Tomato Pickle ~ Andhra style spicy Takkali Urugai or Thokku

Ripe for the picking - Andhra Tameta Uragai pickle

I stubbed my toe onto the dining table leg and the nail popped off but it was still barely hanging from the cuticle. Anyways I bandaged my toe and went about my chores. I dropped kids off to school and on my way back home I passed a thelewala (hand cart) selling ripe tomatoes. My driver knows me well enough and said, Madam, tomato chanagide, Photo tege (kannada language)? Don’t you just love it when people around you know what will cheer you up!

Anyway I bought 2 kg of these luscious desi/natti heirloom tomatoes which has a hint sourness and full of the sun ripened tomato flavour in them.

Desi Natti Heirloom Tomatoes

I returned home and knew I’m low on my pickle/chutney stock so I decided to make a batch of Tomato thokku (cross between chutney and pickle), but I wanted to make it spicy Andhra style to eat with curd rice or Idli/Dosa.

Pulp and seeds scooped out of the tomatoes and placed in the sun to dry

The unique method of preparation is that the tomatoes pulp/seeds are scooped out and the tomatoes halves are sprinkled with sea salt and sun dried for a whole day.

Tomato Uragai

1 kg tomatoes, halved and the seeds/pulp scooped out

2 tbsp tamarind pulp

6-8 Guntur dry red chillies broken into halves

1/4 tsp asafoetida powder

1/2 tsp mustard seeds for tempering

1 tbsp crushed garlic (optional)

6-8 curry leaves

1/4 cup sesame/gingelly oil

Salt to taste

Dry Roast/Sun dry and powder:

10-12 Byadgi dry red chillies

5-6 short dry red chillies

1 tsp each of Cumin, Fenugreek and Mustard seeds

Method

Sun dry the tomato halves in the sun for 1-2 days depending on the intensity of the heat until the skins attain a crinkly texture. Blend to a coarse paste the tomatoes and tamarind. Roast the powder ingredients and set aside.

Heat gingelly/sesame oil and add the mustard seeds and Guntur dry chillies. Allow it to darken then add the crushed garlic, curry leaves and asafoetida. Reduce the heat to low and add the powder and the tomato purée. Cook on low, stirring occasionally until the oil floats to the sides of the pan and it emits a beautiful aroma. About 6-8 minutes, add salt and turn off the flame. Cool and store in a glass jar in the fridge. This will keep for up to 3-4 weeks... but you will finish it before that!

Tomatoes after a whole day of drying in the sun

Dried tomatoes and a bit of tamarind ground to a chunky pulp

Large crinkly Byadgi chillies, Cumin seeds, Guntur chillies, Fenugreek seeds, Mustard seeds

Sun dried spices ground to a fine powder

Guntur dry red chillies, minced garlic, curry leaves

Heat oil, add the spices and cook along with tomatoes and spice powder

Cook until oil forms a ring on the side of the pan and the pickle has thickened and emits a beautiful aroma

Glorious Garlic Lasooni Dal

Garlic cannot bestow immortality but it can make you lead a longer life. Garlic is making news in all fields for having antibiotic, anti cancer and many other properties. Although it has a strong flavor it is a good spice to have on hand as it vastly improves the flavor of many dishes. Take for example the humble dal, we make it almost three times a week and I like to have variations to the recipe and this one makes a soul satisfying dish! Lasooni, means garlicky and this Lasooni Dal is a hit with even the kids.

Lasooni Dal

Ingredients

1/2 cup each Moong and Masoor dal, cooked until soft

2-4 tbsp chopped garlic

2 dry red chillies

2 tbsp ghee

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Heat ghee in a pan and add the dry chillies, cumin seeds, garlic and cook for a minute or two, then add the red chili powder and turmeric. Pour this, on the salted and cooked dal. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or rotis.

Carb your spending: Cauliflower and Potato curry

The cauliflower is very low in Carbohydrates making it very attractive in low carb diets as it's very filling, it doesn't hurt that a head of Cauliflower is also easy on the wallet...

Regardless, I'm very fond of Cauliflower....well our whole family is and so it finds its way to our dinner table at the very least twice a week. I make several different dishes, but the dish we love hands down is Aloo Gobhi masala. 

