12.08.2011

FOOD : Accompany Me!! : Instant Cauliflower and Carrot Pickle

Pickle.. and my mouth waters... Kuch Teekha, Kuch Khattha, Kuch Namkeen, Kuch Meetha,... when all these come together.... it's perfect for Accompanying anything that is laid out on your Thali. Most people have their signature pickles... This is prepared by My Mother in law, But even Tastier, by Her Sister. I remember she gave this big box of Cauliflower pickle for us, on our way to Cochin, just as another accompaniment for the Chapathi's, and by the time we reached and spent a day in Cochin, i had a severe stomach burn, cause I had finished the entire box of This Pickle just like that, depriving my husband of the same. He had this shocked look with 'How did you manage to gobble up all of it' written all over on his face.  Its quite Instant... hardly takes time.
No Indian Household goes without a Jar of Pickle ... I suddenly decided to do this up, for my Mom and Dad who were coming to Konstanz finally, and I was going to see them after a full 6.5 months. Also another reason was that, Raghu had bought 2 big cauliflowers' because it was 'Sasta' and i had no clue what to do with them. I made sabji's, Rice, and what not.. and still had One Cauliflower left... So this pickle.

You will need :
Cauliflower-sliced finely and real small
Carrot chopped finely
Chilli Powder-on how spicy you want it to be
Turmeric
Ginger-3"x3" piece sliced finely
Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
Oil - i used a  little extra- like about 6 spoons (use coconut oil, all the better)
Salt
Lemon Juice
Hing- Im very generous with this

So, You wash the cauliflower and carrots and allow them to dry. Put them in a bowl, add Lemon Juice and Ginger into it and mix. Add salt.
In a small pan, add oil, allow to get hot. Add mustard seeds and let it sputter. Add the Hing and allow to cool slightly. In the same Oil, I added Turmeric and Chilli Powder. (Add them when the oil is not really hot, so that they don't get burnt and you don't lose the red color). I give it this mix a light whip in the Blender, so that the Mustard is slightly Coarse. Add the same into the Cauliflower carrot and Ginger mix and mix well. Check for salt and Lemon. If you think you need more of it, add it and allow it to all come together for about 2-3 hours.
You could also add many more veggies into this, Like : Peas, Amla cut finely, Raw Mangoes finely chopped,    tender Turmeric stems, etc.

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