Turmeric Pickle
Fresh Turmeric Pickle is a simple, healthy pickle made in just 15 mins with fresh turmeric, ginger and lime. The wonderful thing about this recipe is it can be made without even a drop of oil if you want, unlike many Indian pickle varieties where oil is a necessary ingredient. Just omit the tempering part of the recipe and still you have a tasty and healthy pickle. Yet another interesting thing about this recipe is you can use finely chopped carrots instead of fresh turmeric or include both to give a variation to this pickle.
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
- Select and buy very fresh reasonably fat turmeric roots. Small tender ones don’t have the rich golden yellow colour.
- 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.
- 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.