A very humble dish that requires very few easily found ingredients. In most North Indian style dishes, one uses garlic, ginger, onion and tomatoes as the base....like the holy trinity/ mirepoix in Creole cuisine ( onion, celery and bell pepper) this is the holy quartet!

Aloo Gobhi Masala

Ingredients

1 large medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets

2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes

3/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp minced ginger 

1/2 tbsp minced ginger

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp garam masala ( optional )

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp oil

1 green chili slit

Coriander leaves for garnish

Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, onion, and  green chili. When the onion turns translucent add the tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt. Cook on a low flame till the tomatoes turn pulpy. Add potatoes and salt, stir and cover the pan. Cook until the potatoes are half cooked. Add the cauliflower and cook until the cauliflower are soft. When the cauliflower has softened, sprinkle garam masala and coriander leaves. Serve with roti or rice.

Stuffed with Goodness – Vegetarian Calzone

I love everything Italian and of course their food is near the top of that list almost at par with their gorgeous men! Ahhh….amore……..

Pizza, the first thing one thinks of in Italian cuisine has been made world famous thanks to the Italian immigrants that brought it when they came over to the new world. A Calzone is the cousin to the pizza - basically one can describe it as a pizza turnover. The same goodness as in a pizza, just a bit more moist, and a crispier exterior making eating it even more delectable! A crunchy shell with the warm gooey cheesy interior makes this dish a winner all the way! 

 

You will find a million websites with an equal number of pizza dough recipes that do not really help; as most of them have copy/pasted someone else’s recipe and so most don’t work! After many years of trying the endless quest to find the best dough in my opinion, I found using bread flour makes the best dough (who would have thought)! My recipe calls for ¾ - 1tsp of yeast for every cup of flour. The reason why the amount of yeast is not exact is because if you make this recipe in winter, then you need more yeast and if you live in a warm place like Singapore (1° north of the equator) you need less. I use Prima bread flour, it’s not exactly King Arthur brand of flours, but a pretty good substitute.

Like any homemade pizza maker will tell you, cheese blends are a personal choice. While I was in the US I loved quarto formaggio from Traders Joes, now I use mozzarella, cheddar and add some parmesan for some extra sharpness. The stuffing is also variable, sometimes I like to add ricotta cheese and sometimes I just roast a whole bunch of vegetables on the stove top and add tomato sauce, and cheese. Since we are close to the weekend and I’m running out of vegetables options, I have decided to use eggplant, onion and bell peppers to make todays stuffing.

 

Eggplant Calzone 

makes 5-6 very healthy sized portions

Ingredients

5 cups bread flour

2 ½ cups water (keep an additional ½ cup, in case dough is ydry)

3 ½ - 5 tsp dry active yeast (about 1 ½ packets of yeast)

2 tsp fresh herb of your choice or 1 tsp dried Italian herbs

2 tsp sugar

1 + 1 tsp salt

1 tsp white pepper powder

¼ cup + 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup prepared tomato sauce

2 cups chopped vegetables

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and grated

2-3 cups grated cheese

2 tbsp hot sauce

Method

Proof the yeast by allowing it to rise in ½ cup warm water and sugar, it will foam up when ready. Mix flour, salt, herbs and oil and make a sticky dough. Keep aside in a warm place and let it double, punch down and allow to rise again.

 

Heat oven to the hottest setting, mine is a convection oven and the max is 220 (450). Cube eggplant, salt it lightly and allow it to drain in a colander. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan, add garlic, onion and  cubed eggplant and allow to cook for about 3-5 mins on a low flame. Remove and set aside to cool. Add prepared red sauce, hot sauce, salt, pepper and mix.

In the meanwhile, after the second rise, divide dough to make into 5-6 equal sized balls. Roll balls into 8-10 inch disks. Spoon in 2-4 tbsp of stuffing mix, add 2-4 tbsp shredded cheese onto one half of the rolled base, fold to create a semicircle. Using the fork tines, press down on the edges of the calzone to seal. Make sure the edges are well sealed otherwise the cheese will leak out. On the top of the calzone make a ½ inch slit with a knife to prevent the calzone from ballooning in the oven.

 

Cook for 12-15 mins until the outer shell is golden brown. Remove and allow the calzone to cool for about 10-15 mins before serving, so the insides have a chance to cool down.

