Summer is full of Sun, fun, travel & yumminess.. For those who love Mangoes its the season.. The kids have vacations... The markets are filled with an amazing array of fruits to choose from. There are negatives about summer, but why worry about that, let us focus on the goodness :)!!
I'm super excited writing this post as this was the first time I tried my hands at pickles & its almost over as it turned out quite well for a first timer & its vanished by distributing it to family! Pickles are meant to be shared aren't they :D??.
These green treats are called Ambade in Konkani and Hog Plums in English. These are sour summer fruits. They are used to add a tang to curries, because they work just like how tamarind does. They are fibrous when they grow older. They are pickled when tender & the pickle tastes delightful with the sourness that this fruit adds. They help you get through the rains when you crave for hot food with a little spice from these pickles.
As a kid, growing up was fun, we had a couple of cows, few dogs, loads of fruit trees in our garden & most were summer fruit bearing trees... My grandmother would pickle these up. Though at that time I was always running around with my cousins & hardly paid any attention to what she was up to.
This pickle is very simple to make. A few ingredients & care to make sure no water comes in contact while you make it & store it.
Ingredients: (Makes about4 bottles of 300 gms each)- Hog Plums - 1/2 kg, tender fruits, washed & drained, air dried on a kitchen towel till completely dry.
- Mustard Seeds - 3.5 fistful
- Byadge Chilli's (For colour) - 30 numbers, stems removed
- Guntur Chilli's (For Spice) - 48-50 numbers, stems removed
- Water - 5.5 cups
- Rock Salt - 5 tbsp
- Asafoetida powder - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp, based on your taste
Heat the water with the salt, till all the salt dissolves & the water bubbles for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat & let the mixture cool to room temperature. Slit each hog plum into 2 lengthwise. Add the slit hog plums into the boiled salt water & cover & let them soak in the salt water for a day or two. Do not handle this with wet hands.
After the hog plums have soaked for a couple of days, you can now use a few spoons of the salt water they are soaking in to grind the rest of the ingredients into a smooth paste. Now mix the freshly ground paste with the rest of the water & hog plums.
Check for the seasoning. Adjust salt or spice as required. If you plan to add some more water, boil the water & then add once the water cools. Transfer to a dry glass jar & mix everyday for 2-3 days. Then refrigerate & use as required :). Always handle with dry spoons & hands for longevity.
Simple isn't it?
Note: Preferably heat the salt & water in an aluminium vessel.
Serve with rice & dal as a side. Can also be served with South Indian breakfast dishes like Idli, dosa, upma etc.
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