days (to sprout the fenugreek)

Cook time
1/2 hr

Method

Pro tip

Use dry red chillies to make your own chilli powder!

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