Not just for the birds: Bajre ki roti

They say birds know what's good for them!

I knew Millet (bajra – hindi) to be the main ingredient in birdseed, however I did not know that it is one of the earliest cultivated grains. Millet is widely consumed in the Indian subcontinent and used in African and Eastern European cuisine as well. Millet is one of the least allergenic, non-glutinous grains available that is also very high in protein.

As a member the so-called “pseudograins”, (quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, and teff are actually seeds) millet might just be one of the most versatile of those “grains”. Millet has a nutty/earthy taste, and when it is hulled it can be used in making pulao, when pressure cooked or slow cooked one can make a Konji/Kanji/Soup, which would be great for breakfast or stirred raw into baked goods for an extra crunch, sprouted for salads, ground into flour, or popped like popcorn. Thirty five grams of bajra contains approx 4gms of protein, great for the vegan/vegetarian diet.

Better late than never, I‘ve started to consume millet regularly in my diet. I eat it pressure cooked as a substitute for rice (beware - it has a VERY chewy texture), but I like it! I also make roti’s- Indian breads with it, since others in my family are not so gung ho about it I make the rotis with equal portions of Bajra flour and whole wheat flour. I’ve found after many tries that the bread is best consumed fresh and the flavor is enhanced when eaten with raw sliced onions, blistered green chilli/salt or a powder of peanut, coconut, garlic and dry red chillies. Apparently this is how the peasants in India consume the rotis, which also go by the name Bhakri roti and thecha or lahsun chutney.

Millet flour roti

Ingredients

2 cups freshly milled millet flour

2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1-2 green chillies, finely chopped

3 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

3-4 cups warm water

4 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method

Mix both the millet and wheat flours. Add salt, onions, chillies, coriander leaves and 1 tbsp of the oil and rub into the flour mixture. Make a well and pour 2-3 cups of water and knead the dough for about 3-5 minutes or until the dough forms a ball and leaves the side of the bowl. Set aside. Meanwhile heat an iron griddle.

Make lemon sized balls of the dough and roll on wooden board with a rolling pin into the size of a quarter plate (6-7 inchs). The roti should be atleast 3-4mm thick, if you roll the roti too thin it will break while cooking. Using a fork make dimpled impressions all over  the roti and on both sides so that it will cook fast and evenly.

Once the griddle is hot slap the roti on and allow it to cook for 45 seconds and flip over and cook another 30 seconds. Apply a little bit of the reserved oil on each side and cook until light brown spots appear. It is important to cook the bread fast or it will become dry.

Serve warm with butter, sliced raw onion and pickle (see recipes below).

Roasted green chilli: Stick a green chilli on a skewer and roast on an open flame until it blisters. Serve it with salt. To eat, mash the chilli and salt together and apply on the roti.

Lahsun chutney 

(dry garlic/coconut/peanut powder)

Ingredients

100 gms dry roasted skinned peanuts

100 gms grated dry coconut

20-30 garlic cloves

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp sugar

Method

Pound all ingredients together in a mortar and pestle or gently blend in a food processor until a coarse powder is formed.   

It's all Maya

More than a decade ago we lived in Singapore and our wonderful neighbor, Mrs Khera had a very talented Nepalese cook – Maya. She let me in on a few cooking tricks to some wonderful Nepalese dishes, the most important being the Momo. Maya also introduced me to vegetarian Nepalese cuisine which is unusually very simple and subtle in flavor. The dishes are prepared using common flavoring ingredients and spices - like garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, fresh red chilies, onions, cilantro and scallions.

I often make a nepali Kali maa ki dal / urad dal that Maya taught me which is always a hit and a recipe that is most often requested from dinner guests, as this dal does not use cream but still has a creamy texture and tons of flavor. For people who do not care for kali maa ki dal, this is a good variation.

