FISH PICKLE

My quest to make Fish Pickle goes back to my college days where I had the oppurtunity to eat the best fish pickle i ever had. Unfortunately that was the only time.I have lived in kerala my whole life and Fish Pickle being one of the most popular items there, its surprising to me that i havent had it even ones.

Also in this cold weather when you are looking for things to keep yourself warm pickles definitely helps.The fish pickle i made is quite different from the one i had.Its equally good nevertheless.Its fairly simple and quick to make.It took me just about less than 30 mins to make it from start to finish.I made a small batch.Now that i am done i wish i had made more.Its finger licking,lip smacking delicious.Its that good.Very very addictive.

INGREDIENTS

Fish fillet - 1, any white fish, I used tilapia,Sliced
Shallots - 5-6 nos, sliced thin
Ginger - 1 1/2 tbsp , julienned
Garlic - 4-5 cloves, slliced thin
Kashmiri red chilli pdr - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 2-3 sprigs
Asafoetida - a big pinch
Salt  and pepper to taste
Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp + 1 tbsp

METHOD

First Marinate the sliced fish with 2 tbsp of chilli pdr,sat and pepper.Keep aside for 15-20 mins.
Heat some oil in a wide pan.Shallow fry the fish pieces. Sprinkle some asafoetida on top and transfer it to a bowl.In the same pan pour the rest of the oil and when its hot add mustard seeds.When it starts to pop add curry leaves,ginger,garlic and shallots.Add salt.When it starts to become light brown add the rest of the chilli pdr.Dont add any water..Lower the flame and stir for a minute until fully incorporated.Add the fried fish to this and mix well.Serve immediately ,warm or cold with some rice.

ENJOY!!!

EGGPLANT PICKLE

Pickles are a must for me while having meals.Eggplant pickle was something i had heard of before but never tried.I had a couple of chinese eggplants in stockand so i wanted to give it a try and WOW!!it was simply delicious.Even my husband who is not fond of pickles loved it.The base of my pickle is made of garlic and pearl onion paste.It also adds a lot of flavour to the pickle .For heat and the red color i used a lot of kashmiri red chilli pdr.This gives the right heat without making it too spicy.I baked the eggplant pieces before adding them into mixture.The end result is too good.Other than with rice , it tastes great with chapathis too.

INGREDIENTS

Chinese eggplant - 2 nos, diced small

Pearl onions - 10-12 nos, peeled

Chopped garlic - 2 tsp

turmeric pdr - 1 /2 tsp

Kashmiri red chilli pdr - 2-3 tbsp(If you dont have kashmiri red chilli pdr then reduce the amount of red chilli pdr)

Asafoetida - a pinch

mustard seeds - 1 tsp

curry leaves - of 1 sprig

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp

Vinegar - 1 1/2 tsp

lemon juice - 1 tsp(optional)

salt to taste

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 deg F.Arrange the diced eggplant pieces on a baking dish.Sprinkle with some salt and let it bake for about 15-20 mins or until they become soft and tender.

In the meantime grind the pearl onions to a smooth paste and keep aside.

Heat some oil in a wok/kadai.Add mustard seeds.Once they start to crackle add curry leaves and garlic .Saute for a few seconds.Then add turmeric and red chilli pdr.Add the onion paste and some salt.Stir it for a couple of mins.Add a pinch of asafoetida.Now add the baked eggplant pieces .Mix it well until the eggplant pieces are well coated with the mixture.Add the tamarind paste and mix it well.Using the back of a wooden spoon mash the pieces into the mixture.Remove from heat and add the vinegar and lemon juice.Mix it again.Let it cool.Serve it with rice or chapathi.Refrigerate the remaining.

WHITE LEMON PICKLE

I love spicy food and so its no surprising that i love pickles too.My hubby on the other hand is very sensitive to spice and so stays as far as possible from pickles or anything thats spicy except from this one particular pickle.

White lemon pickle was introduced to us by my mom.It so simple and very easy to make.No spices added and almost no cooking required,only work is cutting and marinating.Even though lemon is the main ingredient, ginger and garlic gives it the flavor and green chillies gives it the small kick which is not at all overpowering.I love the garlic and chillies in it the best and so i add a lot of it.Garlic,ginger and green chillies just need a little bit of sauteeing to remove its raw flavor and thats the only little cooking thats needed here.Ones all are mixed together ,it needs atleast a week or so for all the flavors to blend in and spread evenly.But i bet no one can wait that long because the aroma is simply irresistable.Ones everything is done you can even eat the chillies since its no longer spicy.

This is my post on day26 of RM 2.

INGREDIENTS ( There is no particular measurement needed for this recipe.One can add less or more of the following ingredients)

Lemon - 4-5 nos

Garlic

ginger

green chillies

salt to taste

water

oil

METHOD

Cut the lemon to bit size pieces ,apply salt and let it marinate overnight.Peel the garlic cloves and slice it round and thin.Similarly slice the ginger too.Cut the green chillies into 1/2 " pieces.In a bowl mix ginger,garlic and chillies.Add salt and keep aside for about 2-3 hrs.

In a pan heat some oil.Add the ginger, garlic and green chillies.Sautee it till its looses it raw flavor.Do not make it brown.Sautee it on a medium lot heat.Ones done mix it with the chopped lemon pieces.The pickle is done at this moment but its dry.So if you want some liquid in it boil 1/2 cup water with salt and add it tot his mixture.Let it cool before bottling it.Tastes great with curd rice.

Do check what my fellow marathoners have cooked up today!!!

1) DK 2) Srivalli 3) PJ 4) Curry Leaf 5) Medha 6) Priya 7) Bhawna 8) Raaji 9) Ruchii 10)Anu 11) Kamala 12) Roopa13) Divya Kudua 14) Rekha 15) Divya M 16) Lakshmi 17) Raaga 18)Lakshmi Venkatesh 19) Sripriya 20) Viji 21) Pavani 22) Kamalika 23) Karuna 24) Roochi

BITTERGOURD PICKLE--VOW

Bittergourd has never been my favorite infact it was only vegetable i hated.When we were small my mom used to make us eat it because its rich in vitamins and iron content.The only way i could eat is when my mom made pickle out of it.This i loved so much that i even forgot that i hated it.It is so simple ,quick and very easy to prepare.

This is my entry to pooja's VoW-Bittergourd



INGREDIENTS

Bittergourd- 1 cup,thinly sliced to 1/2" pieces

red chillies -15 nos

water -1 1/2 cup

tamarind paste- 2 tsp

asafoetida- 1 tsp

mustard and curry leaves for seasoning

salt -1tbsp+a pinch

oil for frying

METHOD

Thinly slice the bittergourd to 1/2" pieces and apply salt over it and let it rest for 5-8 mins.this oozes out water from the veg and reduces the amount of bitterness.Then squeeze out the moisture from it by hand and wipe out with paper towel or cloth.Fry them till dark brown.In the same oil lightly fry the red chillies and keep aside.Boil water with a tbsp of salt.Put the fried chillies in this hot water and let it cool.Then grind it smoothly.Shift it out to a bowl and add the tamarind paste.Heat and let it come to a boil for a second time.Remove from heat and add the fried bittergourd.Then add the tadka of mustard seeds ,asafoetida and curry leaves in the end.
Serve it with rice.