Kali ma ki dal Nepali style

Ingredients

¼ cup split urad dal with skin

¼ cup skinless urad dal

½ cup channa dal, mix and wash all dals and pre-soak for ½ an hour

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 + 2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp ghee

½ tsp jeera/cumin

4-6 fresh curry leaves (optional)

8-10 cloves garlic – approx ¼ cup, grated

1 large very ripe tomato, finely chopped

1 tsp ginger, grated

¼ cup fresh coriander, chopped

1 -2 fresh red chillies split down the center, salt to taste

Method

Pressure cook the dals along with a tbsp oil and turmeric for 20 minutes or on a medium flame in a heavy bottom pan until the dals are well cooked – whisk dals with an egg beater when still hot and keep aside (very important step).

One can also cook the dals in a crock pot for 2-4 hours until the dals disintegrate (well cooked) and has an almost gelatinous texture.

Heat remaining oil and ghee in a pan, add the cumin and allow it to sputter. Throw in the grated garlic and curry leaves and cook for a minute, then add the tomatoes. Cook on low flame until pulpy. Add the cooked and whisked dal, salt and some water. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, add the ginger, red chillies and coriander leaves.

Serve hot with whole grain bread, nan/chapati or steamed basmati rice.

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This recipe has been submitted for the event, Flavors of: Nepal created by Nayna of Simply food and hosted by Nupur of UK Rasoi.

Open Sesame - A master key

In my kitchen I tend to keep certain spice blends and pastes which work as building blocks to a variety of dishes, one such paste is a blend of fresh red chillies, shallots, garlic and sesame.

The beauty of this paste is that it can stand alone as a chutney/spread for breads, diluted with a couple of tablespoons of sesame oil or sour cream it can be used as dipping sauce for vegetables or pita wedges. I also use it a base flavouring for making Indian Chinese dishes like Manchurian or Szechuan / Sichuan sauce or Hot and sour soup. It works exceptionally well to flavour a Laksa soup or Mee Goreng. I add it to the potato stuffing for making Aloo or mixed vegetable parathas or throw in a spoon or two of the paste to fresh yoghurt to make a raita. I add the paste to zing up my fajitas or as a base for Indian style paneer pizza………….as you can see this paste is like a chameleon – it blends in well with many a dish!

I tend to make double batches and freeze the paste in multiple little baby food size jars so that I can thaw out a jar or two as and when I need it. The paste does not use oil or have chemical preservatives, so it may not last more than a week in the refridgerator (but a mini jar has never lasted that long). However, if you want to extend the life of the paste add oil that has been heated to a smoking point and cooled to the paste, additionally you may add citric acid crystals to increase its life, but it adds to much of a sour taste to the paste which can leave a bitter after taste when heated.

This paste is fiery, so use it judiciously.

Red Chilli Sesame Paste

Ingredients3-4 oz/100 gms fresh red chillies, chopped
½ cup shallots, roughly chopped
¼ cup peeled garlic, chopped
2 tbsp white sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Juice of 1-2 limes/lemons
Salt to taste

MethodLightly toast sesame seeds and allow to cool (sesame will sputter out of the pan if the flame is high). Chop red chillies, de-seed if you want the paste to be milder (wear a glove while doing this) and roughly chop shallots and garlic. Blend together chillies, garlic, shallots and sesame to a smooth paste using little water. Add the lime juice and salt.
If you want to prolong the life of the paste add 4 oz of heated and cooled oil (any oil – vegetable, peanut or sesame).

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This recipe has been submitted for the event, Cooking with Whole Foods [CWF] : Sesame seeds created by Kiran of Sumadhura and hosted by Revathi of Kaarasaaram.

Going for the Gold

It’s been a while since I entered the kitchen – thanks to my excellent cook Baby Mami {tamil language word for Aunt} who whips up finger licking amazing traditional south indian fare, but this past weekend there was cooking competition at the Mylapore Club, of which we are brand spanking new members. The club is very quaint, has an old world charm to it and located on sprawling grounds like an oasis in the middle of hectic suburbia.

The theme of the competition was wheat and my son egged me on to participate. He suggested I make Pasta with olives { his two most favourite ingredients} and I accepted. I’ve never taken part in a cooking competition, but figured it was worth a try and that it would at the very least make the Sunday dinner a little more exciting as Baby Mami has Sundays off!

Based on the son’s request and the clubs guidelines I decided to make my vegetarian version of Pasta Puttanesca and load it with tons of olives and fresh vegetables like broccoli and zucchini. While at it I figured I’d make some interesting garnish to “dress” up the humble pasta and made palm trees with bell pepper and carrots - quirky, but adorable!

The competition had at the very least 18-2O competitors and was broken down into two categories - Sweet and Savoury. Some interesting dishes were “old fashioned” wheat halwa, ragi and wheat laddus, wheat flour polis and kottu parrotah – a very native Chennai quick eats dish made of chopped up roti’s and tossed with sautéed onions, garlic, ginger and assorted spices.

The judge of the competition was a nutritionist from a local hospital and had some wonderful comments about the theme in regards to its nutritional value and how we could incorporate more wheat in our mainly rice based south indian diets.

After announcing the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in the sweet category..........drum roll please, they announced Moi as the 1st place winner in the Savoury category! I’ve never really won too many things, excepting for the time I was Ms January in a yearly calender {I'll save that story for some other time} so this was a pleasant surprise and even more so as my son had declared me the winner even before I started to cook! However the son has such a persuasive nature that it is possible that he could have coerced the judge into declaring me the winner………..wink…wink! But the judges comments made me really proud as she said my pasta was the most *attractive dish* and it tasted even better than its looks! A few other things she mentioned was that since I choose to parboil the vegetables and cooked the sauce in olive oil, it added to the nutritional value, thus making it a winner…………..woohoo!

Without further ado, here is the recipe…………

Pasta Puttanesca

Ingredients
500 gms uncooked pasta of your choice {I used rigatini}, cooked until al dente
250 gms broccoli cut into small florets\
150 gms zucchini/squash, chopped into small fingers
6-8 peeled and finely chopped garlic cloves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 {100 ml each} cartons of tomato puree
3 tbsp sliced black olives
2-3 tbsp pasta/Italian seasoning
2 tbsp red pepper/chilli flakes
1-2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp sugar
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Parboil broccoli and zucchini. Heat oil in pan and add the garlic and onions, sauté until the garlic and onions give out a fragrance. Add the seasoning, 1 tbsp chilli flakes, salt & pepper, stir for a minute and the tomato puree. Cook until the sauce reduces to 2/3 of its original volume. Add the parsley, vegetables and cooked pasta and toss for a few minutes until the pasta is coated well with the sauce. Garnish with olives and pepper flakes, serve warm with your favourite bread.

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This recipe has been submitted for the event, Create and Carve, created by Nayna and hosted by Nina of Givemesomespice.

Recipe has also been submitted for the event Presto Pasta Nights, created by Ruth of Once upon a feast and hosted by Jen of Taste of Home.

This Bean has gained Broader Appeal

The truth is that I did not grow up a lover of hyacinth beans, aka: avarakkai; vaal; bulay (Tagalog); or đậu ván (vietnamese), actually I detested them after we grew a variety one summer that had the most awful stench to the growing bean pods. As “chief picker” it was my responsibility to assist my grandma pick the pods off the vines and no matter what I soap I used I was unable to wash the awful smelling natural oils coating the pods from my hands after picking, which made me despise these beans all through my childhood. However decades later while living in Singapore I rediscovered these beans cooked Nepali style and I instantly fell in love with the vegetable. Thankfully the beans no longer have any off-smelling oils to them nowadays!

The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity; finely chopped beans, finely diced potatoes, tons of grated garlic and voila……….a dish that sure to please the most difficult of palates. I enjoy Nepali vegetarian cuisine as I feel they tend to focus on the flavor of vegetables without drowning a dish with a variety of herbs and spices. Another addition that makes this dish a winner is the use of Potatoes, now who can resist that in any form? I’ve enclosed some nutritive facts about the beans and hope that you will give this vegetable a chance at your dining table.

Lablab, are a variety of beans native to South East Asia. These beans, like its cousins are very easy to grow and are tremendously nutritious, Broad beans are good sources of protein, fibre, vitamins A and C, potassium and iron. They also contain levodopa (L-dopa), a chemical the body uses to produce dopamine (the neurotransmitter associated with the brain's reward and motivation system). A study has found that regions of the world that consume considerable amounts of broad beans in their diet also have lower cases of epilepsy.

Aloo Sem Nepali Style
Ingredients
1 lb lablab/broad beans, rinsed and chopped finely
½ lb potatoes, rinsed and chopped into small cubes with skin on
½ a pod of garlic, peeled and grated (approx 2-3 tbsp)
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
2-3 tsp oil
Juice of 1 lime or half a lemon
Salt to taste
A sprig of curry leaves (optional)

Method
Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and allow them to sputter, add curry leaves, grated garlic, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and chopped potatoes. Cover and cook on low heat for about 5-10 minutes. When the potates are almost cooked add the chopped beans and sprinkle some water, cover and cook on low heat for another 10 minutes. Add lime juice when done. Serve with cooked white rice or serve on a toasted multigrain bread slice.

Not in a Pickle

Though summer is officially over and Fall has begun, I chanced upon some raw mangoes at the local Indian grocery store. My better half C enjoys eating pickles, especially homemade ones with his meals……so I decided to make a pickle I had not tasted in awhile.

As a child I clearly remember eating fresh Avakai urga made by my maternal grandma, Kamalamma. When I stumbled upon my early teens I was considered “old enough” to be in charge of chores and every year, like clockwork I was taken by Grandma on a trip to scour the markets for the rawest, sourest mangoes. it was my responsibility to sit with the vendor while they cut the mangoes as per grandma’s instruction and to make sure that: (1) hand selected mangoes were not substituted with lower quality ones and, (2) they did not short us on the quantity. For all my efforts, I would be rewarded with a meal at a local restaurant before having to lug the baskets home!

Kamalamma’s recipe calls for a fair amount of garlic and chickpeas in the pickle - unusual, as we did not consume much garlic in our home! However, I like this version of Avakai the best as it’s not summer until one eats cool Thayir sadam with urga....when one bites into a crunchy piece of garlic, or a salty chickpea and then sucks on a piece of the pickled mango - sour and spicy…..so enticing is the pickle that it only makes you want to eat more! I can still savour the flavor of Kamalamma's pickle and decided that I had to make my own version of that classic…….the easy way of course!

My Avakai Urga

Raw green mangoes – 4 large, about ½ lbs each (make sure the fruit is fairly hard to the touch – this means that it is still raw)
1 Cup small cloves of peeled garlic (cut large cloves into smaller pieces)
1 Cup dry chick peas soaked in water overnight
2 tbsp whole fenugreek seeds
2 tbsp rai na kuria, hulled and split mustard seeds
2 tsp asafoetida (heeng) powder
2 Cups Pickle Masala (by Swad, Bansi or Deep which is what I used)
1-1/2 Cups Salt (depending on how sour the fruit is, + if very sour, - if less)
2 Cups gingelly/ sesame seed oil (may be substituted with a good quality peanut oil)

Method

Wash and completely dry the mangoes. Cut into 1 inch cubes (use a very SHARP large knife as cutting through the inner shell can be tough) discard the seeds. Transfer into a large mixing bowl.

Heat oil in a pan until smoking point, turn off the flame and allow it to cool. In the meanwhile drain the chickpeas and remove external moisture by allowing it to dry completely(on a paper towel). Clean the peeled garlic cloves as well and make sure that they are bone dry as well.

Add ¾ of the salt and ¾ of the pickle masala and stir it into the cut mangoes. Make sure that all pieces are evenly coated with the masala. Add the garlic, chickpeas, fenugreek seeds, rai na kuria, and the heeng powder. Mix well to ensure even distribution, now taste the masala mix ~ it should taste extra salty, spicy and pungent, if not add more quantities of both the salt and pickle masala(the salt and spices mellow with age). Take a clean container (zap it in the microwave for a minute or two, or clean the container with vinegar) and slowly ladle in the mango mixture. Top off with the cooled oil. Tap the sides of the container to remove any air pockets. Add more if oil if it does not cover the top of the pickle as this will help keep the pickle from spoiling. Too much oil? Don’t worry I will suggest ideas on what to do with left over pickle marinade/oil in another post (making sure you visit again).

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Finally, the last part is a challenge for most people – including me…....allowing the pickle to rest/mature in the sun for a couple of days! When you cannot wait anymore, transfer small (?) quantities of the pickle from the big container into several smaller ones for distribution to family and friends and one for personal use. Keep the large container in the coolest part of the refrigerator until you need to replenish your daily dose, Enjoy!